Chris Manderson Quoted on Newsweek, “Apple Buying Disney Would Create an Unparalleled Entertainment Behemoth”

Chris Manderson, Partner and Co-Chair of ECJ’s Business, Corporate and Tax department was featured in a recent Newsweek article. The article appeared in the Culture section titled, “Apple Buying Disney Would Create an Unparalleled Entertainment Behemoth”.

The article discusses how business titans Apple and Disney could be merging into one mega company, which experts believe will benefit both companies. Apple, Inc. and The Walt Disney Co. have a longstanding relationship, personified by the fact that returning Disney CEO, Bob Iger, was friends with the late Apple founder, Steve Jobs. Chris says, "The thing that drives [mergers and acquisitions] is that it's easier to buy something than build it. Disney is a major property owner, but its content will be driving this merger. Apple has the platform and the distribution, while Disney would be providing the content".

While some see it as a match made in heaven, major business collaborations don't always work out the way people hope for. Chris also pointed out that AOL and Time Warner found synergies to be difficult. Chris says, "Disney has successfully conglomerated a lot of companies, but they've all been within the entertainment industry". "Here, they'd be merging with what's essentially a hardware company. It's hard to say whether that would work; the reason mergers most often fail is that they fail to integrate their corporate cultures and their operations."

Full article linked here.