Brian McCarthy

The corporate partner led the firm in some of its biggest deals this year. In July, he represented video game maker Activision Inc. its $18.9 billion sale of its stake in Vivendi, resulting in the formation of Activision Blizzard. The transaction, described in news reports as one of the industry's biggest deals ever, helped reshape the video game industry. He also headed a team that represented United Online, when the Internet and media services provider acquired the Illinois floral giant FTD Group Inc. for $800 million. No stranger to huge deals, over the past few years he's acted as counsel to numerous companies in headline grabbing deals, including The Walt Disney Co. in its acquisition of Pixar Animation Studios, and The Times Mirror Corp. in its sale to Tribune Co.