Solomon Wifa
Partner
Solomon Wifa is head of O’Melveny's London office and a member of the Investment Funds and Securitization Practice. Solomon has significant experience in the investment funds sector and has acted on a number of international and domestic private equity transactions including the establishment of private equity, hedge, buyout, mezzanine and venture capital funds and carried interest schemes. He has also advised on a number of buy-out, venture and development capital investments.
Solomon has advised on a wide range of primary and secondary transactions in private equity and hedge funds and has advised on a variety of sector focused funds, including funds focused on sectors such as renewable energy, real estate, technology, infrastructure. He has also advised on emerging market funds focused on China, sub-Saharan Africa, India, Turkey and Central and Eastern European.
Solomon qualified as a solicitor in 1999 and is ranked as a leading adviser by
Chambers UK 2011, which notes “
Solomon Wifa is ‘rigorous, intelligent and recognised for his technical knowledge.’”
Illustrative Professional Experience
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Represented Actis on fundraising in excess of US$3 billion including funds focused on investments in India, China, Africa and Latin America;
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Represented Development Partners International on the closing of a US$400 million pan-African private equity fund;
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Represented Ethemba Capital on the establishment of a pledge funds of approximately US$500 million investing in the emerging markets including North-Africa;
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Represented a Canadian pension plan on a US$1 billion joint venture investment fund with an affiliate of Barclays Capital focused primarily on structured principal debt investments;
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Represented Portland Capital LLP and Sir Ronald Cohen (founder of Apax Partners) on the establishment of a real estate hedge fund management business; and
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Represents Sovereign wealth funds, funds of funds and other institutional investors, including the likes of IDeA Capital, CDC Group plc, Parish Capital, GIC Special Investments, Orthogonal Partners and UBS, investing in private equity and/or hedge funds.
Professional Activities
Member, Emerging Markets Private Equity Association (EMPEA) Legal and Regulatory Council