Keith A. Flaum

Flaum has watched the mergers and acquisitions marketplace evolve in his 30 years of representing public and private companies. The coronavirus pandemic presented a new kind of transformation.

"What Covid-19 has done, in negative or positive ways, is change the landscape," he said.

Digital learning has taken on new significance. For instance, Hogan Lovells is advising Rosetta Stone Inc. in its agreement to be acquired by Cambium Learning Group, a $792 million deal announced Aug. 31 and expected to close in the fourth quarter. Rosetta Stone, known for its language software, will join Cambium's digital education product lineup.

Flaum is on Hogan Lovells' global mergers and acquisitions leadership team and co-head of the practice for the Americas. He's been involved in more than $100 billion in mergers and acquisition activity for technology and life science companies throughout the U.S. and abroad, according to his firm.

He formed career-long bonds with fellow mergers and acquisition partners Rick Climan and Jane Ross. Flaum said his 25-year friendship with Climan is more like "an old married couple."

"One of the reasons Rick, Jane, and I have been together for so long is we have a very similar view about training and mentoring," he said.

Together Flaum, Climan, Ross, and younger partner Chris Moore co-lead a mergers and acquisitions boot camp each summer for law students, young lawyers, bankers and corporate development professionals. The sessions also help new lawyers form lasting relationships.

"The Covid-19 piece of this was definitely an interesting twist," he said of this summer's boot camp. "We had more reach via Zoom versus coming to the office." The sessions were a mix of live webcasts and prerecorded modules. About 670 people participated, including more than 350 law school students from 40 U.S. schools.

-- Jennifer McEntee