Rob Kindler, head of global M&A for Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS), says he spends 30% to 40% of his time helping clients manage shareholder demands. Sometimes the result of shareholder engagement is a transaction. That was the result with Cnet Network Inc., which, under pressure from investor Jana Partners LLC, was sold to CBS Corp. (NYSE:CBS) for $1.8 billion in May 2008. 

In this installment of Decade of The Deal -- our series commemorating The Deal's 10th anniversary -- Kindler, who advised Cnet, says that acquisition has turned out well, proof that activist shareholders can force transactions that are good for the long-term health of buyer and seller. The downside, adds Kindler, is that shareholders can just as often initiate short-sighted transactions. See the video above or download it at iTunes. - Suzanne Stevens

Also see:
Decade of The Deal: Fred Wilson on 1999's dot-com 'casino'
AOL & Time Warner's marriage
Harvey Pitt recalls 9/11
Decade of The Deal: Arthur Andersen's spectacular fall
Read our Decade of The Deal topic center