(LAWFUEL) New York, October 16, 2008 — Global law firm Shearman & Sterling LLP is expanding its Bay Area M&A group and corporate practice with the addition of partners Michael J. Kennedy, Steve L. Camahort and Michael S. Dorf. All three were formerly with Shearman & Sterling.
Messrs. Kennedy, Camahort and Dorf return to the firm from O’Melveny & Myers in San Francisco, where they were leading M&A attorneys working with US and global companies and funds. They will join Shearman & Sterling on Monday, October 20.
Rohan S. Weerasinghe, Senior Partner of Shearman & Sterling, said, “We are excited to welcome Mike Kennedy, Steve Camahort and Michael Dorf back to our firm. Our Bay Area offices have played a key role in our firm’s overall corporate and M&A practice, and the return of this group provides a great opportunity to increase our M&A work and our corporate practice, especially in private equity, both in the Bay Area as well as globally.”
“For 35 years, Shearman has represented technology, financial services and other companies from its Bay Area offices,” said John D. Wilson, Managing Partner of Shearman & Sterling’s San Francisco and Menlo Park offices. “Our new partners will contribute significantly to the continued expansion of our technology practice here in the Bay Area. All three are highly regarded within the technology community in the Bay Area, and they have substantial experience in M&A transactions for technology as well as non-technology companies.”
“Our new partners are widely known and highly respected,” added Peter D. Lyons, Shearman’s Global M&A Leader. “They have excellent corporate and private equity relationships, and they have outstanding reputations in both public and private deals. It’s great to have them on board.”
Mr. Kennedy, 49, has extensive experience in domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions of public and private companies, subsidiaries and divisions, including negotiated and hostile acquisitions and proxy contests, private equity, leveraged buyouts, control and non-control investments and recapitalizations. Over the years he has been involved in a number of high-profile transactions in the technology, biotechnology and emerging growth sectors, including Adobe’s early 1990’s acquisition of Aldus, At Home/Excite, Veritas and Silverlake’s acquisition of Seagate Technology (at the time the largest technology LBO/going priavte ever done), JD Edwards’ sale to Peoplesoft during Oracle’s hostile bid for Peoplesoft, the acquisition of Safenet and Merck’s acquisition of Sirna. Mr. Kennedy is the author of many articles on mergers and acquisitions, the business judgment rule and corporate governance, and he is an Adjunct Professor at Boalt School of Law. Mr. Kennedy frequently lectures on mergers and acquisitions and has consistently been recognized as a “leading lawyer” in Chambers Global, The World’s Leading Lawyers, Chambers USA, America’s Leading Lawyers, Who’s Who Legal and Euromoney’s M&A Lawyers.
Mr. Camahort, 46, has advised principals in 34 transactions with an announced value of at least $1 billion since 1999, as well as numerous smaller transactions. He also has advised numerous investment banks in their capacity as financial advisor in M&A transactions. He is cited in various publications, including the Chambers Global and USA guides, The Best Lawyers in America, the PLC Cross-Border Mergers and Acquisitions Handbook, Who’s Who Legal – California, and others.
Mr. Dorf, 41, has represented strategic and financial buyers and sellers in a wide range of public and private business combination transactions, including mergers, stock and asset acquisitions and divestitures, tender and exchange offers, minority investments, joint ventures and corporate partnering transactions. He also has significant experience in cross-border transactions, including acquisitions involving Canadian, Israeli and Indian companies.
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ABOUT SHEARMAN & STERLING
Shearman & Sterling LLP is a global law firm with approximately 900 lawyers in 19 offices in 12 countries. The firm is a leader in mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, project development and finance, complex business litigation and international arbitration, asset management and tax.
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Edelman
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