Business Journal makes its case for L.A.’s top lawyers who shepherd the biggest M&A deals.
CHELSEA A. GRAYSON, 39
FIRM: Jones Day
LAW SCHOOL: Loyola Law School, Los Angeles
SELECTED CLIENTS: Universal Electronics Inc., LivHome Inc., Emergency Communications Network, Infrastructure Holdings Corp., ABM/AMPCO, American Greetings, XEMC New Energy
YEARS IN PRACTICE: 13
Biggest Deal: I represented Deutsch Group in its sale to Wendel Investissement, a French private-equity firm. Deutsch had facilities in Los Angeles; New York; London; Paris; Tokyo; Milan, Italy; Israel; and India – I had to coordinate the Jones Day deal teams we’d set up on the ground in each of those places, and make sure we were all perfectly coordinated with our client’s investment bankers, Houlihan Lokey, as well.
Most Difficult Deal: There’s no such thing as a difficult deal – only bad opposing counsel.
Best Career Moment: Being asked by Mr. Steve Brogan, Jones Day’s managing partner, to join the partnership.
Worst: Before the closing of the Deutsch-Wendel deal, my eyes started to reject my contact lenses. I decided to give my eyes a break on the morning of the closing by leaving the lenses out until the minute I needed to leave my hotel for the closing site. Room service brought my breakfast, a fruit salad, and because I couldn’t see, I did not notice the stray shard of glass that had somehow made its way into the bowl, which then made it on to my first forkful and then into my gums on my first bite. Mouth injuries bleed a lot, and the room was almost entirely white, so pretty soon it looked like I’d murdered someone in there. I downed a bunch of Advil, shoved my contact lenses back into my scratchy, sleep-deprived eyes, shoved a bunch of tissue in my mouth, loaded up my documents and grabbed a taxi to the closing.
The Secret to Closing a Deal: Take your ego off the table and stop fighting lawyer battles your client does not give a darn about, and always conduct yourself honorably. In this way, you will find yourself addressing and resolving the really important issues earlier in your deals and you will avoid antagonizing your opposing counsel – both of which smooth the path towards the closing.
If I Weren’t an Attorney: I’d be an actor and a writer.
My Colleagues Don’t Know: Because I am a single mother, the only reasons I am able to be remotely successful at my job are my parents. It definitely takes a village.
