TEAM
BILLY ABBOTT
Counsel | Silicon Valley
My goal is to help you navigate the tax consequences of any transaction to obtain the best possible results for you and your company. My diverse experience helping emerging companies navigate complex tax issues includes advising in mergers and acquisitions; the formation, acquisition, and unwinding of partnerships and limited liability companies; securities issuances and exchanges; and large and small credit facilities. READ MORE
DAVID ALMELING
Partner | San Francisco
Every company has inventions and trade secrets worth protecting. The key is understanding what they are and how to protect them. I can help. I litigate patent and trade secret cases. I focus on these two areas of law because acquiring, protecting, and enforcing a company’s IP rights—and defending against others’ assertions of their IP rights—demands an understanding of both patent and trade secret law. I’m also nationally recognized in these areas of law. For example, the third edition of my book on trade secret law will be published in 2018. READ MORE
ERIC AMDURSKY
Partner | Silicon Valley
Startups must understand and adapt to the latest developments in labor and employment law. As your business and workforce grow so do your responsibilities—and potential liabilities. My broad-based labor and employment practice will help you with issues ranging from drafting non-competition agreements to advising on compliance with wage and hour laws to defending against discrimination suits, and much more. READ MORE
NIMA AMINI
Partner | Hong Kong
I have practiced in Asia for more than a decade, specializing in cross-border M&A, VC, PE, and JV transactions. My clients include prominent Asia-based PE and VC fund managers as well as companies in all stages of their development-cycle, from startups seeking incorporation and seed financing to Fortune 100 multinationals on major acquisitions and divestments. Named “Young Lawyer of the Year” at The Macallan ALB Hong Kong Law Awards, I also counsel Asia-based investment teams on forming funds and have represented investors in their sponsorships of, anchor investments in, and/or co-investments with various international and Pan Asia private equity and hedge funds. READ MORE
JARED F. BARTIE
Partner | New York
As co-chair of O’Melveny’s Sports Industry Group, I help some of the biggest names in sports achieve critical legal and business objectives. A key part of my practice is focused on the burgeoning esports industry, advising on league structuring, team investments, league entry negotiations, corporate sponsorships, player contracts, arena development matters, and more. I am able to leverage my experience within “stick and ball” sports to bring value to my esports clients. As the esports and gaming sectors continue to expand, I am uniquely positioned to help clients assess and capitalize on various sector-related opportunities. Let’s make it happen.
READ MOREBRIAN BERLINER
Of Counsel | Los Angeles
Protecting your most valuable asset—your ideas—should be a priority for any startup. I work closely with clients on strategies for protecting valuable IP rights. My bachelor's degree in electrical engineering and years spent working with engineers and scientists before I began my legal career give me a real world understanding of the tech world: how scientific/engineering research takes place, the demanding time pressures placed on engineers to develop projects on schedule, the way they analyze problems and find solutions, and the way in which engineers talk to each other about their work. All of which helps me advise you on the best IP strategy. READ MORE
KURT BERNEY
Partner | San Francisco
I represent emerging companies and the venture capital/private equity funds and investment banks that invest in and provide investment banking services to those companies. My practice includes cross-border mergers and acquisitions, public offerings, and private debt and equity financings. I have extensive experience advising clients in Asia (having lived in Shanghai for eight years) with my practice divided between US- and Asia-based clients. I’m in early and stay late—not only providing exceptional technical legal advice but also serving as a sounding board, creative problem solver, and thought partner for my clients. READ MORE
T. HALE BOGGS
Partner | Century City
I serve as a trusted advisor to entrepreneurs and investors in emerging and growth stage companies, and have longstanding relationships with many venture capital funds in both Southern and Northern California. I work with clients at all phases of the business cycle, from start-up through late-stage, and advise funds as they raise and deploy capital across the entertainment, media and technology industries. I am particularly interested in companies and funds at the intersection of technology and content, and I’m excited by the rapid growth of the Southern California ecosystem. I also serve on the advisory board for Startup UCLA, to help accelerate and launch tech startups. READ MORE
C. BROPHY CHRISTENSEN
Partner | San Francisco
When working with my clients, I take the big picture into account. Whether they are looking to do an initial public offering, raise debt, or considering a strategic transaction, I am thinking about how to help them get the best financing, partner with the right investors, targets or acquirers, and achieve their objectives without hiccups. Over the course of my 20-year career, I’ve advised companies in a range of sectors, with a particular focus on technology, life sciences, real estate, and financial services. As co-chair of O’Melveny’s Transactions Department, I can put you in touch with the right team to handle your most important projects. READ MORE
TOD COHEN
Partner | Silicon Valley
To understand the tech industry, nothing beats real world experience. Mine is based on serving more than two decades as senior in-house counsel at several of the sector’s best-known companies. As Deputy General Counsel and Vice President of Twitter, and prior to that, Deputy General Counsel of eBay and General Counsel of StubHub, I directed and implemented global policies, programs, and strategies covering data privacy, payments, antitrust law, and content moderation, as well as emerging internet law and policy. Based on my deep expertise, tech clients turn to me for counseling on everything from risk management to regulatory compliance to government relations.
READ MOREBRIAN COVOTTA
Partner | Silicon Valley
I advise growing technology and biotechnology companies on the kind of corporate and securities transactions that are so critical to emerging companies, including initial formation, venture capital financings, mergers and acquisitions, and public and private securities offerings. I also provide counsel on legal issues ranging from day-to-day corporate and regulatory matters to corporate governance and other mission-critical initiatives. My clients span a range of industries, from mobile to security, and software to medical devices. READ MORE
JOHN DERMODY
Counsel | Washington, DC
Data security and privacy can make or break a company, whether it is an early startup or a Fortune 500 multinational. From software developers to Cabinet officials, I have assisted clients by developing practical solutions for data security and privacy needs. I advise emerging companies on cyber, data security, privacy, and governance issues, conduct confidential internal assessments, and defend against regulatory enforcement and lawsuits. In my decade of government experience, I have served as a Deputy Legal Advisor at the National Security Council, an Attorney-Advisor in the Intelligence Law Division of DHS, and an Associate Deputy General Counsel with DOD.
READ MOREANDREW DOLAK
Partner | Newport Beach
After 15 years in the computer industry, I became a lawyer so I could help tech companies structure and negotiate the best deals to achieve their objectives. Leveraging my technical and business background, I advise clients on the acquisition and sale of tech companies and their IP assets, commercial transaction agreements, licensing, and IT and business service agreements. I have taught a class on IP law and have written a treatise on “Pricing the Outsourcing Deal.” READ MORE
MELODY DRUMMOND HANSEN
Partner | Silicon Valley
Intellectual property law should promote innovation—not stifle it. With over a decade of experience in technologies from cameras and streaming video to voice recognition and autonomous vehicles, I thrive at the frontiers of technology and law. I guide established market leaders and emerging companies alike through patent, copyright, trademark, data security, trade secret, and unfair competition disputes, and help them overcome regulatory hurdles. Have a disruptive technology or new business model that requires developing a creative IP strategy or forging new precedent? Let’s get started. READ MORE
DAVID R. EBERHART
Partner | San Francisco
A startup caught in the whirlwind of launching a new product or marketing plan may lose sight of the importance of protecting its IP portfolio. I represent some of the most innovative media and tech companies in complex trademark, trade secret and copyright disputes. With more than 25-years' experience, I have handled all phases of litigation through trial and appeal. READ MORE
RANDALL W. EDWARDS
Partner | San Francisco
Strong data security and privacy safeguards makes you more competitive and establishes you as customer-focused. I advise tech companies on data security and privacy matters. Certified by the International Association of Privacy Professionals as a CIPP/US, I serve as U.S. privacy advisor and breach counsel for public and privately held companies with a particular focus on online practices and laws. READ MORE
SCOTT D. ELLIOTT
Partner | San Francisco
As co-head of the firm’s life sciences practice, I know the industry inside and out, focusing my practice on corporate and transactional matters such as venture financings, mergers and acquisitions, and general corporate and securities law issues. I advise biotech, medical device, digital health and other tech clients in everything from incorporation to venture funding, and growth counseling to sale or IPO, as well as the venture and private equity firms and investment banks that serve these industries. READ MORE
ROBERT FISHER
Partner | Silicon Valley
As a tax attorney for nearly 20 years, I counsel clients on various tax planning structures to reduce their tax burdens and assist in devising investment strategies. My experience includes advising, structuring, and implementing corporate and partnership acquisitions and dispositions, including taxable and tax-free mergers and stock and asset transactions. I also assist with the formation and financing of corporations, partnerships and limited liability companies, corporate restructurings and reorganizations, and leasing transactions. READ MORE
WARREN FOX
Senior Counsel | San Francisco
Having a solid plan in place for executive compensation and employee benefits will help address a startup’s needs and keep employees loyal and motivated. I have more than a dozen years’ experience advising a diversified range of clients on compensation and benefits issues, including the design and implementation of equity-based and other incentive arrangements, employment and severance arrangements, the securities laws and disclosure requirements applicable to these arrangements, and the taxation of these arrangements. READ MORE
KE GENG
Partner | Beijing
After earning my JD and PhD in Biochemistry in the US, I returned to Beijing, where I advise Chinese companies on outbound investments, private equity and venture capital financing, IPOs, and M&A. My science background complements my practice. Knowing how to “talk the talk” with scientists and engineers gives me a better understanding of a startup's potential. My clients span numerous industries including health care, life sciences, technology, media, and telecommunications. READ MORE
MELISSA BAAL GUIDORIZZI
Counsel | Washington, DC
Fintechs operate at the nexus of state and federal regulation—a complex web of laws I navigate comfortably after nearly two decades as a business lawyer and regulator. Prior to joining O’Melveny, I helped set the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s supervision and enforcement priorities and policies related to credit cards, deposit and prepaid accounts, traditional and emerging payment systems, remittances, and cryptocurrency. Before the CFPB, I managed litigation and regulatory compliance for a global financial institution’s US consumer financial products. Clients turn to me for advice on compliance, governmental investigations, enforcement actions, and litigation. READ MORE
TIM HAGEN
Counsel | Silicon Valley
As an experienced corporate transactional lawyer, I regularly assist companies and investors across industries with venture capital financings, private equity investments, mergers and acquisitions, cross-border transactions, and general corporate matters. READ MORE
JAY HERRON
Of Counsel | Newport Beach
Drawing on more than 30 years’ experience, I assist clients in preparing to go public, raising capital through private and public offerings, and acquiring and selling businesses. As head of the firm’s global M&A and PE practice, I am well positioned to ensure that clients receive the resources and attention they need to achieve their goals. READ MORE
AMIT ITAI
Associate | Silicon Valley
I consider myself an entrepreneur with a law degree. As a member of both the Israel and California Bar, I bring an in-depth understanding of both startup communities to my practice, which focuses on artificial intelligence, life sciences, as well as other industries and technologies, such as cybersecurity, autonomous vehicles, and software. I advise clients on technology licensing, venture capital and private equity financing, mergers and acquisitions, and cross-border transactions, as well as privacy compliance, data breach laws, and the regulation of artificial intelligence.
READ MOREJOHN KAPPOS
Partner | Newport Beach
Intellectual property rights are among the most important assets in early stage companies and in technology transactions. As a patent attorney, I advise clients on valuation of patents in corporate transactions, legal exposure based on third–party patent rights, and effective strategies to obtain, protect, and enforce patent rights in the fields of biomedical devices, pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology. I approach transaction issues from the standpoint of a background in litigating patent disputes. In fact, a substantial part of my practice is devoted to patent litigation, which provides an ideal perspective for risk assessment and freedom–to–operate studies. READ MORE
ADIT KHORANA
Partner | Silicon Valley
I help tech companies stay ahead of the curve in today’s rapidly evolving marketplace. Drawing on my background as a computer & electrical engineer, my experiences as an angel investor and a poker player in my spare time, and decades of Silicon Valley legal experience, I help startups negotiate transformational deals across disparate tech sectors, including mobile/wireless, semiconductor, AI/machine learning, robotics, virtual/augmented reality, cloud computing, big data, internet, computer hardware/software, gaming, and consumer electronics, as well as regularly advising on business and revenue models and strategies, and on the most cutting-edge tech and IP issues. READ MORE
DAVID L. KIRMAN
Partner | Century City
I spent seven years as a federal prosecutor at the US Attorney’s Office in the Central District of California. Serving in the Major Frauds Section, I specialized in prosecuting healthcare, FDA, and crimes involving financial institutions. At O’Melveny, I leverage this experience in counseling life sciences and blockchain companies on regulatory matters, government investigations, and litigation. I also focus on representing corporate boards in sensitive investigations. I regularly speak on enforcement issues related to life sciences and fintech and teach a course on white-collar crime at Loyola Law School. Before becoming a lawyer, I served as a US Army Captain.
READ MOREADAM P. KOHSWEENEY
Partner | San Francisco
I counsel employers on a variety of federal, state, and local regulations impacting compensation and other employment policies and practices. I also represent employers in class action litigation (including under the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and similar state and local laws), before federal and state agencies, and in arbitrations of employment-related disputes. READ MORE
NOAH KORNBLITH
Partner | San Francisco
I work with startup and later-stage companies on US and cross-border M&A, venture capital financing, corporate governance, and strategic transactions. I give practical, solution-oriented advice to my clients in various sectors including technology, health care, and life sciences. READ MORE
PORTIA KU
Partner | New York
Working at the intersection of the technology and life sciences, health care, and financial services sectors, I advise public and private companies in capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, venture capital, and private equity financings. With a myriad of deals to my credit, I bring the technical experience, strategic thinking, and dedication needed to guide clients through highly complex transactions to achieve their goals. READ MORE
GEOFF KUZIEMKO
Partner | San Francisco
I advise life science companies that drive innovation and breakthrough advances in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, medical devices and diagnostics. For nearly 20 years, I provided strategic counseling to life sciences companies at all stages of development, leveraging my PhD in biophysical chemistry to understand the complex science that drives my clients’ business and legal objectives. My in-house experience at a major biotech company allows me to anticipate issues and partner with my clients to ensure long-term success. READ MORE
WARREN T. LAZAROW
Partner | Silicon Valley
I advise emerging growth tech companies and angel, VC, and PE investors on everything from corporate matters to high-stakes board, commercial, and strategic issues. I have been chosen four times to be on Forbes Midas Touch List of Top Tech Dealmakers. After 30 years of practice, there is practically no issue I haven’t come across before. And in my position as co-chair of O’Melveny’s Transactions Department, I can access the firm’s significant resources for your benefit. Looking for early round investors? A steady and calm influence in the Boardroom? Or an exit through a sale or IPO? Done, done, and done. READ MORE
JEEHO LEE
Partner | New York
I have a broad capital markets practice, drawing on more than a dozen years of experience representing both issuers and underwriters in deals ranging from IPOs and secondary offerings to private placements and debt offerings, including investment grade issuances and high-yield offerings, and debt restructuring transactions such as exchange offers. My client roster crosses various industry sectors, including technology, transportation, financial services, and life sciences. Being a part of the O’Melveny team has allowed me the benefit of leveraging my business background to advise on important pro bono work and to serve as a leader in Barnard College’s alumnae community.
READ MOREDAVID MAKARECHIAN
Partner | Silicon Valley
I have 20+ years of experience supporting the growth of tech companies, with clients that include start-ups, VC and PE investors, investment banks, and private and public companies. I try to bring a “results oriented” approach to my transactions. More than just a lawyer, I am also a businessman, having previously worked as Vice President of Alliances and General Counsel of 24/7 Customer, Inc., a tech-enabled services company with approximately 9,000 employees in the US, Asia and Latin America. As such, I bring a unique understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing technology businesses operating across global markets. READ MORE
MARTIN MAYO
Counsel | Silicon Valley
I am a seasoned venture attorney representing both emerging companies and venture capital investors as they pursue the next big thing. I advise on seed to growth-stage financings, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and strategic partnerships, and general corporate matters. I also work with venture capital funds, assisting with their investments, fund formation and compliance matters, and affiliate fund partnerships. Having served in-house as general counsel at an early-stage venture capital firm, I know firsthand the daily challenges facing entrepreneurs and provide clients with steady guidance through the inevitable peaks and valleys of startups. READ MORE
PATRICK NACK-LEHMAN
Associate | Silicon Valley
Intellectual property and technology are at the center of my litigation practice. My work encompasses everything from counseling on open source licensing and advising on marketing issues to handling patent litigation and business disputes. With my scientific background—B.S. and M.S. in chemistry—I am able to easily communicate with engineers and scientists about their work, which gives me a unique understanding of the underlying technical issues involved and their practical applications. I also serve as a member of my office’s Community Involvement & Social Activities Committee, coordinating volunteer efforts and fundraising drives that support local charities. READ MORE
TOM OSLOVAR
Counsel | Newport Beach
I am a tech transactions attorney who focuses on negotiating the best deal for your company in strategic agreements such as licensing, IP assignments, co-marketing, and development. I also advise clients on IP issues that arise in venture capital and private equity financing, and on open source-related issues in the compliance and M&A contexts. I counsel startups and investors in a variety of sectors including software, internet, interactive advertising, cloud computing, infotainment, video games, fitness analytics, semiconductors, and mobile navigation. READ MORE
MAIAH H. PARKS
Associate | San Francisco
My practice focuses on structuring financing and M&A transactions as well as advising on general corporate and business matters, including corporate governance, entity formation, trademark protection and privacy matters in the fields of emerging tech, life sciences, and non-profits.
READ MORELISA B. PENSABENE
Partner | New York
As co-head of the firm’s life sciences practice, I advise pharma and biotech companies on strategic issues, focusing primarily on intellectual property protection. For more than 25 years, I have helped innovator companies achieve their goals. In the process, I have acquired an in-depth understanding of the issues facing the biopharmaceutical industry from research and product development to FDA approval to licensing and litigation. Clients appreciate my ability to “master very complex science and explain it to a lay audience,” according to IAM’s Patent 1000 guide. READ MORE
SCOTT W. PINK
Special Counsel | Silicon Valley
Having a great idea is one thing. But the key to a successful startup is execution. I help companies navigate issues relating to protecting their core IP, privacy, and government regulations (including brand protection) from inception through the sales, marketing, and distribution of their products/technology. With a practice that spans more than 30 years, I have served as the lead outside advertising and marketing counsel to several well-known companies. My counseling is grounded in the real world having served as Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary for Prima Communications, an international media and publishing company. READ MORE
MARINA G. RICHTER
Counsel | New York
As a founder of a startup myself, I understand the ups and downs of running a new enterprise. I work with startups and their investors on formation and help them find funding and complete their financings and acquisitions. I advise founders on what works and doesn’t work based on my personal experience as well those of companies I have represented as legal counsel for more than a decade. My practice spans PE and VC transactions (from seed to angel to bridge financing) in addition to M&A deals (e.g., asset sales, stock purchases, mergers, takeovers, LBOs, and auctions) ranging in size from a few million dollars to more than US$6 billion. READ MORE
LAUREL LOOMIS RIMON
Partner | Washington, DC
Drawing on two decades of federal government experience as a prosecutor and a regulator, I provide counseling on regulatory matters, anti-money laundering, consumer protection, fintech enforcement actions, internal investigations, and finance-related criminal and civil litigation. Over the course of my career, I held a number of high-level positions in the US Department of Justice, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and most recently the US Department of Homeland Security. A frequent speaker and author on emerging tech in the financial sector, I offer thought leadership on the regulatory regimes and compliance protocols affecting fintech companies, their clients, and investors.
READ MOREDAVID SCHULTZ
Partner | New York
I advise PE investors and other public and private companies in a broad range of industries—technology, biotechnology, telecommunications, fashion/apparel, healthcare, and entertainment—with a practice that focuses on domestic and cross-border mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, restructurings, recapitalizations, minority investments, proxy contests, and other complex corporate transactions. READ MORE
VIQ SHARIFF
Counsel | New York
More than “just a lawyer,” I draw on decades of success in business to help entrepreneurs and investors finance and grow early and later-stage companies. A veteran of New York City’s startup and tech scene, I served as a partner at an international law firm, counseling on venture capital, private equity, and M&A deals during the Internet 1.0 and 2.0 eras before joining investment firm Rizvi Traverse as a Managing Partner and leading the firm’s emerging growth technology strategy. I subsequently served as an advisor, board member, and operator at an AI startup and founded my own investment vehicle backing growth-stage technology companies.
READ MORENOLAN R. SHAW
Counsel | Hong Kong
I advise venture capital firms, emerging companies, and large corporations in transactional matters. Fluent in Mandarin Chinese, my practice focuses on foreign direct investment in China, cross-border US mergers and acquisitions, and venture capital investments that span a variety of industry sectors, including electric car vehicles, life sciences, cloud computing, film and entertainment, retail, and manufacturing.
READ MOREPAUL SIEBEN
Partner | Silicon Valley
Having worked with startups for nearly two decades from incorporation, through seed, venture, growth and exit, I know that startups are best served by business savvy, results-driven advisors with intimate experience with founders, execs and investors. While immersed in the Silicon Valley culture, I’ve led hundreds of venture, seed, angel and PE financings and M&A deals. I’ve also been at the forefront of private company early liquidity transactions for founders, management, employees and early investors, through work on dozens of these deals including some of largest of such deals involving some of the most well-known tech companies. READ MORE
AMY SIEGEL
Partner | Century City
Media is at the heart of what I do. I help companies acquire, finance, exploit, and manage media-related assets. Among my specialties is negotiating licensing arrangements for interactive projects involving virtual and augmented reality. I also advise clients in the entertainment, media, and sports industries on strategic alliances, project financing and distribution, and industry-specific mergers and acquisitions. My experience with motion picture and television studios as well as distribution and production companies informs my strategic counseling of emerging companies. READ MORE
RAYNA SPARKES
Associate | Silicon Valley
Based in Silicon Valley, I work closely with startup and later-stage company founders, executives, and investors on various corporate matters, including formations, mergers, acquisitions, debt and equity financing, and commercial and technology transactions. My client roster spans diverse market sectors, everything from a wide variety of tech—including software, security, and hardware—to retail, industrial, and manufacturing.
READ MOREMAYA SPITZER
Associate | Los Angeles
I advise startups and more established companies on tax structures as well as salary, benefits, and equity issues. My work includes providing support on a variety of transactions including financings, restructurings, acquisitions, and licensing. As a member of the firm’s MediaTech Group, much of my clientele operate at the forefront of the media, entertainment, and technology sectors. READ MORE
BRADDOCK STEVENSON
Counsel | Washington, DC
Based in DC, I advise financial institutions and fintech companies on anti-money laundering and Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) compliance, helping them navigate complex investigation and enforcement matters. While at the US Department of Treasury’s FinCEN, I oversaw BSA compliance and enforcement for all US financial institutions including banks, virtual currency exchanges, broker-dealers, and money transmitters, including as the lead government negotiator to resolve matters of financial institution non-compliance.
READ MORESCOTT SUGINO
Partner | Los Angeles
I specialize in cross-border investments and joint ventures, partnering with my clients to help them craft goals and the plans to achieve them. My clients include global technology companies, technology focused investment funds, and startups. Cultural and communication barriers can present challenges on cross-border deals. Having spent years in both Japan and the US, I draw on my in-depth knowledge of each country’s legal and business practices and customs to help clients achieve their goals. READ MORE
AJ TALT
Associate | Silicon Valley
I advise clients on venture financings, complex M&A deals, and general corporate matters and transactions, including company formation and founder-related matters. My clients include startups and growth companies and venture capital investors across a range of industries, including life sciences, telecommunications, online commerce, cybersecurity, transportation, and more. Beyond my practice, I also devote considerable time serving on firm committees that support community involvement and green initiatives. READ MORE
JENNIFER TAYLOR
Partner | San Francisco
I work with emerging and growth stage companies to obtain venture debt that will provide them with working capital and additional runway without diluting the shares of founders and existing investors. My clients span diverse industries including technology, pharmaceuticals, and alternative energy. I also advise on a wide variety of financing structures in addition to distress and restructuring matters. I often write and speak on these issues, including a recent speech on “Emerging Technologies in Big Law.” READ MORE
LOGAN TIARI
Counsel | Los Angeles
I advise early-stage and established companies on corporate governance, debt and equity financings, M&A deals, and public and private securities offerings. I have experience spanning numerous industries, including aviation, health care, technology, media, and entertainment. In addition to my US-based practice, I have worked in Asia on large cross-border transactions. Prior to joining O’Melveny, I served at the White House in the Executive Office of the President. READ MORE
SILVIA VANNINI
Partner | Century City
As a key member of O’Melveny’s MediaTech group, I represent emerging and established media and entertainment companies as well technology companies on a wide range of corporate transactions, including company formation and structuring, acquisitions, partnerships, joint ventures, strategic alliances, financings, and dispositions. I’ve been featured in Variety’s “Dealmakers Impact Report” and am recognized by Legal 500 as a “next generation lawyer” in the media and entertainment category. Beyond my practice, I devote significant time to child advocacy and pro bono services. In addition to my native Italian, I speak fluent French and am conversant in German and Spanish. READ MORE
JEFF WALBRIDGE
Partner | Newport Beach
Crafting a compensation and benefit plan that attracts and retains top talent without giving away the store is especially challenging when a company first takes shape. I can help develop a plan to fit your needs. I regularly advise clients with respect to the design and implementation of equity-based and non-equity-based annual and long-term incentive arrangements, non-qualified deferred compensation and retirement plans, employment, severance, and change-in-control arrangements, the securities laws and related disclosure requirements applicable to these arrangements, and the taxation of these arrangements. READ MORE
WALKER J. WALLACE
Partner | Shanghai
During my 20 years practice in Shanghai, I have represented clients in a wide range of financings, acquisitions, and sales of assets across Asia. My clients operate across numerous industries, including consumer products, Internet, media, health care, real estate, software, retail, and education. Fluent in Mandarin, I served as Chairman of the Legal Committee for the Shanghai American Chamber of Commerce and have co-authored articles such as “Acquisitions of Companies with Chinese Assets,” “Foreign Private Equity Investment in China: Which Way to the Exit?,” and “Onshore Financial Investing in China.” READ MORE
TONY WANG
Partner | Newport Beach
I focus my practice on corporate and securities law, with an emphasis on private equity, venture capital, mergers and acquisitions, and Asia-related technology, media and entertainment transactions. I began my legal career began in Silicon Valley in the 1990s, gaining extensive experience helping early-stage start-ups navigate securities laws, corporate governance matters, and intellectual property issues. Before moving to Orange County in 2015, I worked in China, cultivating a valuable understanding of cross-border deal dynamics. These days I work with my colleagues in Silicon Valley and Greater China to help clients, big and small, do business in a global market. READ MORE
VISION WINTER
Partner | Century City
With a name like mine, I am not your average lawyer. My prior experience as a power and controls project engineer at Procter & Gamble gives me a deep understanding of the practical applications of science to business. Today I help tech companies protect their IP assets. My technical knowledge of consumer electronics, computers, and mobile devices helps me to safeguard the IP at the core of your business. I recently moved from LA to Silicon Valley to be closer to its one-of-a-kind startup culture and entrepreneurial spirit. READ MORE
MELISSA WRIGHT
Counsel | Silicon Valley
With well-rounded experience in Silicon Valley, where I have worked for more than a dozen years, I advise startups on everything from entity formation, to debt and equity financings and exit transactions. On the investment side, I have handled transactions for VC funds, private equity and institutional investors, including initial and follow-on investments, debt financings, recapitalizations, and divestitures. My time spent as in-house counsel to companies in the semiconductor and medical devices/products industries gives me an in-depth understanding of how in-house teams function and how to best support them in achieving their legal and business objectives. READ MORE
DAN WU
Partner | Century City
My goal is to help cultivate the next generation of technology leaders. I most enjoy working with founders as they launch new companies or new venture capital funds, especially those with a cross-border or global focus. Over a career spanning more than two decades, I’ve advised emerging growth companies and investors in hundreds of financing and M&A transactions across the world. My particular areas of expertise include the consumer internet, SaaS, e-commerce, video gaming, and virtual-reality sectors. Dedicated to creating a truly diverse legal profession, I served as a 2020 Fellow on the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity.
READ MOREWENTING YU
Partner | Silicon Valley
Applying innovative legal approaches to complex transactions, I advise startup, midsize, and large companies across a variety of industries on securities offerings, venture financings, and mergers and acquisitions. I co-authored an article on the keys to success for joint ventures in emerging markets. Fluent in Mandarin Chinese, a significant part of my practice is China focused. READ MORE
ERIC ZABINSKI
Partner | Century City
I draw on nearly 20 years of practice to advise on mergers and acquisitions, venture capital financings, private equity transactions, joint ventures and strategic alliances, as well as providing general corporate advice, across a broad range of industries and geographies. I regularly counsel emerging tech companies on growth strategies and also have extensive experience with cross-border transactions, particularly China-related deals. During my career with O’Melveny, I have worked on dozens of pro bono matters, and for the last several years I have served on the board of directors of a California non-profit that works to ensure access to justice for the underprivileged. READ MORE