They’ve Got Next: The 40 Under 40 - Mark Bekheit of Latham & Watkins

Please describe two of your most substantial, recent wins in practice.
Some of the most significant deals of my career closed in 2021, which made it an exciting and busy year. I represented enterprise communications platform Slack Technologies in its $27.7 billion acquisition by Salesforce. This transformational deal created a sophisticated communications platform for companies to thrive in a digital world. Slack was a new Latham client, and it was an honor to represent the company in such a high-profile public company deal.

I also represented enterprise data cloud company Cloudera in its $5.3 billion acquisition by Clayton, Dubilier & Rice and KKR, which took the public company private. In this instance, the client relationship dated back several years to when Latham represented Hortonworks in a merger of equals with Cloudera. That transaction produced a successful outcome for both companies and it was a pleasure to assist them on it.

What is the most important lesson you learned as a first-year attorney and how does it inform your practice today?
While many first-year attorneys focus exclusively on building basic skills and project management, I learned early on that it is equally important for new lawyers to identify ways to add value wherever they can. I do my best to familiarize myself with each matter’s facts, situation, and legal framework, and then I present a cohesive picture to my client — whether that client is internal or external. Clients often appreciate the thought process just as much as the answer, so it is important to recognize that it is our job to be creative thinkers, and that applies to every attorney at the firm. In many cases, a creative thought process will lead to discussions that naturally identify a best path forward.

How do you define success in your practice?
The strength of the relationships that I cultivate with clients defines success in my practice. Meaningful interpersonal connections serve as foundational building blocks for all of the work I do and pave the way for how I build my practice over time. Creating trust-driven relationships regularly leads to new professional opportunities that otherwise would not materialize.

What are you most proud of as a lawyer?
I am incredibly proud of the meteoric growth of Latham’s M&A practice in the Bay Area in the past five years, particularly the litany of industry-leading technology deals that we have closed that allow our clients to achieve their business-critical objectives. I consider myself lucky to be a part of it. My parents immigrated to the United States with very little means and instilled in me the value of hard work and the importance of education. Their relentless support and encouragement — as well as the hardworking example they set for me and my siblings — really enabled me to become a partner at this world-class law firm and do what I love, every single day.

Who is your greatest mentor in the law and what have they taught you?
Many partners at the firm have provided invaluable mentorship throughout my career, beginning my first year as an associate and through my becoming a partner. Of note, Tad Freese, managing partner of Latham’s Bay Area offices, significantly shaped my professional experience when he served as my first-year mentor and he is still my biggest proponent in my partnership journey. His unconditional support along the way has demonstrated how valuable mentoring relationships can be, and it is one of the reasons why I find so much joy in devoting time to mentoring junior lawyers. Tad has meticulously taught me how to develop my practice and how to be a good partner in the firm, which is critical to Latham’s culture. From Tad, I have learned that a good partner is always willing to help by stepping in wherever needed and working toward collective success.

Just for fun, tell us your two favorite songs on your summer music playlist.
“Party in the USA” by Miley Cyrus is always a summer favorite because it was a big hit at my wedding after-party and reminds me of summer wedding season.

Also, “Summer” by Calvin Harris, for the obvious tie to summer—though we can play it almost year-round in California!

Mark Bekheit serves as global vice chair of Latham’s M&A practice. He also supervises teams of firm lawyers on pro bono corporate projects such as advising organizations on 501(c)(3) entity formation.