Richard E. Climan

Climan led a group of nine attorneys to Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP in May as Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP collapsed around them.

His group at the now-bankrupt Dewey consisted of five partners and four associates, six of whom "live and breathe mergers and acquisitions, 24/7," he said. The other three attorneys, one partner and two associates are technology transactions lawyers who support the M&A team on their deals. All nine are now part of Weil Gotshal's Silicon Valley office.

"We are a very cohesive and collaborative group," Climan said. "It was critical to each of us that we keep the group intact so we could continue to practice together for many years to come."

Although Weil Gotshal had only three members in its mergers and acquisitions group that focused on private equity, Climan and his team saw a destination where their team of strategic M&A-focused attorneys could fit in culturally and help create a go-to group for high-end mergers and acquisitions.

"Weil presented us with a highly compelling opportunity," Climan said. "The platform and culture at Weil are superb, and the firm's international reach is outstanding. By combining forces with Weil's private equity group here in Silicon Valley, we felt we could help build the deepest team of dedicated, high-end M&A lawyers anywhere on the West Coast."

Even as Dewey was winding down its business, Climan said, he and his team made sure client satisfaction came first.

"Our last few months at Dewey were particularly challenging because we were handling a slew of extremely sensitive matters for key clients while our law firm was crumbling around us," Climan said. "The distractions surrounding the firm's collapse and the pressures of reaching a quick decision as to what new law firm we would join were enormous, but the clients were always our first priority."

Among the major transactions the team closed during the transition period was the sale of the Los Angeles Dodgers to Guggenheim Baseball Management and Magic Johnson Group and the defense of San Diego-based Illumina Inc. in a $6 billion hostile takeover attempt by Roche Holding A.G.

Climan was the lead M&A lawyer representing the Los Angeles Dodgers in their blockbuster sale for more than $2 billion. The Dodgers deal closed within weeks of the group's move to Weil Gotshal.

"It was a fascinating process that culminated in a very successful outcome for our client," Climan said. "The final negotiations with the winning bidder - a group that included former Los Angeles Lakers star Magic Johnson - were particularly interesting."

- DAVID MCAFEE