Belenky's clients have included Georgia-Pacific, Home Depot, General Electric, Reed Elsevier and Superior Essex.
Belenky said there is often a big push to get deals done before the end of the year but the presidential election has put a damper on deal-making while corporate leaders wait to see who wins. "A number of companies have concluded that the outcome is relevant, and they are waiting to see what happens."
Phil Marzetti, the local managing partner of Paul Hastings, said of the departing lawyers, "I've worked closely with them for years. I wish them well, and I hope they do very well."
He said the loss of the two partners would not have much effect on Paul Hastings' M&A practice. "We have a huge M&A practice around the world," Marzetti said, adding that there are three partners in Atlanta handling deals.
Paul Hastings also added two transactional lawyers from Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton earlier in the year, Philip Street and W. Craig Smith, who focus their deal-making on health care.
