May 25, 2017
Katharine Martin
See more on Katharine MartinWilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati PC Palo Alto
Martin is one of the go-to lawyers for companies that want to do complex transactions.
She is one of the lead attorneys advising Brocade Communications Systems Inc. in its ongoing acquisition by Broadcom Ltd. The cash deal has an enterprise value of $5.5 billion, plus about $400 million of net debt.
She was also one of the lead lawyers for LifeLock Inc. in its roughly $2.3 billion sale to Symantec Corp.
"One of the things that made this deal a little different was the CEO was relatively new," Martin said. "Hilary Schneider had stepped into the role and shortly afterwards the company went into the process and then it was acquired."
The fact that the company had a new CEO didn't create any challenges and the deal process went smoothly, Martin said. The deal closed earlier this year.
LinkedIn Corp. has called on Martin for counsel in many matters throughout the years. She advised the company in its initial public offering in 2011 and was also providing counsel when it was considering strategic alternatives years later. At least four other entities discussed buying LinkedIn before it ultimately sold to Microsoft Corp. for $26.2 billion, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing. The deal closed at the end of 2016.
"It was the collective effort of the senior management team, the board of directors and the bankers that all had to come together to really execute and bring together a deal that provided this much value," Martin said. "It's a credit to LinkedIn and the value of the company.
"I think it's an example of a really great success story relative to a business startup in Silicon Valley."
Martin was also one of the lead attorneys advising BlackLine Inc. in its initial public offering last fall. BlackLine, a provider of financial controls and automation solutions designed to help with accounting, priced 8.6 million shares of its common stock at $17 each to raise an estimated $146 million. She also advised Juniper Networks Inc. in its debt offering. The company offered $350 million worth of its 3.125 percent senior notes due in 2019 and $150 million worth of its 4.5 percent senior notes due in 2024. "I love being able to develop relationships with these incredible companies - that's my favorite part of the job," Martin said. "All of the deals represent long-term relationships, which I value as a lawyer and find very rewarding with the profession."
- Melanie Brisbon
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