LA Skadden Arps loses M&A partner

New York firm Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom is losing one of its leading mergers and acquisition partners to an investment house.

Pacific Capital Group is luring Brian McCarthy from the firm's Los Angeles office as its new general counsel and member of the executive committee.

McCarthy has been at Skadden Arps for 22 years and was one of the founders of the Los Angeles office. He is regarded as one of the leading West Coast M&A lawyers.

He has advised on some of the firm's biggest deals, including Global Crossing's acquisition of Frontier Corporation, MGM Grand's purchase of Mirage Resorts, and the sale of Times Mirror to the Tribune Company.

The corporate group makes up half the lawyers in Skadden Arps' 150-lawyer Los Angeles office.