Cognito Taps Barr as Managing Dir.

Joele Frank represents Confluent Inc. as the Mountain View, CA-based data streaming platform company agrees to be acquired by IBM in a deal with an enterprise value of $11B.

Tom Johnson, who has headed H/Advisors Abernathy since 2016, will join FGS Global as global head of private capital & financial services, effective Dec. 16.

Brunswick Group and Gagnier Communications are handling Paramount’s $30 cash per-share offer for all of Warner Bros Discovery, topping Netflix $27.50 cash/stock transaction.

ICR Inc. handles communications for Enhanced Ltd, which plans to run Olympic-type competitions with athletes using performance-enhancing drugs, as it goes public in a SPAC deal valued at $1.2B via a merger with A Paradise Acquisition Corp. of Hong Kong.

C Street Advisory Group handles strategic communications duties for American Signature Inc. as the Columbus-based home furnishings retailer declares Chapter 11.