John Laco
Partner
John Laco is the head of O’Melveny’s 65 attorney Los Angeles Transactions Group and a member of the Mergers & Acquisitions Practice Group. John represents private and public companies, private equity funds and family investment offices in mergers and acquisitions (buy-side and sell-side), equity and debt financing and recapitalization transactions.
John also provides private and public companies with general corporate advice (board fiduciary duties, executive compensation, corporate structure and stockholder agreements), and counsel with respect to joint ventures and other strategic decisions. In addition, John represents investment bankers in connection with fairness opinions and advice in mergers and acquisitions.
Illustrative Professional Experience
- Representing American Capital, Ltd. in numerous leveraged buy-outs (including Avalon Laboratories, Axygen, Dynojet, ECA Medical Instruments, Fleischmann’s Vinegar, LVI, Redwood Toxicology Laboratory and Value Plastics), multiple portfolio company “add-on” acquisitions and recapitalization transactions and the sale of portfolio companies Axygen BioScience and RTL Holdings
- Representing DIRECTV in the acquisition of 180 Connect, Inc.
- Representing Castle & Cooke in the acquisition of Inland Cold Storage
- Representing Phoenix Motorcars, Inc. in a successful California fairness hearing and rescission offer, and merger transactions
- Representing LivHome, Inc. in multiple strategic acquisition transactions
- Representing the Special Committee of the Board of General Finance Corporation ("GFN") in connection with GFN's acquisition of Mobile Office Acquisition Corp. and its subsidiary, Pac-Van
Professional Activities
Author, “Preparing to Go Public” and “What is Going Private?” chapters for
Handbook for Corporate Officers and Directors, RR Donnelley Financial
Director, The Saban Research Institute, Childrens Hospital Los Angeles