O’Melveny serves as a trusted advisor to the transportation industry, with more than 50 years of experience counseling clients around the world on critical business and legal matters, ranging from billion-dollar strategic transactions to successful advocacy before US courts and international tribunals.
Our group combines broad and deep knowledge of every industry segment—land, air, and sea transport and logistics—with a track record of success representing clients in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America, and the United States.
O’Melveny works with automotive companies and industry investors around the world on a wide range of matters, including billion-dollar-plus financings, innovative M&A deals, and high-stakes litigation brought in courts across the United States.
O’Melveny maintains a leading aviation practice, with accomplishments that include: Spearheading the first post-deregulation merger of US airlines, and playing a decisive role in virtually every significant ownership change since; assisting on more than 50 airport projects in the last two decades—representing more than 35 airports in nine countries, and an aggregate value of nearly US$20 billion; brokering the first successful international route sale under US regulatory authorities; prevailing before the US Supreme Court in the case that produced the court’s seminal ruling on aircraft noise regulation; successfully handling numerous “bet the company”-scale labor, employment, and union-related cases in federal district and appellate courts across the United States; and negotiating and structuring the first-ever attempted privatization of a US airport.
O’Melveny has participated in the development, financing, and sale of many significant port projects. We have advised on infrastructure development and expansion, rail line acquisitions and consolidations, operating agreements, tax matters, issues of public law, tidelands, regulatory approvals, environmental matters, land use, and project development and finance. Recent work includes representing the Port of Oakland in the first-ever long-term concession of a US port terminal facility.
O’Melveny counsels rail line operators, users, and affected communities on all aspects of transactions related to rail line consolidation, expansion, and development. When representing a group of local transportation agencies in the acquisition of existing railroad rights-of-way for Southern California’s commuter rail system, we negotiated complex shared-use, construction, and development agreements, provided advice regarding issuance of tax-exempt bonds, and worked closely with, and testified before, government agencies to address public issues.
O’Melveny has substantial experience adapting project financing structures to the distinctive requirements of toll road, bridge, and related projects for developers, investors, and lenders. We have thorough knowledge of the underlying economic aspects driving these projects, including the contractual arrangements and permitting issues that can pose challenges.
O’Melveny litigators have handled some of the world’s largest maritime disputes, including the high-profile representation of Exxon in matters relating to the Valdez oil spill as well as shipbuilding disputes and arbitrations arising out of ship sale and purchase agreements and charter contracts. On the transactions side, we have structured a number of complex capital-raising and financing transactions involving shipping interests.
American Airlines, Inc.
O’Melveny secured a victory for American Airlines in the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in one of the first appellate decisions addressing the McCaskill-Bond amendment to the Federal Aviation Act, which was enacted in 2007 to ensure that the integration of airline seniority lists after a merger occurs in a “fair and equitable manner.” Read
American Honda Finance Corporation
O’Melveny represented American Honda Finance Corporation (AHFC) in three public offerings of debt in 2015, raising aggregate gross proceeds in excess of US$3 billion and €1.2 billion of notes. Read
Case Study: American Airlines
O’Melveny achieved an important victory for American Airlines when the Third Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the dismissal of claims brought by a putative class of nearly 10,000 legacy American pilots. Read
eHi Car Services
O’Melveny has represented Shanghai-based car rental company eHi Car Service for nearly a decade, advising the company on multiple growth financings, its US$120 million initial public offering on the NYSE, and, in 2018, on its management-led take-private for US$937.5 million. Read
Ford Motor Company
Our team has served as national class action counsel for Ford Motor Company for many years. In that capacity, we have successfully defended Ford against dozens of putative class actions. Read
GIC
O’Melveny represented GIC, Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund, in its investment in the US$1.26 billion equity financing of NYSE-listed XPO Logistics, one of the largest providers of freight brokerage, freight forwarding, and expedited freight transportation. Read
Kia Motors America
O’Melveny secured dismissal of a proposed class action alleging that certain Kia vehicles were defective because the placement of the fuel tank under the rear passenger seat purportedly increases the likelihood of a catastrophic fire in a collision. Read
LaGuardia Gateway Partners
O’Melveny represented the LaGuardia Gateway Partners consortium in its winning bid to assume operational control of New York LaGuardia Airport’s central terminal building and to build, finance, operate, and maintain a replacement terminal. Read
Litigation Stemming from Fires
We have significant experience representing clients in litigation and investigations stemming from fires, an aerospace company in litigation arising out of a fatal fire aboard an aircraft; an oil refining company in criminal enforcement and civil litigation arising out of a series of fires at its refinery; a utility company in an appeal of a case brought after downed electric power lines were believed to have started a fire that consumed homes; and a home remodeling retailer in an government investigation of alleged violations of fire code, hazardous waste, and hazardous materials laws. Read
Lookout
O’Melveny represented client Lookout, a mobile security company, in its US$150 million Series F financing. Read
Ontario Airport Authority
O’Melveny represented the airport authority in an historic transaction enabling the airport’s transfer from the City of Los Angeles to the authority. Read
Sailing Capital Management Co., Ltd.
O'Melveny advised China-based Sailing Capital Management on its investment in MobilEye, an Israeli company focused on advanced image sensing and processing technology for automotive applications. Read
US Airways, Inc.
Since advising US Airways regarding labor and antitrust issues in its historic merger with American Airlines, O'Melveny has continued to advise the newly combined company on some of its most important matters, including a putative nationwide class action. Read
US Airways, Inc.
Since advising US Airways regarding labor and antitrust issues in its historic merger with American Airlines, O'Melveny has continued to advise the newly combined company on some of its most important matters, including a putative nationwide class action. Read
US Airways/American Airlines
O’Melveny represented US Airways in connection with its merger with American Airlines, both in structuring a complex set of labor agreements to secure union support for the deal, and as lead trial counsel in the Department of Justice’s attempt to enjoin the merger on antitrust grounds. Read
Vantage Airport Group
O’Melveny represents Vantage Airport group in connection with its redevelopment projects at New York’s LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy International Airports, and our Environmental team has played a key role in evaluating and managing environmental risks on those projects. Read
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