DLA Piper Adds Former ‘Dealmaker of the Year’ from Nixon Peabody

Nixon Peabody suffered a blow this week as Peter White, who was named a ‘Dealmaker of the Year’ in 2007 for his role in securing financing for two new Major League ballparks in New York, has left to join DLA Piper’s sports and entertainment practice. Joining White in the move to DLA Piper are Mark Whitaker in Washington D.C. and Katherine Baynes in Rochester, N.Y., both of whom have public finance practices, the National Law Journal reports.

In addition to playing a key role in the building of new stadiums for the New York Yankees and New York Mets, the report notes White has played a key role in the development of stadiums and arenas for sports teams in the National Football League, National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League. White is slated to aide DLA Piper on international deals as well.

Whitaker was a partner in Nixon Peabody’s sports and entertainment practice. He represented the Ricketts family in securing a controlling interest in the Chicago Cubs and Wrigley field, the NLJ reports. Baynes practice focuses on a variety of bonds, including revenue, civic facility revenue, college and university and hospital and health care.

DLA Piper is one of the world’s largest law firms. It has 3,500 lawyers practicing in 67 offices in 29 countries.