Eric A. Kauffman

Eric A. Kauffman

LOS ANGELES - Providing strategic support on corporate employment matters to the technology and life sciences sectors and their sponsors is the area where Eric A. Kauffman built his career.

“Unlike many employment attorneys, I don’t focus my practice on litigation; I primarily serve as lead employment counsel on mergers and acquisitions,” he said. “The market is currently very strong. My clients have closed substantial deals over the last 12 months and the employment team has played an important role in those transactions.”

As a part of Sidley Austin LLP, Kauffman stands out from his peers for the sheer volume of transactions, typically 80 to 100 each year, on which he guides clients in the employment and compensation aspects of deals. His work extends beyond the deal itself, counseling clients through global integrations and employee movement tied to the deals.

“I’m collaborative, and I like to be involved with my team in all aspects of the deal,” Kauffman said. “In the M&A world, work can come in at any minute, and you need to have a good team ready to jump in. I am very lucky to have smart and supportive colleagues here at Sidley, and I truly enjoy coaching and mentoring our employment associates when working on deals. I want them to grow and succeed.”

Many mergers Kauffman was involved in over the last year totaled in the billions, including Clearlake Capital Group’s $5.2 billion acquisition of Cornerstone OnDemand and its $3 billion acquisition of Endurance International Group Holdings, Inc., and nThrive’s $1.74 billion acquisition of TransUnion Healthcare.

Kauffman said being an employment lawyer during the pandemic represented an interesting challenge. “We were faced with an unprecedented situation. None of us were alive during the Spanish flu, so it was a new experience for everyone, and from the employment side, clients looked to us for critical guidance that has continued to evolve.”

--Federico Lo Giudice