O’Melveny Partner Nexus Sea Honored with 2024 “Partner In Justice Award” for Trial Work in Domestic Violence Pro Bono Case

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEW YORK—May 2, 2024—O’Melveny partner Nexus U. Sea has received the 2024 Partner in Justice Award from Partners (formerly called Partners for Women and Justice), a non-profit that serves low-income victims of domestic violence in northern New Jersey.

Sea, a versatile litigator and trial lawyer based in O’Melveny’s New York office who advises and defends a wide spectrum of Fortune 500 companies, was honored on May 1 for his exemplary efforts representing a domestic violence survivor—work that culminated in a four-day trial and a final restraining order to protect his client.

Sea led an O’Melveny pro bono trial team that included associate Sheya I. Jabouin. He served as co-lead trial counsel alongside O’Melveny alumna Melissa M. Wangenheim, now in-house counsel at eBay, who was also honored with the 2024 Partner in Justice Award alongside Sea. 

Partners for Women and Justice lauded Sea and the trial team for their successful briefing work addressing the admissibility of evidence, hearsay, authentication of evidence, and a court’s authority to adjudicate contempt of an out-of-state order of protection—a briefing exercise that the judge in the matter described as “very rare” in a domestic case.

“Our client shouted ‘I’m free!’ as we walked out of the courthouse and referred to the favorable ruling as the start of ‘a new chapter’ in her life,” said Sea. “It was an honor to work with Partners for Women and Justice to assist a young woman who really needed our help, and to bring to bear the full weight of O’Melveny and my expertise on her behalf.”

Sea added, “I am so proud to be at a firm where every client receives the full breadth of our abilities and resources—be it a Fortune 500 company or members of our community that far too often go unseen and unheard. Using my legal skills to help those most in need is incredibly rewarding to me, and the privilege to do so is a reward in itself. I am therefore humbled and gratified to receive the Partner in Justice Award from Partners for Women and Justice.” 

“We are tremendously proud of Nexus, Sheya, and Melissa,” said Jerri Shick, O’Melveny’s senior pro bono counsel. “Their tireless efforts helped ensure that their client received the legal protection she needed, and their dedication exemplifies O’Melveny’s deep pro bono commitment.”

O’Melveny’s award-winning pro bono program regularly takes on pressing issues, including women’s rights, housing, immigration, foster care, education, veterans affairs, racial justice, criminal justice reform, and voting rights. For additional information, visit our pro bono page.

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Contact:

Brandon Jacobsen
O’Melveny & Myers LLP
+1 213 430 8024
bjacobsen@omm.com

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