When San Jose, Calif.-based Bell Microproducts Inc., a company that resells storage and computing technology, was purchased by a larger rival for $631 million earlier this month, the smaller company needed debt counseling.

Bell was sold to Phoenix-based Avnet Inc., a Fortune 500 distributor of electronic parts and computer products, for $7 a share, giving the deal an equity value of about $252 million. But Avnet also assumed $379 million of Bell Micro’s debt.

Bell Micro and its board of directors tapped investment bank Raymond James to advise on debt restructuring alternatives, the sale of the company and to issue a fairness opinion on the sale. Raymond James, in turn, tapped two Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker lawyers, partner Walter E. Jospin and senior associate Jared M. Brandman, for legal advice. Jospin declined to comment on the deal.

Avnet was represented by lawyers from Squire Sanders & Dempsey’s Phoenix office; Bell Micro was represented by Jones Day in Palo Alto, Calif., and Dallas.

The deal, which was announced in late March, closed earlier this month.

On a revenue basis, Bell Micro is Avnet’s largest acquisition to date. Bell Micro’s 2009 sales were approximately $3 billion. Avnet had sales of $16.23 billion at the close of its most recently reported fiscal year.

Jospin, along with Philip J. Marzetti, the managing partner of the Atlanta office, and associate Darcy R. White, also helped Carrollton, Ga.-based Southwire Co., with the strategic acquisition of Tappan Wire & Cable, Inc. Tappan, based in Blauvelt, N.Y., focuses its manufacturing on a variety of cables, including those used for sound systems, security systems and data communication. Southwire purchased the company from Ares Capital Corp., a publicly held lender with offices around the country. Moore & Van Allen represented the seller.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, and Jospin declined to comment.

Paul Hastings also represented Southwire about a year ago, in its strategic acquisition of Phoenix-based Maxis, LLC, a company which makes tools and equipment used to install and manage electrical wire and cable products.