Stephen B. Amdur Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson LLP announced Monday that it has hired the former head of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP's mergers and acquisitions and private equity practices, touting his transactional experience across a wide range of industries.

Stephen B. Amdur came to the firm after eight years with Pillsbury. He joined Pillsbury from Latham & Watkins LLP, where he represented big names like KKR & Co. LP, Leonard Green & Partners LP, and Actavis PLC.

"I've long admired Fried Frank as a firm and its M&A and private equity platform," Amdur told Law360 Pulse in a statement Monday. "The practice has elite practitioners that work on the most complex transactions, which makes me excited to be a part of their growing team. Fried Frank's reputation for exceptional transactional capabilities is well-earned, and tapping into that platform ensures we have the scale and sophistication to drive any deal — of any size — across the finish line. Moving to Fried Frank allows me to leverage a world-class private capital platform to execute the kind of high-stakes, innovative transactions my clients are pursuing right now."

Based in New York, Amdur has worked on deals in sectors including technology, financial services, life sciences, media, sports, retail, energy, telecommunications, and manufacturing, according to Fried Frank. Just last year, for instance, he was part of the Pillsbury team advising MLB's San Francisco Giants on franchise's strategic partnership with private equity shop Sixth Street. He also helped represent real estate lender Prima Capital Advisors in its $170 million acquisition by asset manager Blue Owl Capital Inc.

"As private equity continues to deepen its footprint in the sports ecosystem, the legal needs of buyers and sellers are becoming increasingly complex," Amdur said. "Fried Frank is widely recognized as a market leader in private equity and fund formation. By bringing my practice here, we are creating a unique synergy that allows us to offer clients — whether they are funds, owners or lenders — unmatched firepower at the intersection of sports and private capital."

Amdur earned his law degree from Columbia Law School.

"Stephen is widely recognized as a highly skilled corporate lawyer, and we are excited to welcome him to the firm," managing partner Steven Epstein said in a statement. "Our company-side and private equity clients will immediately benefit from Stephen's expansive skill set and credentials in complex, high-stakes transactions."

Amdur's hire followed that of fellow M&A and private equity partner Saif Shah Mohammed late last year from Kirkland & Ellis LLP.

"We are thrilled to have Stephen as the latest addition to our robust M&A and private equity practice," M&A and private equity practice co-head Steven J. Steinman said in a statement. "He is a stellar corporate lawyer and further complements our transactional advisory offerings as we continue to meet the evolving strategic needs of our public and private company clients."