EDITORIAL REVIEW
A tight credit market didn’t stop this Skadden
stalwart from finding financing for client United
Online’s $800M purchase of FTD.
—2008 Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America
McCarthy guided Activision in its $18.9B deal with Vivendi Games, which creates one of the largest video game makers in the world.
— Lawdragon,
January 2008
McCarthy molded Disney's acquisition of Pixar, Oracle's merger with PeopleSoft and Shopzilla's sale to E.W. Scripps.
— Lawdragon, July 2007
He represented The Walt
Disney Company in its acquisition of Pixar Animation
Studios.
— Lawdragon,
October 2006
Competitors in the M&A area say that Brian McCarthy is a "bright, energetic" and "knowledgeable" attorney who has a great reputation among the business executives who have called on his dealmaking skills. He represented Credit Suisse First Boston in its role as adviser to Oracle's $10.3 billion acquisition agreement reached with PeopleSoft in December 2004. Advanced Medical Optics hired the Skadden star for its 2005 acquisition of VISX, valued at $1.4 billion. McCarthy also worked on MGM Grand's purchase of Mirage Resorts and the Times Mirror Company's sale to the Tribune Company. One fellow M&A practitioner praised McCarthy for avoiding the "bravado and bluff" of negotiations and focusing on "the issues to get deals done."
— Lawdragon,
October 2005
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Partner
Corporate,
Securities and
Merger and Acquisition Transactions
Brian J. McCarthy’s practice concentrates on corporate and securities matters, with particular emphasis on mergers,
acquisitions, corporate governance issues and restructurings.
Mr. McCarthy has acted as counsel to numerous companies and investment banking firms in mergers, acquisitions and tender
offers, both friendly and hostile, including the representation of Activision, Inc. in its business combination with Vivendi
Games; The Walt Disney Company in its acquisition of Pixar Animation Studios; Advanced Medical Optics, Inc. in its
acquisition of VISX, Incorporated; Credit Suisse First Boston as financial advisor to Oracle Corporation in its acquisition
of PeopleSoft, Inc.; Freedom Communications, Inc. in its leveraged recapitalization transaction with affiliates of
Blackstone Capital Partners and Providence Equity Partners; Shopzilla, Inc. in its sale to The E.W. Scripps Company; Cendant
Software Corporation in its sale to Havas SA; Act III Cinemas, Inc. in its sale to an affiliate of Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts
& Co.; Martin Media LP in its sale to Chancellor Media Corporation; Neurex Corporation in its acquisition by Elan
Corporation, plc; U.S. Filter Corporation in its sale to Vivendi S.A.; MGM Grand, Inc. in its acquisition of Mirage Resorts,
Incorporated; and The Times Mirror Company in its sale to Tribune Company. Mr. McCarthy also has represented special
committees of boards of directors as well as several investment banking clients, buyers, sellers and management groups in
leveraged buyouts and related financings.
In addition to his mergers and acquisitions practice, Mr. McCarthy provides general corporate counseling to a number of
corporations, both public and private. He also represents issuers, borrowers, underwriters and institutional lenders in
corporate finance transactions and restructurings.
From September 2000 to April 2002, Mr. McCarthy was chief operating officer and general counsel at Pacific Capital Group,
Inc. During this time, he had significant involvement in private equity investing.
Mr. McCarthy repeatedly has been included in
Chambers Global: The World’s Leading Lawyers for Business, Chambers USA:
America’s Leading Lawyers for Business and
Who’s Who Legal for California and Corporate Governance.
The Daily
Journal has named him to its list of the “100 Most Influential Lawyers in California” and the
Los Angeles Business
Journal has included him on their list of “Who’s Who in L.A. Law.” Mr. McCarthy also has been named “Los Angeles
Corporate Lawyer of the Year” by
The Best Lawyers in America 2010, named one of the “BTI Client Service All-Stars” by
The BTI Consulting Group, and was named a winner of the California Lawyer Attorneys of the Year Award (CLAY) by
California Lawyer magazine, which recognizes attorneys whose work has had a significant impact on the law. He is a
frequent panel speaker on corporate and securities law topics. In addition, he has published articles on mergers and
acquisitions in
The Daily Journal and
HealthSpan, among other publications.
Related Practices
Bar Admissions
Education
Associations/Affiliations
See Library Tab for articles, publications and presentations
by Brian McCarthy
