CHICAGO, March 31, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Katten announced today that it represented Marc Zahr and the Chaifetz Group, significant investors in the buyer group that acquired the Portland Trail Blazers. The complex deal meant the end to the controlling ownership of the team by the estate of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.
kAmQ%9:D EC2?D24E:@? F?56CD4@C6D z2EE6?VD 23:=:EJ E@ DF446DD7F==J ?2G:82E6 3=@4<3FDE6C 562=D 7@C 4=:6?ED =@@<:?8 E@ :?G6DE :? AC@76DD:@?2= DA@CED 7C2?49:D6D[Q D2:5 s2?:6= #6?56C[ 4@\492:C @7 z2EE6?VD $A@CED 2?5 $A@CED u24:=:E:6D AC24E:46] Q(6 2C6 8C2E67F= E@ |2C4 +29C 2?5 E96 r92:76EK vC@FA 7@C 6?ECFDE:?8 FD H:E9 E9:D :>A@CE2?E :?G6DE>6?E]Qk^Am
kAm|2C4 +29C :D 2 4@\AC6D:56?E @7 q=F6 ~H= r2A:E2=[ 2? 2=E6C?2E:G6 2DD6E >2?286>6?E 7:C>] %96 r92:76EK vC@FA[ 2 D:?8=6 72>:=J @77:46 AC:G2E6 :?G6DE>6?E 7:C>[ H2D 2=D@ C646?E=J C6AC6D6?E65 3J z2EE6? :? :ED >:?@C:EJ :?G6DE>6?E :? E96 $2? uC2?4:D4@ v:2?ED]k^Am
kAm%96 z2EE6? E62> H2D =65 3J #6?56C[ H:E9 DFAA@CE AC@G:565 3J !C:G2E6 rC65:E !2CE?6C p?5C6H r] {:==:D[ $A@CED 2?5 $A@CED u24:=:E:6D pDD@4:2E6 tE92? pD@7D<J[ %C2?D24E:@?2= %2I !=2??:?8 !2CE?6C '2=6?E:?2 u2>A2CD<2[ !C:G2E6 rC65:E pDD@4:2E6 |@C82? t] ~I?6C[ !C:G2E6 rC65:E r@F?D6= r@?DE2?46 p] uC2E:2??:[ !C:G2E6 rC65:E pDD@4:2E6D r9=@6 |] rFDE@5:@ 2?5 {:?5D6J !] #@3:?[ |6C86CD 2?5 p4BF:D:E:@?D pDD@4:2E6 r256 $] qC:EE2:?[ 2?5 r@CA@C2E6 pDD@4:2E6 yF=:6 !2C<]k^Am
kAmz2EE6?VD ?2E:@?2==J C64@8?:K65 DA@CED :?5FDECJ 2EE@C?6JD H@C< 24C@DD <6J 5:D4:A=:?6D — :? >6C86CD 2?5 24BF:D:E:@?D^AC:G2E6 6BF:EJ[ 563E 7:?2?46[ C62= 6DE2E6[ E2I[ :?E6==64EF2= AC@A6CEJ[ 6>A=@J>6?E[ 962=E9 42C6[ AC:G2E6 H62=E9[ 2?5 :?D@=G6?4J 2?5 C6DECF4EFC:?8] %96 E62> 56=:G6CD DEC2E68:4[ 6?5\E@\6?5 =682= D@=FE:@?D E2:=@C65 E@ E96 56>2?5D @7 DA@CED\C6=2E65 3FD:?6DD6D]k^Am
kAmz2EE6? 25G:D6D 2 H:56 2CC2J @7 A2CE:4:A2?ED :? E96 DA@CED :?5FDECJ[ :?4=F5:?8 |2;@C {628F6 q2D632==[ E96 }2E:@?2= q2D<6E32== {628F6[ E96 }2E:@?2= w@4<6J {628F6[ E96 }2E:@?2= u@@E32== {628F6[ |2;@C {628F6 $@446C[ }rpp F?:G6CD:EJ 2E9=6E:4 56A2CE>6?ED[ AC@DA64E:G6 @H?6CD[ 2C6?2 2?5 DE25:F> 56G6=@A6CD 2?5 @A6C2E@CD[ 7:?2?4:2= :?DE:EFE:@?D[ C68:@?2= DA@CED ?6EH@C<D[ 72>:=J @77:46D 2?5 4@CA@C2E6 DA@?D@CD]k^Am
More from this section
kAmz2EE6? :D 2 7F==\D6CG:46 =2H 7:C> H:E9 2AAC@I:>2E6=J f__ 2EE@C?6JD :? =@42E:@?D 24C@DD E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D 2?5 :? {@?5@? 2?5 $92?892:] r=:6?ED D66<:?8 D@A9:DE:42E65[ 9:89\G2=F6 =682= D6CG:46D EFC? E@ z2EE6? 7@C 4@F?D6= =@42==J[ ?2E:@?2==J 2?5 :?E6C?2E:@?2==J] %96 7:C>VD 4@C6 2C62D @7 AC24E:46 :?4=F56 4@CA@C2E6[ 7:?2?4:2= >2C<6ED 2?5 7F?5D[ :?D@=G6?4J 2?5 C6DECF4EFC:?8[ :?E6==64EF2= AC@A6CEJ[ =:E:82E:@?[ C62= 6DE2E6[ DECF4EFC65 7:?2?46 2?5 D64FC:E:K2E:@?[ EC2?D24E:@?2= E2I A=2??:?8[ AC:G2E6 4C65:E 2?5 AC:G2E6 H62=E9] z2EE6? C6AC6D6?ED AF3=:4 2?5 AC:G2E6 4@>A2?:6D :? ?F>6C@FD :?5FDEC:6D[ 2D H6== 2D 2 ?F>36C @7 8@G6C?>6?E 2?5 ?@?AC@7:E @C82?:K2E:@?D 2?5 :?5:G:5F2=D] u@C >@C6 :?7@C>2E:@?[ G:D:E kDA2? DEJ=6lQE6IE\564@C2E:@?i F?56C=:?6Qmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^6586]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^4^=:?<^nEl_U2>Aj=l6?U2>Aj@lcedce`g\`U2>Aj9lehddhaeg`U2>AjFl9EEATbpTauTauHHH]<2EE6?]4@>TauU2>Aj2l<2EE6?]4@>Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQm<2EE6?]4@>k^2mk^DA2?m]k^Am
k5:GmkE23=6 3@C56ClQ_Q 46==DA24:?8lQ_Q 46==A255:?8lQ`Q 4=2DDlQAC?344QmkECmkE5 4=2DDlQAC?86?aQ 4@=DA2?lQ`Q C@HDA2?lQ`QmkA 4=2DDlQAC?>=cQmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC?6HD0DA2?Qmr@?E24Ei k^DA2?mk^AmkA 4=2DDlQAC?>=cQmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC?6HD0DA2?Qm k^DA2?mk^AmkA 4=2DDlQAC?>=cQmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC?6HD0DA2?Qm k^DA2?mk^AmkA 4=2DDlQAC?>=cQmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC?6HD0DA2?Qm k^DA2?mk^Amk^E5mkE5 4=2DDlQAC?86?aQ 4@=DA2?lQ`Q C@HDA2?lQ`QmkA 4=2DDlQAC?>=cQmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC?6HD0DA2?Qm y24<:6 w62C5k^DA2?mk^AmkA 4=2DDlQAC?>=cQmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC?6HD0DA2?QmZ`]b`a]h_a]dcd_k^DA2?mk^AmkA 4=2DDlQAC?>=cQmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC?6HD0DA2?Qmk2 9C67lQ>2:=E@i;24<:6]962C5o<2EE6?]4@>Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q 4=2DDlQAC?6HD02Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQm;24<:6]962C5o<2EE6?]4@>k^2mk^DA2?mk^AmkA 4=2DDlQAC?>=cQmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC?6HD0DA2?Qm k^DA2?mk^AmkA 4=2DDlQAC?>=cQmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC?6HD0DA2?Qmz2E6 $96?<k^DA2?mk^AmkA 4=2DDlQAC?>=cQmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC?6HD0DA2?QmZ`]b`a]dff]gc`dk^DA2?mk^AmkA 4=2DDlQAC?>=cQmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC?6HD0DA2?Qmk2 9C67lQ>2:=E@i<2E6]D96?<o<2EE6?]4@>Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q 4=2DDlQAC?6HD02Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQm<2E6]D96?<o<2EE6?]4@>k^2mk^DA2?mk^Amk^E5mk^ECmk^E23=6mk^5:Gm
kAm k^Am
kA :5lQ!&#{Qmk:>8 E:E=6lQr:D:@?Q H:5E9lQ`aQ 96:89ElQ`aQ 2=ElQr:D:@?Q DC4lQ9EEADi^^6586]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^4^:>8^72G:4@?]A?8nD?lrvaca`bU2>AjD5la_ae\_b\b`Q ^m ':6H @C:8:?2= 4@?E6?E E@ 5@H?=@25 >F=E:>65:2ik2 :5lQ!#}&#{Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQ 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^?6HD\C6=62D6D^<2EE6?\25G:D6D\>2C4\K29C\2?5\E96\492:76EK\8C@FA\:?\24BF:D:E:@?\@7\A@CE=2?5\EC2:=\3=2K6CD\b_afb_dhg]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm9EEADi^^HHH]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^?6HD\C6=62D6D^<2EE6?\25G:D6D\>2C4\K29C\2?5\E96\492:76EK\8C@FA\:?\24BF:D:E:@?\@7\A@CE=2?5\EC2:=\3=2K6CD\b_afb_dhg]9E>=k^2mk^Am
kAm$~&#rt z2EE6?k^Am
kAmk:>8 2=ElQQ DC4lQ9EEADi^^CE]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^CE]8:7n}6HDxE6>x5lrvaca`bU2>Aj%C2?D>:DD:@?0x5la_ae_bb``eba!#0}t($0&$!#00000rvaca`bU2>Ajs2E6x5la_ae_bb`Q DEJ=6lQ3@C56Ci_AIj H:5E9i`AIj 96:89Ei`AIjQ ^mk^Am
