O'Melveny's Rich 125-Year History Detailed in Front Page LA Business Journal Profile
In recognition of the 125th anniversary of O'Melveny, the Los Angeles Business Journal (LABJ) published a front-page profile of the Firm in its March 8 edition.
The extensive portrait, titled, "L.A. Law: O'Melveny A Key Witness To City's History," recounts how the Firm grew from a two-man office in downtown Los Angeles in 1885 into a leading global firm that is the city's largest and oldest still-existing legal establishment. The article stresses the leading role O'Melveny has played over the years in the transactions and litigation that have been pivotal to the transformation of Los Angeles from a frontier town dominated by Spanish ranchos into an international commercial hub and metropolis. "Back in 1885 Los Angeles was a horse and buggy town," partner Seth Aronson (LA), former LA office head told LABJ. "And our firm was there from the beginning and grew."
From there, LABJ reporter Alexa Hyland wrote, "As the firm helped define the city, the city defined the firm." She quotes Senior Partner Warren Christopher (CC), Firm Chair Arthur B. Culvahouse Jr. (DC), and partners Carla Christofferson (LA), Seth Aronson (LA), and Joe Calabrese (CC) about the impact the Firm and the city have had on each other throughout the past 125 years.
Culvahouse said of the Firm: "I think by virtue of having grown up in and with Los Angeles, it fosters a frontier spirit and relative willingness to change."
Christopher recalled for Hyland many stories of cases and transactions from the Firm's past he learned about from partner William W. Clary (now deceased) who was doing research in connection with the official history of O'Melveny he was writing. "Through him, I came to understand how the history of the firm is so deeply intertwined with the history of Los Angeles," Christopher said.
Christofferson recalled the encouragement Christopher gave her when she told him she and business partner Kathy Goodman planned to buy the Los Angeles Sparks WNBA franchise with an eye to using the team as a vehicle to make a difference in the lives of young girls in the city.
Calabrese related the pioneering entertainment transactions and litigation in which the Firm has been involved, beginning with major movie studio bankruptcies in the 1930s and John O'Melveny's work negotiating employment contracts for such stars as Bing Crosby and Gene Autry in the 1940s.
The story closes with Christopher chalking up O'Melveny's longevity and success to both "the ability to adapt to change" and "a desire to recruit the best lawyers. "We were never prepared to stand pat with what we had," he said. "That, doubled with our willingness to readapt, made the difference."
March 8, 2010
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