Business Journal makes its case for L.A.’s top lawyers who shepherd the biggest M&A deals.

HENRY M. FIELDS

FIRM: Morrison & Foerster LLP

LAW SCHOOL: Yale Law School

SELECTED CLIENTS: AmericanWest Bancorp, Union Bank, Center Financial Corp., Chinatrust Commercial Bank, Bank SinoPac, One PacificCoast Bank, ING Bank, Not Your Daughter’s Jeans, Velvet Inc.

YEARS IN PRACTICE: 39

Biggest Deal: ING sale to Capital One.

Most Difficult Deal: Represented Cheap Tickets in its sale to Cendant. The purchase agreement was signed in August 2001, and then closed after Sept. 11. Despite the obvious adverse effect of 9/11 on the aviation industry, including Cheap Tickets, the definition of “material adverse change” in the documentation did not trigger an “out” for the purchaser.

Best Career Moment: Conceiving and structuring the recapitalization and sale of AmericanWest Bank in 2010 in a sale by its bankrupt parent; this transaction prevented the bank’s failure.

Highlight of Past Year: AmericanWest Bank sale and recapitalization.

The Secret to Closing a Deal: Ability to identify and weigh risks realistically so as to facilitate creative solutions to impasses.

If I Weren’t an Attorney: I would be teaching English/French literature.