Sheppard Mullin, Yahoo! Lead Counsel on Google Deal, 2008
Sheppard Mullin partner Brian Pass was lead counsel to Yahoo! in its agreement with Google, which was signed and announced June 12. The deal is a watershed event for Yahoo! as it focuses its efforts on developing open systems and extending its number one position in display advertising. The agreement provides Yahoo! with the option to display Google search ads on Yahoo!'s sites and Yahoo!'s partner sites in exchange for a share of the advertising revenue. The Agreement also includes a commitment by the two companies to make the their instant messaging services interoperable and to work together on certain display advertising initiatives. Pass is a partner in the Entertainment, Media and Communications practice group in the firm's Century City office and led the deal team which included attorneys based in Sheppard Mullin's Century City and San Francisco offices.