Laterals Who Jumped to Dewey Lead Firm’s Work on eBay Skype Deal
Dewey & LeBoeuf is representing eBay in the $1.9 billion sale of Skype, thanks to the law firm’s acquisition of three laterals from Cooley Godward Kronish.
The three mergers and acquisitions lawyers are on Dewey’s team handling the eBay sale, and two of them—Richard Climan and Keith Flaum—are leading the team, the Am Law Daily reports. Climan was Cooley’s M&A chair before jumping to Dewey last month along with Flaum. Another lawyer on the Dewey team, Jane Ross, left Cooley more recently.
Sidley Austin is also advising eBay, while Sullivan & Cromwell represents a private equity firm leading the group of buyers.
Flaum told the Am Law Daily that the deal bridged his time at both firms. He remembered one conference call that went past 5 p.m. on his last day at Cooley. At the time, he joked that eBay lawyers trying to reach him on the phone would have to request “Keith Flaum at Dewey” instead of “Keith Flaum at Cooley.”
Dewey is also representing Walt Disney Co. in its $4 billion acquisition of Marvel Entertainment.
Updated at 1:41 p.m. to clarify that Climan was previously M&A chair at Cooley.
