O’Melveny Launches Effort to Build School for Underprivileged Children in China’s Yunnan Province

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SHANGHAI—July 23, 2019—As part of their ongoing commitment to the communities they serve, O’Melveny employees in China signed a contract to build a primary school for under privileged children in Yunnan province to be named, “The O’Melveny Hope School.” Part of a months-long fundraising effort under the banner of “O’Melveny for Hope,” this development marks a major milestone.

The new school will replace the Shijia Elementary School (石甲小学), which serves 52 students and is located in Midu County. Approximately 44 miles or 70 kilometers southeast of the city of Dali, the mountainous area suffers from underdevelopment. The population of 872 is predominantly the Yi ethnic minority.

The current school building, built in 1995, is a brick-and-wood structure that has been condemned for demolition due to safety concerns. The new school will ensure continued access to education, with plans that call for two classrooms, a teacher’s office, and restrooms. O’Melveny is working with Yunnan Youth Development Foundation, an organization that identifies and facilitates school construction projects in needy areas of the province.

The school’s design and construction is expected to cost close to RMB 500,000 or US$73,000. So far, the firm’s employees in Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong have raised RMB 232,000.

“Citizenship is one of O’Melveny’s core values, reflected in our ongoing effort to give back to the communities in which we live and work,” said Shanghai managing partner Walker Wallace. “This is particularly true in China, where we regularly join with our alumni, clients, and friends to help those most in need. I can think of no more meaningful way to do this than helping the children of Midu County get the education they deserve.”

This year marks O’Melveny’s 25th year in China, where the firm has grown with the development of the Chinese economy, advising on many of the most important and pioneering transactions in China’s history. Today, O’Melveny counsels multinational and China-based clients alike in a broad range of matters, including antitrust, M&A, capital markets, anti-corruption and investigations, and cybersecurity.

About O’Melveny

It’s more than what you do: it’s how you do it. Across sectors and borders, in board rooms and courtrooms, we measure our success by yours. And in our interactions, we commit to making your O’Melveny experience as satisfying as the outcomes we help you achieve. Our greatest accomplishment is ensuring that you never have to choose between premier lawyering and exceptional service. So, tell us. What do you want to achieve? Visit us at omm.com.

Contact: