Shaw Communications acquires ViaWest

Shaw Communications Inc. acquired the entire share capital of ViaWest Inc., a Colorado-based provider of information technology services, from Oak Hill Capital Partners, and other shareholders including GI Partners and Cox Communications, for an enterprise value of US$1.2 billion. The consideration consisted of US$830 million in cash and the assumption of US$370 million in liabilities.

Shaw Communications was represented in-house by Peter Johnson, Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary; John Reynolds, Vice President, Assistant General Counsel; Troy Moller, Assistant General Counsel; Paul Cowling, Vice President, Regulatory Affairs; Brian Smith, Director, Legal; Alexia Walter, Director, Intellectual Property; Dawn Gilmour, Director, Real Estate; Shelley Molyneaux, Manager, Legal Services; Loralee Smith, Manager, Contracts; Paula Albers, Manager, Shaw Business Services; and Marcie Jensen, Manager, Real Estate; and assisted by Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP. The Davies team included: Vincent Mercier and Jay Galbraith (M&A); John Bodrug (competition); and Jeff Nadler (U.S. M&A). The Simpson Thacher team included: Atif Azher, Erica Wilson and Jacob Mayers (M&A); Tristan Brown, Linda Barrett and Leah Segall (executive compensation and employee benefits); Katharine Moir, Jason Vollbracht and Noah Metz (tax); Krista McManus and Beatrice Branch (real estate); Lori Lesser, Marcela Robledo, Genevieve Dorment and Michelle Morad (intellectual property) and Tim Mulvihill (environmental).

ViaWest received counsel from Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP. The Paul, Weiss team included: Ariel Deckelbaum and Brian Lavin (corporate); Didier Malaquin (antitrust); Robert Fleder (employee benefits); William O'Brien (environmental); Claudine Meredith-Goujon (intellectual property); Richard Elliott (regulatory counsel); Mitchell Berg (real estate) and David Sicular and Alyssa Wolpin (tax).