Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
Alvarado Hospital Medical Center
Black Canyon Capital LLC
Houlihan Lokey Howard & Zukin, Inc.
Johnson & Johnson
La Senza Corp
Lionsgate Entertainment
Merck & Co., Inc.
New Century Financial Corporation
QLogic Corporation
Southern California Edison
Skechers USA, Inc.
Trader Joe’s
University of California
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Los Angeles
Having an international law firm with a strong Los Angeles presence provides a critical link to one of the world’s key economic, political, and social centers. As the city’s oldest and largest law firm, O’Melveny’s downtown office is home to more than 250 lawyers who are passionate about tackling our clients’ most important legal work and helping them achieve their key strategic goals, whether it’s completing a billion-dollar merger or defending against criminal prosecution. Political leaders, Fortune 500 companies, start-ups, those too poor to afford legal assistance and everyone in between turn to us for guidance.
When Henry O’Melveny founded the Firm in 1885, Los Angeles was little more than a bustling village on the western edge of the American frontier. Today, our Los Angeles lawyers work seamlessly with O’Melveny offices across the United States, Europe, and Asia to stay abreast of developments in an increasingly complex global economy.
Key Facts
- The Firm earned its reputation early, representing clients in a variety of matters that played an important role in California’s history and growth. The tradition continues. In 2007, Corporate Board Member magazine named us one of Los Angeles’ top corporate law firms for the third time in five years. In 2007, we shared the number one spot, and in 2006, we alone grabbed the top spot for the second time in four years.
- We have the highest number of litigators among offices in downtown Los Angeles. Unlike other major litigation firms, our adversarial department takes cases to trial—about a dozen in the past year. We handle matters in federal and state courts throughout the country for clients such as Merck & Co., Inc., CIGNA Corporation, and ExxonMobil Corporation.
- Chambers USA (2007) featured 16 of our Los Angeles practitioners in its guidebook America’s Leading Lawyers for Business.
- The Los Angeles County Bar Association awarded its first ever Pro Bono Service Award to O’Melveny in 2006. The Firm was chosen because of its immigration pro bono work and how that work serves to enhance diversity in the community.
- In 2005, PLC: Which Lawyer? (previously known as PLC Global Counsel 3000) recognized us as a “leading” banking and finance firm in Los Angeles.
Related Services
- Antitrust and Competition
Our lawyers represent clients before antitrust and competition agencies around the world. Our antitrust team currently represents Advanced Micro Devices against Intel in what promises to be one of the largest antitrust cases ever commenced. The case alleges that Intel has monopolized the x86 microprocessor industry worldwide by engaging in a campaign to coerce customers to refrain from dealing with AMD. The firm’s representation has included domestic litigation alleging violations of Sherman Act §2 and investigations by several antitrust authorities including the European Commission, The Japan Fair Trade Commission, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and the Korean Fair Trade Commission.
- Business Tax
Our Los Angeles tax lawyers combine a thorough knowledge of tax law with a pragmatic, problem-solving approach. Our team recently represented a leading real estate developer in a closely watched case of first impression decided by the US Tax Court. The case involved an estate’s ability to pay federal estate tax on the value of a closely held business in installments over a 10-year period after a five-year deferral. The issue before the court was the requirement that our client post adequate long-term surety in order to make the election under the applicable statute. As a result of our representation, the client was able to make the election without furnishing a bond, and his business operations continued without interruption.
- Capital Markets
- Corporate Finance
Our lawyers structure complex financings, including syndicated credits, acquisition financings, bridge and mezzanine lending, public and private debt offerings, second lien and subordinated loan financing, asset-based facilities, securitizations of a wide variety of assets, and derivatives for large financial institutions and asset managers. We represented affiliates of KKR Financial LLC in numerous structured financings, including what is believed to be the largest non-bank arbitrage collateralized loan obligation transaction on record in any market, with an initial issuance size of more than US$3.5 billion, and the potential for upsizing to US$5 billion. Through its wholly owned subsidiaries, KKR Financial LLC operates as the external manager for KKR Financial Holdings LLC (NYSE: KFN), a specialty finance company with assets of more than US$18 billion, and KKR Strategic Capital Fund, a private credit opportunity fund with capital commitments totaling in excess of US$1 billion.
- Electronic Discovery and Document Retention
We have a dedicated Electronic Discovery and Document Retention practice comprised of more than 35 experienced lawyers in California, New York, and Washington, D.C. From drafting and implementing a document retention plan to identifying the duty to preserve in a multitude of circumstances, to knowing how to use discovery offensively, to managing massive document reviews using temporary attorneys, we have the depth of experience to provide our clients with cost-effective and strategic advice in this rapidly changing field.
- White Collar Defense and Corporate Investigations
Our global enforcement lawyers defend against a range of securities, regulatory, and misconduct claims, representing companies, audit committees, directors, and corporate officers in high stakes governmental investigations. Our recent victory for Alvarado Hospital Medical Center—in which all criminal charges were dismissed after we achieved a mistrial in an eleven-month jury trial—demonstrates our trial skills.
- Intellectual Property and Technology
Our lawyers represent a diverse array of clients in matters involving patent, copyright, trade secret, and trademark issues. In 2004, we became patent litigation counsel for International Game Technology (IGT), a global leader in the design, manufacture, and sale of computerized gaming machines and systems products. When IGT’s “Wheel of Fortune” ® machine —described as “the most successful slot machine in history”— was threatened by an infringing machine produced by rival Bally Technologies, the company turned to us to enforce the patents that protect the product’s core technology. Pretrial proceedings are drawing to a close with trial set for Spring 2008 in Las Vegas.
- Labor and Employment
Our labor and employment lawyers handle disputes brought as individual claims, aggregated suits, and class actions based on employment discrimination, wrongful termination, harassment, wage and hour, ERISA, and employee benefits challenges. We also counsel employers on union organizing and collective bargaining obligations. We currently represent Citigroup Global Markets Inc. (“CGMI”) in a federal court state-wide putative class action challenging the exempt status of CGMI’s Financial Consultants (Stockbrokers) and Financial Consultant trainees under both federal and state law, and seeking recovery for alleged unpaid overtime, lost meal and break periods, improper deductions and docking of employee compensation and other wage and hour violations as well as a violation of California Business & Professions Code § 17200.
- Mergers and Acquisitions
In 2006, clients entrusted the Firm with more than 155 M&A transactions, with an aggregate combined value close to US$100 billion. We recently represented CCMP Capital Advisors and Goldman Sachs Capital Partners in their attempted (but unsuccessful) US$6.4 billion acquisition of Triad Hospitals, Inc. This attempted going-private transaction made headlines in the Wall Street Journal and was profiled in the “Big Deals” section of The American Lawyer.
- Products Liability and Mass Torts
We serve as lead or co-lead national counsel in dozens of multidistrict litigations involving allegedly defective products, and we have defended numerous companies in regulatory investigations and aggregated litigation brought by federal agencies and state attorneys general. Currently, lawyers from our Los Angeles office represent Merck & Co., Inc. and Johnson & Johnson in matters that range from developing and coordinating defense strategy to acting as trial counsel in individual cases.
- Restructuring
The Los Angeles restructuring group represents creditors, lenders, and investors in corporate finance reorganizations, restructurings, litigation, and insolvency-related transactions, including securitizations, debt-swap offerings, contract and lease disputes, and debtor-in-possession financing. O’Melveny recently represented Tower Records in its pending Chapter 11 case. Adversely affected by the rising growth in Internet piracy, Tower Records found itself over-leveraged in a still-profitable business. Working with our M&A and capital markets lawyers, we assisted Tower and its operating affiliate MTS Incorporated in negotiating and implementing a true pre-packaged bankruptcy. The reorganization plan, which involved a write-down of two-thirds of its bond debt and the closure of some underperforming locations, was confirmed merely 45 days after filing, with no disruption to Tower’s business. Approximately two and a half years later, increasing competition from down-loaded music and “big box” retailers forced Tower to file a second Chapter 11 case. The second bankruptcy involved complicated intercreditor issues involving trade creditors with second priority liens and an expedited sale of the business, which was completed less than two months after the filing.
- Securities Litigation
Our securities litigation lawyers are among a select few who have successfully tried securities-related cases to jury verdicts. But our experience extends well beyond the courtroom. We represent companies and audit and special committees in internal investigations involving allegations of complex accounting fraud and potential financial restatements. For example, our team recently achieved a significant victory for clients La Senza Corp. (the second largest international lingerie retailer and formerly the largest Wet Seal shareholder) and two former Wet Seal directors when the United States District Court dismissed a securities fraud case and the Securities and Exchange Commission dropped its investigation with no action taken against our clients.
- Securitization
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400 South Hope Street
Los Angeles, CA 90071
United States of America
Phone +1-213-430-6000
Fax +1-213-430-6407
Local Weather
Local Time: 4:27 PM
Local Date: 8/20/2008
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