Solomon Wifa

Partner

Solomon Wifa is head of O’Melveny's London office and a member of the Investment Funds 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 is ranked as a leading adviser by Chambers UK, which notes “Solomon Wifa is ‘rigorous, intelligent and recognised for his technical knowledge.’”  In January 2013, he was named to The Lawyer’s 2013 “Hot 100” list, with The Lawyer writing, “This year, Wifa secured a spot in the Hot 100 list for his deal-making prowess in the investment funds field.” In October 2012, Solomon received an Honorary Doctor of Laws (HonLLD) from the University of Greenwich, his alma mater, where he is now a member of the Advisory Board for the School of Humanities & Social Sciences.

Illustrative Professional Experience

• Represented Coller Capital on the approximately £1.03 billion (US$1.6 billion) acquisition by a fund financed by Coller International Partners VI (CIP VI) of a portfolio of private equity-related investments, as well as the transfer of £220 million (US$345 million) of undrawn commitments, from Lloyds Banking Group plc. This transaction is believed to be the largest unsyndicated secondaries deal ever completed;
• Represented Greensphere Capital LLP in its selection as a fund manager by the UK Government;
• Represented Actis on fundraising in excess of US$3 billion including funds focused on investments in India, China, Africa and Latin America;
• Represented Development Partners International on the closing of a US$400 million pan-African private equity fund;
• Represented Ethemba Capital on the establishment of a pledge funds of approximately US$500 million investing in the emerging markets including North-Africa;
• 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;
• Represented Portland Capital LLP and Sir Ronald Cohen (founder of Apax Partners) on the establishment of a real estate hedge fund management business; and
• 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

Co-Chair, African Venture Capital Association’s (AVCA) Legal & Regulatory Committee
Member, Emerging Markets Private Equity Association (EMPEA) Legal and Regulatory Council; Advisory Board for the School of Humanities & Social Sciences, University of Greenwich 
Accolades, part of team named “Private Equity Team of the Year” by Legal Business Awards (2013); ranked by Chambers UK (2009-2013) in the category "Investment Funds: Private Equity: UK-wide"; recommended in Private Equity Fund Formation by PLC's Which Lawyer? (2010-2012); named to The Lawyer’s 2013 “Hot 100” list (January 2013); named to Powerful Media’s “Power List 2012: Britain’s Most Influential Black People” (November 2011)