Sonar Entertainment Inc., an independent studio in California that produces shows for Hulu, Disney and AMC, has hired former Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. executive and general counsel Scott Packman as its top lawyer. 

Packman oversaw MGM's worldwide legal and business affairs and risk management for more than 14 years and had a hand in the firm's financing, mergers and acquisitions, and distribution efforts. 

At Sonar, he fills a newly created and expansive role as senior executive vice president, chief strategy officer, general counsel and head of business affairs, according to an announcement from the studio Wednesday. He began his new job earlier this month and is based at the studio's headquarters in Los Angeles. 

“There's a lot of consolidation going on in Hollywood right now,” Packman said in an interview Thursday. “Lawyers are helping companies adapt to the changing landscape of Hollywood.”

Packman will serve as a key contact for Sonar's senior management, third-party executives, agents and outside counsel while negotiating a wide range of agreements for license and talent deals, production service arrangements, content acquisition, rights management and domestic and international distribution, among other things. 

“When you deal with transactions in Hollywood, you have a business that is largely driven off the power of ideas and human capital. You end up perhaps with deals being more heavily negotiated than outside the industry,” he said. 

Sonar is producing “The Hunt” for Amazon Prime Video and recently finished production for the third season of “Mr. Mercedes” for AT&T Audience Network. The studio also produced “The Son” for AMC and “Das Boot” for Hulu, both of which aired this year. 

A graduate of the New York University School of Law, Packman began his career in 1995 as an attorney at Rogers & Wells, which later merged with Clifford Chance. He joined O'Melveny & Myers in 1997 and, three years later, went in-house as general counsel of Creative Planet Inc., a software company that works with the film and TV production industries, according to his LinkedIn profile. 

Sonar CEO Tom Lesinski said in a written statement that Packman is “highly regarded across the media industry and brings an unmatched level of strategic, operations and legal expertise to sonar.

“He will play a pivotal role in growing our business moving forward,” he added.