Mo’ money for Lionsgate top lawyer with 64% pay bump
Bruce Tobey attends Variety’s Power of Law Breakfast on April 20, 2022, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Variety)
The general counsel for film studio Lionsgate earned $4.49 million during his first full year in the role, where he helped negotiate the company’s separation from TV network Starz and facilitated major transactions and artificial intelligence strategies.
According to the proxy statement filed by Lionsgate for fiscal year ending March 31, general counsel Bruce Tobey’s reported 2026 earnings of $4.49 million indicated a 64% increase over the prior year’s $2.74 million.
Law.com reports that the bulk of the general counsel’s compensation came from cash and equity. He was paid a $1.2 million salary, a $1.25 million cash bonus, $2.02 million in stock and $17,882 in additional compensation.
Tobey joined Lionsgate in March 2023 amid sweeping company changes. Previously, he spent over a decade as a partner at O’Melveny & Myers. Under his direction, Lionsgate Studios and Starz were separated into stand-alone public companies. He also oversaw legal operations tied to a $300 million equity raise and facilitated the collapse of Lionsgate’s dual-class share structure. He has also been given oversight of the studio’s AI initiatives.
Earlier this year, Tobey signed a new employment agreement with Lionsgate that extends through March 2028.
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