Two big video game development companies combined earlier this year – Activision and Blizzard Entertainment – creating a new firm called Activision Blizzard Inc.
Activision is responsible for the video game blockbusters “Guitar Hero” and “Call of Duty”, while Blizzard developed the popular multiplayer online role-playing game “World of Warcraft.”
After the merger, the new company decided to operate Blizzard Entertainment as a separate division. It also retained one of Blizzard’s co-founders, Michael Morhaime, as president and chief executive of Blizzard Entertainment. Greenberg Traurig partner Duane Sitar in Atlanta was legal adviser to Morhaime on negotiating his employment contract with Activision Blizzard, according to a regulatory filing.
Sitar declined to comment on his work for Morhaime.
The deal to create Activision Blizzard was announced in December 2007. In the deal, Vivendi SA acquired a majority stake in Santa Monica, Calif.-based Activision and combined Activision with its Vivendi Games subsidiary, which included Blizzard Entertainment. The transaction closed in July. In the merger, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom advised Activision and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher advised Vivendi.