JD Journal » O’Melveny & Myers

Chief of Criminal Division for U.S. Attorney’s Office Set to Join Munger, Tolles & Olson

rebneely — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 21:25:55 +0000

Munger, Tolles & Olson announced in recent days that John Owens, Chief of the Criminal Division for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of California, will join the firm’s litigation group as a partner, effective January 3, 2012.

Owens will leave his position with the U.S. Department of Justice in December 2011. As Chief of the Criminal Division, he has supervised over 100 Assistant U.S. Attorneys and all criminal investigations and prosecutions in the Southern District, which is one of the busiest and most productive districts in the country.

Owens has prosecuted a number of high profile cases in both the Southern and Central Districts, concentrating on white-collar criminal matters. In 2010, he successfully prosecuted Thanh Viet Cao, who was running a massive Ponzi scheme, in a jury trial. Mr. Cao received a 360-month sentence, thought to be the longest white-collar sentence in Southern District history. That same year, he prosecuted investment advisor Mark Hauze, who bilked his clients out of millions of dollars and received a 108-month sentence after trial. In 2009, Owens was the recipient of the prestigious Director’s Award for Superior Performance for his work on U.S. vs. Treadwell, in which the lead defendant received a 300-month sentence after a month long trial. In 2011, Owens received another Director’s Award for his work as criminal division chief.

Owens has tried cases and handled appeals in jurisdictions nationwide, including as a criminal defense attorney, plaintiff’s lawyer and prosecutor. Before joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2001, Owens was an associate with O’Melveny & Myers in Washington, D.C., where he was part of Walter Dellinger’s appellate team. In 2001, he became an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Los Angeles and relocated to San Diego in 2004. He was named criminal division chief in June 2010.

Owens was quoted as saying: “I have long admired Munger Tolles and am honored to be joining one of the nation’s premier litigation practices. I look forward to representing clients both inside and outside the courtroom.”

Name partner of the firm Ronald L. Olson was quoted as saying in a press release at the firm’s website: “John’s demonstrated trial and leadership skills and ability to produce results adds strength to our litigation practice. John is the latest in a long tradition of hiring highly accomplished trial and appellate attorneys at the conclusion of their government service. We are proud to have John as a partner.”

Owens graduated first in his class from Stanford Law School. Following graduation, he clerked for Judge J. Clifford Wallace of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and then for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. He also served as executive editor of the Stanford Law Review and received the Stanford Law Review Board of Editors’ Award. His articles have appeared in the Journal of Supreme Court History, Northwestern Law Review, California Law Review, UCLA Law Review, and other publications.

Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP (MTO) is a California law firm that has offices in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Charles Munger founded the firm in 1962 with six other lawyers. The firm is known for its defense of corporations in civil law suits and individuals in criminal trials and investigations. In 2008, Munger, Tolles & Olson ranked as the nation’s top law firm on the American Lawyer A-List based on financial performance, pro bono practice, associate satisfaction and workplace diversity. With nearly 200 attorneys, MTO’s work is national in scope. The firm’s principal areas of practice include bankruptcy, corporate, environmental, labor and employment, litigation, real estate and tax.

Gibson Dunn & Crutcher Adds Two Prominent Attorneys to Hong Kong Office

rebneely — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 04:21:53 +0000

Yi Zhang and Graham Winter have joined the Hong Kong office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP as partners.

Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Zhang was with O’Melveny & Myers, and Winter will join the firm from Reed Smith Richards Butler. Corporate partner Joseph Barbeau and litigation partner Kelly Austin lead the Hong Kong office, which opened in August of 2010.

Joseph Barbeau, Partner in Charge of Gibson Dunn’s Hong Kong office was quoted as saying in a press release at the firm’s website: “Both Yi and Graham are seasoned, senior lawyers, and their depth of experience in Hong Kong and China will be critical additions to our capacity. Over his 16 years in Hong Kong, Yi has built a well-established, China-focused practice that includes very significant foreign investment, M&A, private equity and project development transactions in China in a wide range of industries. In Hong Kong since 1992, Graham is a Hong Kong-qualified lawyer with a leading Hong Kong practice specializing in advising on complex corporate transactions, including cross-border M&A transactions, privatizations, joint ventures, private equity transactions and international corporate finance transactions. Outside Hong Kong, Graham has extensive experience across the Asia Pacific region, including China, Korea, the Philippines and Indonesia.”

Ken Doran, Managing Partner and Chairman of Gibson Dunn was quoted as saying: “We are extremely pleased to have Yi and Graham join our firm. Yi and Graham are highly regarded in the business and legal communities in Hong Kong and China, and their experience will enhance our ability to field the most complex transactions across most of Asia. Their arrival is another important step forward for our Asia strategy, which is focused on strengthening our Hong Kong and Singapore offices and looking for the right opportunities in China.”

Zhang corporate practice focuses on China, and covers a broad range of transactions, including investment funds, foreign direct investment, mergers and acquisitions, private equity and venture capital, real estate and distressed asset transactions, and large-scale project development and infrastructure. He was formerly the head of O’Melveny’s Hong Kong office.

He has provided representation for multinational companies, commercial and investment banks, and international private equity funds making investments in China and Chinese companies making outbound investments. His clients have included AES, BP, Carlyle, China Development Bank, Citic PE, Darby Asia Investors, D.E. Shaw & Co., Deutsche Bank, Dow Chemical, Export-Import Bank of China, General Electric, Goldman Sachs, Guangdong Dapeng LNG Company, JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley, SOCAM Development, Sithe Global Power, Temasek, UBS and Yida Group, among others.

In 1992, Winter was admitted as a solicitor in Hong Kong. He has extensive experience in a wide range of complex corporate transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, private equity, capital markets and securities, corporate governance, compliance, joint ventures and restructurings. In particular, he has experience with transactions governed by the Hong Kong Takeovers Code and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange Listing Rules., Winter has experience across Asia, including China, Korea, the Philippines and Indonesia, in addition to his Hong Kong practice.

Winter is recognized as a leading practitioner by various industry publications, including Chambers and Partners, Legal 500 Asia Pacific and Practical Law.

Winter has provided advice on various ground-breaking transactions, including representing SABMiller in relation to its US$750 million proposed takeover of Harbin Brewery, Hong Kong’s first contested takeover under the Hong Kong Takeovers Code. Most recently, he represented PCCW Limited in relation to the proposed spin-off and separate listing of its telecommunications business in the form of a novel structure involving a listed trust, which would be the first listing of its kind in Hong Kong.

Winter has represented multinational companies, commercial and investment banks and international private equity funds. He has also represented PCCW Limited, First Pacific Company Limited, Melco International Development Limited, 3i Group plc, Baring Private Equity Asia Limited, SABMiller and The Royal Bank of Scotland, among others.

Gibson Dunn is planning to convert its Hong Kong office into a local solicitors firm when approved to do so under regulations in force. Until then, in accordance with Hong Kong regulatory requirements, Winter and other solicitors will form a separate firm that will practice in association with Gibson Dunn when approved by the Law Society of Hong Kong.

Three Partners at O’Melveny & Myers Move Into Leadership Roles

rebneely — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 11:06:40 +0000

The law firm of O’Melveny & Myers announced in recent days that partner M. Randall Oppenheimer was named the new chair of the Firm’s Litigation Department, partner Warren T. Lazarow was named the new chair of the Transactions Department, and partner Mark A. Samuels will become vice-chair of the Firm.

Oppenheimer is a member of O’Melveny’s Business Trial and Litigation Practice. He has over thirty years of trial experience. Often recognized as one of the nation’s leading trial lawyers, he has successfully represented clients in cases involving many different areas of law, including complex business disputes and energy, intellectual property, environmental, antitrust, and regulatory matters.

Oppenheimer was quoted as saying in a press release at the firm’s website: “Our litigators are simply the best at what they do, and I’m honored to lead this extraordinary group. We’re achieving major triumphs for our clients in numerous jurisdictions, including the Supreme Court, and in all stages of litigation from discovery through trial and to appeal, so it’s an exciting time.”

Chair-elect Brad Butwin was quoted as saying: “In his 34 years at O’Melveny, Randy has always been one of the Firm’s most respected, thoughtful, and eloquent voices and among the Firm’s most successful trial lawyers. He and I are committed to establishing a set of priorities designed to lead our award-winning and very busy Litigation Department to even higher levels of achievement for clients.”

Lazarow was formerly the managing partner of O’Melveny’s Silicon Valley office, as well as a member of the Firm’s Policy Committee, which acts as its board of directors. Lazarow is a leading advisor to technology-focused companies and investors in M&A, public offerings, and private financing transactions, including private equity and venture capital, as a member of the M&A and Capital Markets Practices. He has been the recipient of numerous accolades during his distinguished career, including appearing four times on Forbes Magazine’s “Midas List” of the technology industry’s Top 100 Dealmakers Worldwide, and being recognized by publications such as Chambers and Partners (USA and Global), Legal 500, Global Counsel, IFLR, and Practical Law Company.

Lazarow was quoted as saying: “We have excellent transactions lawyers in every region helping clients shape and execute their most ambitious business strategies. I look forward to collaborating with my colleagues across our many offices and practice areas to leverage our strengths and expand our services.”

Among the Firm’s most experienced and distinguished trial lawyers, Samuels possesses a wide range of experience in complex patent, trade secret, antitrust, and other technology-based litigation. He has served in multiple leadership roles during his long career at the firm, including serving on the Policy Committee. He also served for seven years as chair of the Intellectual Property and Technology Practice. As vice chair, Samuels will focus on day-to-day management and coordination of client service, and integration of the practice of law on a firm wide basis.

Samuels, who resides in the firm’s Los Angeles office, was quoted as saying: “O’Melveny has excellent people and top clients for whom we do outstanding work every day, and I relish this opportunity to work alongside Brad to chart a course for our very bright future.”

O’Melveny & Myers LLP has approximately 850 lawyers in 14 offices worldwide.

O’Melveny & Myers Adds New Practice Group

joshua — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 17:02:07 +0000

O’Melveny & Myers has formed a new integrated legal strategies practice that will be headed by Tom McCoy and Jonathan Sallet. The pair will reside in the firm’s Washington, DC office.

According to a firm press release, McCoy is a renowned international business leader and legal strategist, while Sallet has practiced law and counseled companies and their executives on the most challenging and delicate of legal problems.

The new practice group will draw on the experience and diverse skills of McCoy and Sallet to offer clients a distinctive mix of strategic litigation and transactions advice, and strategic regulatory-compliance counsel—all concentrated on the most important legal issues that a business can face.

“O’Melveny has for many years counseled decision makers on board-level challenges ranging from transformative transactions, special investigations, and enforcement proceedings to Congressional inquiries and the most consequential adversarial proceedings,” said Arthur B. Culvahouse, Jr., Chair of O’Melveny & Myers.

“In this tradition, and under the leadership of Tom and Jonathan, our Integrated Legal Strategies Practice will help Chief Executives, General Counsel, and other senior-level decision makers navigate the issues that span international legal and regulatory arenas and that can forge, or frustrate, a corporation’s future.”

The group will focus its legal services on “lifecycle” events material to the future of a business, including consummating complex mergers and acquisitions, obtaining global regulatory approvals, favorably resolving high-stakes litigation, and advising on legal developments that have industrywide impact.

McCoy rejoins O’Melveny from Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) where he served as Executive Vice President, Legal, Corporate, and Public Affairs, and Chief Administrative Officer. Sallet served as a law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Lewis F. Powell, Jr. and was a partner in two nationally known law firms. He is a former Chief Policy Counsel for MCI Communications, where he oversaw regulatory proceedings and merger reviews.

O’Melveny & Myers has approximately 900 lawyers in 14 offices worldwide.

Morning Roundup

joshua — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 12:39:28 +0000

Good morning everyone! Today is Thursday, September 9th. Here’s a quick recap of yesterday’s stories.

Winston & Strawn LLP added two partners to its Los Angeles office…

Veteran trademark attorney Monica Riva Talley joined Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox…

Houston’s Ahmad, Zavitsanos & Anaipakos Law Firm was named an “awesome opponent” in a survey conducted by BTI Consulting Group…

Winston & Strawn LLP Adds Two Partners to Los Angeles Office

joshua — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 18:34:45 +0000

C. James Levin and Warren Loui have joined Winston & Strawn LLP’s Los Angeles office as partners.

The move significantly expands its M&A, securities, private equity, and finance capabilities on the West Coast. Levin joins from O’Melveny & Myers LLP, where he was a partner in and former co-chair of the firm’s M&A/Private Equity practices. Loui joins from Mayer Brown LLP, where he was a partner in its banking and finance department, and the Los Angeles Finance practice leader.

The two men, who each have well established practices in Southern California, bring a rare combination of experience representing public and private companies in acquisitions and divestitures, securities offerings, and corporate finance transactions, including securitizations, structured and acquisition finance matters, and capital raises for emerging companies.

Levin has represented numerous Fortune 500 companies as well as private companies in their acquisitions and business dispositions, and has advised many prominent investment banking firms.

Loui’s representation of lenders and issuers includes acquisition financings of up to $3.7 billion, and structured financings and other securitizations in transactions valued up to $6 billion, including some of the first securitizations of non-performing loans and life settlements.

In today’s press release at PR Newswire, Laura Petroff, managing partner of the Los Angeles office, was quoted as saying: “We are extremely pleased to welcome Jim and Warren to our office. Their reputation and proven deal-making abilities, along with their uncommon blend of experience, will allow our office to grow strategically in ways that complement our existing corporate presence in California and the firm’s global capabilities.”

Winston & Strawn LLP is an international law firm with more than 900 attorneys among 14 offices in Beijing, Charlotte, Chicago, Geneva, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, New York, Newark, Paris, San Francisco, Shanghai, and Washington, D.C.

Morning Roundup

joshua — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 12:37:10 +0000

Good morning everyone! Today is Wednesday, September 8th. Here’s a quick recap of yesterday’s stories.

Electronic brokerage veteran Joseph C. Lombard joined Murphy & McGonigle as partner…

Veteran corporate governance attorney Heidi Lawson joined Chadbourne & Parke as partner…

Kramer Levin added two partners to its private equity practice…

Kramer Levin Adds Two Partners to Private Equity Practice

joshua — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 16:55:05 +0000

Today, Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP announced it expanded its private equity practice with the addition of James J. Moriarty and Russell J. Pinilis as partners in the firm’s New York office.

Mr. Moriarty represents a number of middle market private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies in a wide variety of industries and transactions, including acquisition and sale transactions, leveraged buyouts, restructurings, and management equity arrangements.

Mr. Pinilis is a tax and fund formation attorney. He has worked extensively with private equity investment funds, representing them in a wide variety of matters, including fund and transaction structuring, ensuring the tax efficiency of investments and portfolio company transactions and fund formation matters.

Prior to joining Kramer Levin, Mr. Moriarty and Mr. Pinilis were partners at O’Melveny & Myers.

According to today’s press release at PR Newswire, Paul Pearlman, the managing partner of Kramer Levin, was quoted as saying: “Russell and Jim each bring 15 years of focused transactional experience and will add an exciting dimension to Kramer Levin’s private equity practice that complements our existing representation of private equity sponsors and other participants in private equity transactions. As the state of the economy and private equity markets continue to evolve, their breadth of knowledge, especially in the mid-market sector, will be an invaluable asset to our firm.”

Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP is a premier, full-service law firm with offices in New York and Paris. The firm guides Global 1000 companies and emerging growth entities across a broad range of industries to help them fully realize their business goals. For more than a decade, Kramer Levin has had one of the leading and most diverse investment fund practices in the country, with a special emphasis on complex transactions within the middle-market.

Morning Roundup

joshua — Tue, 11 May 2010 14:09:06 +0000

Good morning everyone! Today is Tuesday, May 11th. Here’s a brief look at yesterday’s stories.

Bowie & Jensen Opens Manhattan Office…

Facebook Hires Tim Muris To Help Clean Up Its Act…

Oprah Seeks To Compel Testimony Of Former Patent Prosecutor…

Elena Kagan Nominated By Obama For Supreme Court…

Facebook Hires Tim Muris To Help Clean Up Its Act

joshua — Mon, 10 May 2010 18:06:36 +0000

In the wake of on-going scrutiny of its privacy policies, as posted on TechCrunch, Facebook has hired former FTC chairman and O’Melveny & Meyers‘ Of Counsel, Tim Muris, to defend the social networking giant in Washington, DC.

This former Republican advisor to the Bush Administration may seem an unlikely defender for Facebook since it is the FTC that is now putting the lion’s share of the pressure on it, but he brings to the table the insight of an insider who, through such initiatives as “do not call list” legislation, has been lauded for his dedication to the cause of consumer protection.

His hiring by Facebook comes on the heels of the March 2009 hiring of A.C.L.U super attorney Timothy Sparapani as Facebook’s chief privacy officer. By bringing in such veterans, it is no secret that Facebook is vigorously seeking to efface the long list of charges in recent years of not protecting the privacy of its users.

Activision Files Countersuit Against Video Game Makers

joshua — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 00:40:46 +0000

You may remember about a month ago we touched on a lawsuit O’Melveny & Myers filed against video game giant Activision on behalf of the makers of the popular ‘Call of Duty Modern Warfare” franchise Well, Activision fired back Thursday by filing a countersuit for breach of contract.

Activision was first sued by Jason West and Vince Zampella, co-founders of Infinity Ward, for more than $36 million in March. The suit alleges that after Infinity Ward was purchased by Activision, West and Zampella were fired so Activision could avoid paying large royalties with the release of ‘Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.’

Activision claims the firing was justified. In the court filing the company claims the pair was fired for insubordination and attempts to poach employees, the Associated Press reports.

Attorney Robert Schwartz, a partner at O’Melveny & Myers who is representing West and Zampella, called the claims “false and outrageous” in a statement.

“None of the false claims of insubordination or breach of duties had any negative affect on Activision none,” Schwartz said. “Modern Warfare 2 has been the world’s most successful video game.”

Modern Warfare 2 and Call of Duty are considered two of the most successful video games in history. O’Melveny & Myers said the two franchises have generated more than $3 billion in sales for Activision.

Justice Department Under Attack

joshua — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 21:27:04 +0000

A group calling itself “Keep America Safe” has been running an ad attacking Attorney General Eric Holder for refusing to name Justice Department appointees who represented detainees at Guantanamo Bay. The ad, seen below, is charged with high octane rhetoric.

Fox News has since “outed” the DoJ lawyers who worked on detainee cases. We aren’t going to repeat the names here, but we will tell you that the lawyers worked at liberal subversive law firms like Covington & Burling, Venable, Morrison & Foerster, WilmerHale, Debevoise & Plimpton, Sidley Austin, and O’Melveny & Myers. In fact, according to ABC News, 34 out of the 50 largest US Firms have represented or filed amicus briefs on behalf of detainees.

The right of the accused to legal representation and the requirement of lawyers to zealously advocate for their clients are hallmarks of our legal system. To impugn the integrity or patriotism of lawyers who do so is repugnant to the rule of law.

“Keep America Safe”, which was formed in part by Liz Cheney, daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, has no apparent problem with JAG Corps officers defending detainees or the JAG Corps officers who, sitting in judgement, released several. I’m left to believe that this is nothing more than a smear attack on the Attorney General’s office, and by extension, the President. It’s shameful that they would do so by attacking the integrity of some of America’s top lawyers.

O’Melveny & Myers Takes on Video Game Giant

joshua — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:25:05 +0000

O’Melveny & Myers LLP has filed a lawsuit against video-game maker Activision Publishing Inc. in Los Angeles County Superior Court. The suit, which was filed on behalf of video-game makers Jason West and Vince Zampella, creators of the popular titles Call of Duty and Modern Warfare, alleges breach of contract and wrongful termination among other violations.

According to a press release from the O’Melveny & Myers, West and Zampella created Call of Duty and Modern Warfare while at Infinity Ward studio, a company the pair co-founded in 2001. After its acquisition by Activision in November 2003, West and Zampella continued to serve as president/game director and chief operating officer, respectively. However, they were subsequently terminated by Activision just weeks before they were to be paid substantial royalty payments as part of their existing contracts for Modern Warfare 2, the suit alleges.

The suit alleges Activision hired lawyers to conduct a pretextual ‘investigation’ into “unstated and unsubstantiated charges of ‘insubordination’ and ‘breach of fiduciary duty,’ which then became the grounds for their termination March 1.”

“Activision has refused to honor the terms of its agreements and is intentionally flouting the fundamental public policy of this State (California) that employers must pay their employees what they have rightfully earned,” said their attorney Robert Schwartz.

West and Zampella are seeking a minimum payout of $36 million and future control of the Modern Warfare franchise as compensation for their alleged unlawful dismissal.

Morrison Foerster Adds Partner in New York Office

joshua — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 23:34:00 +0000

Spencer Klein has joined the corporate practice of Morrison & Foerster as a partner in its New York office. Klein, who was previously with O’Melveny & Myers, will co-head MoFo’s mergers and acquisitions practice.

In addition to M&A issues, Klein’s practice also focuses on high-profile corporate governance matters. He is also a frequent advisor for U.S. and multinational companies across multiple industries.

Keith Wetmore, chairman of Morrison & Foerster, explained the addition in a press release.

“A core element of our strategy is the continued growth and development of our corporate and capital markets practices, particularly in New York,” Wetmore said. “The addition of Spencer advances our ambitions for corporate practice growth…and represents an important expansion of our strong M&A capabilities across the firm.”

Morrison & Foerster is a global firm with over 1,000 lawyers in technology and financial centers in the U.S., Europe and Asia.

Steve Epstein Joins Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP as Parnter in M&A Group

joshua — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 16:02:18 +0000

Steve Epstein has joined Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP as a partner in the mergers and acquisitions practice group resident in New York, the firm announced today.

“We are delighted to welcome Steve to the Firm. He joins our highly respected M&A team known for high-profile mergers, acquisitions and private equity transactions both on the national and international stage. Steve’s transactional experience complements our team while also broadening our presence in healthcare, consumer products and infrastructure sectors,” said Robert C. Schwenkel, chair of Fried Frank’s New York corporate department and head of the Firm’s M&A and private equity practices.

“Steve is an outstanding attorney who will complement and expand our leading M&A and private equity practice groups,” said Valerie Ford Jacob, Fried Frank’s chairperson.

He has represented public and private companies, investment banking firms and financial sponsors in connection with mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, takeover preparedness, and corporate governance matters. Mr. Epstein received his JD from Fordham University School of Law, and his BS from Cornell University. At Fordham University School of Law, he was a Stein Scholar and member of Fordham International Law Journal.

He joins Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver from O’Melveny & Myers LLP, where he was a partner in the mergers & acquisitions group.

Fried Frank has more than 500 attorneys based in principal financial centers in the US, Europe and Asia. The firm represents many of the world’s leading corporations and financial institutions. The firm’s attorneys work together across practice areas and jurisdictions and regularly advise clients in all major regions including the US, the Middle East, Europe, Asia and Latin America.

Morning Roundup

joshua — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 12:26:26 +0000

Good morning everyone! Today is Friday, February 19. Let’s kick the weekend off with a look back at yesterday’s stories…

JK Rowling, author of the Harry Potter books, has been named in a plagiarism suit…

BuckleySanders brought on a new attorney as Counsel…

A school district in Pennsylvania has been accused of violating the privacy of its students in a stunning fashion…

Patton Boggs picked up a former Bristol-Myers executive…

Revenue and profits fell at O’Melveny Myers…

Fish & Richardson was honored by an IP magazine…

Cravath is facing a conflict of interest complaint…

Profits were up in 2010 for Sidley Austin, even as revenues fell…

Katten added a new partner to its health care practice…

Six attorneys left Venable for Arent Fox…

And Consumer Watchdog is urging the court to reject the settlement agreement in the Google Book case…

Enjoy your weekend everyone!

Profits and Revenue Down at O’Melveny for Second Year Running

daniel — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 21:44:29 +0000

O’Melveny & Myers has reported a second year of revenue and profit loss. The Los Angeles-based firms litigation department, composing 55% of the companies lawyers, has been receiving pressure from clients to lower rates. Coupled with a continuation of the economic downturn, 2009 has seen a gross revenue of $826.6 million, an 8.9% percent drop. The firms average equity partner showed a profit of $1.47 million, down by 4.2%. Laying off 90 lawyers last March, O’Melveny & Myers has seen a 7.9% decrease in total employees, and a 1% decline in per lawyer revenue to $960,000. On a brighter note, the firms expansion in Asia to around 100 lawyers was a factor leading to the growth of its nonequity partners by 33%.

A Look at the Backend of the Intel/AMD Fight

joshua — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:03:56 +0000

When giants like Intel and AMD go to war, its often the law firms that come out on top. Here’s a quick rundown of the firms involved in the fight, now that a settlement has been reached.

AMD was primarily represented by O’Melveny & Myers, both here and in the EU.

Intel had a host of firms handling different parts of the fight. Gibson Dunn had Intel’s business for the Deleware case while Skadden had the lead in the EU. Howrey was involved in suing the insurance company for coverage of Gibson Dunn’s bills for the defense. Bingham McCutchen was lead counself for Intel on multiple class action suits and co-cousnsel with Gibson Dunn in Deleware.

The big loser now that the two companies have come to terms will be O’Melveny, who will lose its top client once the dust has settled. Gibson Dunn and Skadden won’t have the same issue, since federal regulators are still sniffing about for a fight and any state or federal cases brought forward aren’t affected by the settlement.

More Firms Considering Moving Away From “The Billable Hour”

joshua — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:01:51 +0000

The blawgosphere is buzzing with reports that the billable hour is dying, but as Mark Twain once quipped, “The report of my death was an exaggeration”.

It all started where most trends start – Los Angeles. The Southern California stalwart O’Melveny & Myers updated its vision with a five year plan that called for, among other things, flat rate billing for transactional work. Now it appears two other Big Law firms may follow suit. Mayer Brown and Reed Smith are both considering doing the same.

Does this mean first year associates can look forward to eight hours of sleep per night? Is the pressure to rack up billable hours going to vanish? Doubtful. This is three firms and one area of law. The billable hour remains very much in the driver’s seat otherwise.

It’s worth noting that O’Melveny is the first major firm to make this transition, but the path was paved by smaller firms, like Bartlit Beck and Raymond & Bennett, looking to attract clients that want the security of knowing what their fees will total up front, a strong selling point in an economic downturn.

Howard Rice Decimates Associate Salaries

Erik Even — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 17:11:42 +0000

San Francisco, California’s Howard Rice cut all associate salaries by 10% last month.

Incoming associate salaries were cut from $160,000 to $145,000. Fourth-years now make $170,000, and seventh-years make $225,000.

The firm says it is just bringing its salaries into line with competitors like Morrison & Foerster, DLA Piper and O’Melveny & Myers.

Howard Rice froze its billing rates 18 months ago.

Founded in 1954, Howard Rice Nemerovski Canady Falk & Rabkin employs almost 100 lawyers.

O’Melveny & Myers Freezes Staff Salaries

Erik Even — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 22:17:51 +0000

O’Melveny & Myers, which in March laid off 190 people, is freezing salaries for staffers across the firm. Lawyers are not affected.

There will be no salary increases in 2009; and the performance evaluation cycle will now cover July 2008 to July 2010. Salary increases will be considered in (but are not promised for) July 2010.

O’Melveny is evaluating its other compensation programs, such as annual bonuses.

The firm has delayed start dates for new associates to December 2009.

O’Melveny & Myers LLP is the 19th largest law firm in the world. It employs 1200 attorneys in 14 offices worldwide.

Survey: Skadden is Nation’s Top Firm Again

Erik Even — Wed, 20 May 2009 16:59:59 +0000

Skadden has been ranked the top corporate law firm in the US for the ninth year in a row, according to Corporate Board Member magazine.

The rankings are based on a poll of 6,300 directors and general counsel.

Here are the top 20 on the America’s Best Corporate Law Firms list, including last year’s ranking:

1. Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom, New York (1)
2. Jones Day, Cleveland (7)
3. Cravath Swaine & Moore, New York (2)
4. Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz, New York (3)
5. Sullivan & Cromwell, New York (5)
6. Weil Gotshal & Manges, New York (9)
7. Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, Los Angeles (13)
8. Kirkland & Ellis, Chicago (8)
9. Latham & Watkins, Los Angeles (6)
10. Fulbright & Jaworski, Houston (17)
11. Baker & McKenzie, Chicago (14)
12. O’Melveny & Myers, Los Angeles (19)
13. Davis Polk & Wardwell, New York (4)
14. Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, Palo Alto (14)
15. Sidley Austin, Chicago/New York (-)
16. Shearman & Sterling, New York (11)
17. Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison, New York (11)
18. Covington & Burling, Washington DC (16)
19. Hogan & Hartson, Washington DC (20)
20. Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson, New York (-)

Corporate Board Member is a leading information resource for senior officers and directors of publicly traded corporations, large private companies, and Global 1000 firms.

Confirmed: Skadden Gets O’Melveny’s Beisner & Team [UPDATE]

Erik Even — Thu, 14 May 2009 21:00:10 +0000

Blawgs are reporting that Skadden has lured over prominent attorney John Beisner and two others from O’Melveny & Myers.

Beisner is the chair of O’Melveny’s Class Actions, Mass Torts, and Aggregated Litigation Practice. He will bring with him Jessica Miller and Steve Harburg.

Apparently Beisner is a major player at O’Melveny & Myers, and his loss would be a serious blow to the firm.

If you can confirm this news or provide details, please send us a confidential tip!

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, founded in 1948, is a prominent law firm based in New York City. With over 2,000 attorneys, it is one of the largest and highest-grossing law firms in the world. Forbes magazine called Skadden “Wall Street’s most powerful law firm.”

O’Melveny & Myers LLP is the 19th largest law firm in the world. It employs 1200 attorneys in 14 offices worldwide.

UPDATE

Skadden has confirmed that Beisner, Miller and Harburg have joined the firm.

In-House and Law Firm Lawyers Form Diversity Council

Erik Even — Thu, 07 May 2009 19:14:02 +0000

Senior legal executives from The Coca-Cola Company, Microsoft, Wal-Mart and 11 more Fortune 500 companies, with the managing partners of O’Melveny & Myers, DLA Piper, Debevoise and other leading law firms, have announced the formation of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity.

The new organization of chief legal officers and law firm managing partners is dedicated to improving diversity in the legal profession.

The LCLD evolved from the 2008 Call to Action Summit, a gathering of 125 senior legal professionals, consisting solely of general counsels from Fortune 500 companies and managing partners of the nation’s top law firms, who discussed real solutions to the substantial diversity gap within the legal profession.

Among its first orders of business, the LCLD is assessing the progress made by four working groups established during the 2008 Call to Action Summit. The groups include Law Firm Call to Action; Strategies for Law Firm and Corporate Partnerships; Goals to Measure Success; and Recruitment, Retention and Advancement.

Sheppard Mullin Hires 3

Erik Even — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 16:46:46 +0000

Los Angeles’ Sheppard Mullin has recently hired three new attorneys in Los Angeles and China.

This week the firm announced that corporate partner Brian D. Weimer from Latham & Watkins, and real estate partner Pamela L. Westhoff from DLA Piper, were joining Sheppard Mullin.

Earlier this month, the firm hired corporate partner Todd Bissett of O’Melveny & Myers’ Beijing office. He will work for Sheppard Mullin out of Shanghai.

The firm has laid off 25 attorneys so far this year, and froze associate salaries in January.

Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP is an Am Law 100 law firm with over 520 attorneys in 10 offices in the United States and one in Shanghai. Its first office was founded in Los Angeles, California in 1927.

Update: The Week in Layoffs, Final Edition

Erik Even — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 18:22:09 +0000

It was another disastrous week for law firm layoffs. Here are the totals:

Arent Fox: 13 attorneys, 15 staff

Bingham McCutchen: 16 attorneys, 23 staff

King & Spalding: 37 attorneys, 85 staff

Akin Gump: 47 attorneys, 57 staff

O’Melveny & Myers: 90 attorneys, 110 staff

Shearman & Sterling: 78 staff

Dewey & LeBeouf: 15 attorneys, 115 staff

Clifford Chance: 115 staff

Wiggin and Dana: 14 attorneys, 14 staff

Stinson Morrison Hecker: 30 staff

DLA Piper: 20 attorneys, 34 staff

Haynes and Boone: 2 attorneys, 1 staff

Pillsbury Winthrop: 55 attorneys, 100 staff

Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe: 100 attorneys, 200 staff

The official JD Journal totals for this week:

409 attorneys, 977 staff

Yeah, that’s not good.

Know about any layoffs we haven’t reported? Send us a confidential tip!

O’Melveny & Myers Delays Start Dates

Erik Even — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 18:46:04 +0000

O’Melveny & Myers, which yesterday laid off 90 attorneys and 110 staff positions, is delaying the start date for its new associate class.

The new start date is December 2009. Typically, the firm’s new associates start between September and November.

We will be providing our incoming associates with a bar stipend, as well as bar and moving-related expenses. We have not asked incoming associates to defer their employment for a year and have no plans to do so. As such, we are not paying any related deferral stipend.

O’Melveny & Myers LLP is the 19th largest law firm in the world. It employs 1200 attorneys in 14 offices worldwide.

This Week in Layoffs… So Far

Erik Even — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 18:08:25 +0000

It’s been another disastrous week for law firm layoffs. So far:

O’Melveny & Myers: 90 attorneys, 110 staff

Shearman & Sterling: 78 staff

Dewey & LeBeouf: 15 attorneys, 115 staff

Clifford Chance: 115 staff

Wiggin and Dana: 14 attorneys, 14 staff

Stinson Morrison Hecker: 30 staff

DLA Piper: 20 attorneys, 34 staff

Haynes and Boone: 2 attorneys, 1 staff

Pillsbury Winthrop: 55 attorneys, 100 staff

Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe: 100 attorneys, 200 staff

O’Melveny & Myers Decimates Staff, Firing 190

Erik Even — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 17:34:02 +0000

O’Melveny & Myers today announced the layoffs of 10% of attorneys and 10% of staff. About 190 people will be affected.

From firm chairman AB Culvahouse:

I am writing to inform you about some very difficult and unprecedented decisions we have made affecting lawyers and staff. We will be reducing approximately 90 legal and 110 staff positions from our Firm. The majority of the positions are in the US, with some in Asia and a smaller number in London. Altogether the reduction will impact roughly 10% of our lawyer workforce and roughly 10% of our staff workforce.

On February 12th, Los Angeles-based O’Melveny announced that profits per partner were down more than 7% to $1.5 million. Gross revenues for 2008 were $908 million, an almost 3% drop from the prior year.

O’Melveny & Myers LLP is the 19th largest law firm in the world. It employs 1200 attorneys in 14 offices worldwide.

O’Melveny & Myers Sees Revenues, Profits Drop

Erik Even — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 17:44:21 +0000

Los Angeles-based O’Melveny & Myers announced that profits per partner were down more than 7% to $1.5 million. Gross revenues for 2008 were $908 million, an almost 3% drop from the prior year.

O’Melveny lost two high profile partners this winter. The co-head of restructuring, Michael Sage, joined Dechert in mid-January. And white collar practice group head James Asperger left O’Melveny for Quinn Emanuel Urquhart Olver & Hedges last week.

But the firm also recently announced that it had recruited Kenneth Wainstein, a white collar specialist and former homeland security adviser to the Bush administration. O’Melveny also added Dean Collins, a former director at private equity investor Actis, to the firm’s Singapore office.

Melveny & Myers LLP is the 19th largest law firm in the world, and lauded by Vault as one of America’s top twenty most prestigious law firms.

Partners Come and Go at O’Melveny

Erik Even — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 17:32:34 +0000

James Asperger, head of the white-collar crime practice at Los Angeles-based O’Melveny & Myers, has left for Quinn Emanuel.

Kenneth L. Wainstein, former homeland security adviser to President George W. Bush, has joined O’Melveny in Washington.

Asperger, an assistant US attorney in Los Angeles from 1983 to 1993, joins LA’s Quinn Emanuel as a partner, and will be co-chairman of the firm’s white-collar group. He was at O’Melveny for 15 years.

Wainstein, who served as US attorney for DC from 2004 to 2006, is joining O’Melveny’s Washington office as a partner in the white-collar defense & corporate investigations group.

Last year, Wainstein was named homeland security adviser, coordinating the nation’s counterterrorism, homeland security, infrastructure protection and disaster response and recovery efforts.

O’Melveny & Myers LLP is the 19th largest law firm in the world. It employs 1200 attorneys in 14 offices worldwide.

Buchalter Nemer Adds 5 Insolvency Attorneys

Erik Even — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 16:30:53 +0000

Five attorneys have joined various practice groups of Los Angeles’ 150-lawyer Buchalter Nemer.

Steven M. Spector, former counsel to Jeffer, Mangels, Butler & Marmaro, is joining the firm’s insolvency and financial solutions practice group as a shareholder. Anthony Napolitano of Chicago’s Mayer Brown also joins as an associate.

Melissa Mac Pherson, a former contract attorney at Bayat & Associates, and Samy Sadighi, a former associate at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, have joined the bank & finance practice group.

Alex Angarita, ex of O’Melveny & Myers, has joined the business practices group.

All came from Los Angeles offices.

“We’re hiring to meet the need,” said Rick Cowen, president of Buchalter Nemer. “And we’ve had a tremendous need.”

Buchalter Nemer ended its 2008 fiscal year with a record $99.2 million in revenues, an increase of $8 million from last year.

Earlier this month, Buchalter Nemer added another shareholder, Michael Meeks, and two associates, Carol Dwyer and Becky Hsiao, to its Irvine, California shop.

Lawyers Raise $200,000 for Human Rights

Erik Even — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 21:00:00 +0000

An insurance company’s unusual “pyramid scheme” has raised siginificant funds for global human rights organizations.

The legal department at Swiss insurance conglomerate ACE Limited created a novel program that leveraged contributions from in-house lawyers into a $200,000 donation for three public interest groups. According to ACE general counsel Robert Cusumano, the ACE Rule of Law Fund is the first privately funded corporate legal foundation.

The idea originated with Cusumano, who joined ACE three years ago after 25 years as a litigator at Simpson, Thacher & Bartlett. He wanted to bring together his in-house lawyers and outside counsel to make a “tangible difference” in their legal communities.

Cusumano first asked the in-house lawyers to make anonymous contributions to the fund; the general counsel personally matched those contributions. The company then matched that combined amount. Finally, eight selected law firms matched that total. In the end, each in-house lawyer’s contribution was multiplied 12 times through the matching. More than 50 ACE lawyers contributed, representing more than half the in-house staff.

The participating law firms were Clyde & Co, Cozen O’Connor, Debevoise & Plimpton, Ropes & Gray, Susman Godfrey, O’Melveny & Myers, DLA Piper, and Mayer Brown.

The beneficiaries include Human Rights Defenders, a program administered by Human Rights First to protect “at-risk” lawyers from harassment and incarceration; and the International Commission of Jurists in southern Africa. Funds will also be used to provide courtroom language translators for battered women working with the New York organization Sakhi for South Asian Women.

Via Law.com and The AmLaw Daily Blog.

O’Melveny & Myers Admits 15 New Partners

Erik Even — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 22:02:12 +0000

O’Melveny & Myers LLP has admitted 15 new partners to the firm, effective February 1, 2009.

Members of the 2009 partner class are:

Washington DC: Stephen D. Brody, Maritza U.B. Okata
Beijing: Nathan G. Bush, David J. Roberts
Newport Beach: Winston Chang
Hong Kong: Peter Chen, Friven Yeoh
Silicon Valley: Brian E. Covotta
London: James Ford
Century City, CA: David J. Marroso, Sean A. Monroe
New York City: Christian C. Nugent, Mark W. Robertson
Brussels: Christian Riis-Madsen
Los Angeles: Daniel N. Shallman

O’Melveny & Myers is an international law firm founded in Los Angeles in 1885. It is the 19th largest law firm in the world, and was lauded by Vault as one of America’s top twenty most prestigious law firms. OMM employs around twelve hundred attorneys in fourteen offices worldwide.

O’Melveny & Myers Announces Associate Bonuses

Erik Even — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 21:41:10 +0000

“Multiple tipsters” tell Above the Law that O’Melveny & Myers associates in California and DC received voicemails today, confirming that first year associate bonuses would be $27,500.

The bonus scale for OMM, in CA and DC, is believed to look like this:

2007 – $27,500
2006 – $30,000
2005 – $32,500
2004 – $35,000
2003 – $37,500
2002 – $40,000
2001 and 2000 – $45,000

A tipster adds, “Everyone is also eligible for additional bonus amounts on top of that based on hours and performance.”

Bonuses will be paid on December 31st, with an official memo following in January. Class appropriate pay raises will proceed as planned. The California and DC bonus levels are subject to a minimum hours requirement of 1950.

OMM’s California and DC offices are paying bonuses to associates that are higher than OMM in New York.

Via Above the Law.