14 December – LAWFUEL – The Law News Network – Shearman & Sterling is advising Viacom and Paramount Pictures on the acquisition of DreamWorks LLC. Paramount Pictures, a subsidiary of Viacom, is acquiring DreamWorks in a $1.6 billion transaction, which includes $774 million in cash; the remainder of the purchase price is the assumption of debt and certain other obligations.
DreamWorks executives Steven Spielberg and David Geffen will remain with DreamWorks as producer-director and chairman, respectively. The transaction also includes distribution agreements with DreamWorks Animation SKG, the publicly traded animation company run by Jeffrey Katzenberg, under which Paramount will distribute the animated films of DreamWorks Animation SKG.
The Shearman & Sterling team included M&A partners Creighton Condon and Michael Coleman. Additional attorneys included partners Laurence Bambino (New York – Tax), John Cannon (Executive Compensation & Employee Benefits – New York), W. Dale Collins (New York – Antitrust), Stephen Fishbein (New York – Litigation), Michael Shulman (Washington, DC – Tax) and Robert Zochowski (New York – Structured Finance), and associates Jordan Altman (New York – Intellectual Property), Darin Bassin (New York – M&A), Beau Buffier (New York – Antitrust), Amy Gitlitz (New York – Executive Compensation & Employee Benefits), Darius Jannat (New York – Executive Compensation & Employee Benefits), Bryn Jedlic (San Francisco – M&A), Moira La Barbera (New York – Litigation), Tina Patel (New York – Litigation), Chris Poggi (New York – Structured Finance), Elena Rubinov (New York – M&A) and Nandini Wilcke (New York – Property).
