Los Angeles Magazine has been purchased by prominent Los Angeles defense attorney Mark Geragos and civil rights lawyer Ben Meiselas, the publication announced Monday. The sale was for more than $6 million in cash, according to a person with knowledge of the sale.
Founded in 1961, the glossy print publication has suffered declining circulation and revenue for years, taking a steep dip during COVID-19. The sale includes sister publications Pasadena and Orange Coast.
Detroit-based Hour Media LLC bought Los Angeles Magazine in 2017. The Monday sale is the fifth time it has changed hands.
Geragos was the attorney for several high-profile clients over the years, including Michael Jackson, Chris Brown and Jussie Smollett. Meiselas is also a social-media entrepreneur.
The sale brings the ownership back to Los Angeles, where Geragos and Meiselas have formed a new company, Engine Vision Media, to run all three publications.
The new owners held a meeting Monday with staff, saying they plan to invest in content and expand LA Mag’s digital and social media presence. They also plan a new focus on live events.
“As someone who was born in downtown Los Angeles and raised in the Pasadena area, it’s a dream to help steward the legacy of these three incredible magazines and provide the resources needed to take them to the next level with a positive vision that celebrates the communities that these magazines serve,” Geragos said, according to the magazine.
“Los Angeles, Pasadena, and Orange Coast are some of the most vibrant and incredible communities not just in California but in this country,” Meiselas added. “From culture, to entertainment, to food, to business, to politics, I am looking forward to pursuing a new vision for these magazines to become a trusted sources of information and unifying forces in the community.”
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