O’Melveny Strengthens Asia Private Equity Practice with Addition of Partner in Hong Kong

January 12, 2011

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:

Julie Fei                                                                Kate Ritchie

O’Melveny & Myers LLP                                        O’Melveny & Myers LLP

213.430.7792 (Los Angeles)                                +44-20-7558-4837 (London)

jfei@omm.com                                                      kritchie@omm.com

 

Rosalind Liu                                                          Rico Ngai

O’Melveny & Myers LLP                                        Hill & Knowlton

+852-3512-4051 (Hong Kong)                             +852-2894-6204 (Hong Kong)

rosalindliu@omm.com                                          rico.ngai@hillandknowlton.com.hk

 

 

 

HONG KONG ─ JANUARY 12, 2011 ─  O’Melveny & Myers LLP has announced that private equity partner James Ford will transfer to its Hong Kong office from London on January 12.
 
Ford has a wide range of experience in private equity and venture capital transactions, including traditional fundraisings, secondary transactions, mergers and acquisitions, strategic investments, and capital markets transactions.  In Asia, he joins an extensive private equity and fund formation team already in place, led by partners Lawrence Sussman in Beijing and Dean Collins in Singapore, along with counsel Geoff Chan, Lynn Chan, and Xuan Zhang.  He also will work closely on transactions with M&A and private equity partner Doug Freeman, also resident in Hong Kong.

Ford has been instrumental in fund formation for Egeria Capital Management, Polaris Private Equity, and Actis LLP.  He also brings deep experience in the secondaries M&A market and in private equity manager spin outs, including having directed Coller Capital’s acquisition of a 70% interest in the Bank of Scotland Integrated Finance portfolio, the US$190 million acquisition of 3i’s venture capital portfolio, and the spin out of the ABN AMRO life science team and portfolio.  He also is experienced in capital markets transactions, such as Ingenious Media Active Capital’s AIM listing, and the formation and listing of AP Alternative Assets, a US$1.5 billion fund-of-funds managed by Apollo Management.

 

“Adding James in Hong Kong complements the strong corporate and funds practices we have built up in Asia.   His presence means we truly have Asia-wide coverage for our clients in fund formation and private equity transactions generally, and he will be a valuable resource for our M&A clients as well,” said Howard Chao, partner in charge of the O’Melveny’s Asia Practice. “Also, James’ experience with English law and large-scale fund formation adds to our depth of English law capabilities in Hong Kong and the region.”

“I am very excited by this move" added Ford. “I’m looking forward to working closely with our Asia team, and happy to be able to extend my experience in London to clients in Hong Kong and Asia generally.”

 

About O’Melveny & Myers LLP

With approximately 900 lawyers in 14 offices worldwide, O’Melveny & Myers LLP helps industry leaders across a broad array of sectors manage the complex challenges of succeeding in the global economy. We are a values-driven law firm, guided by the principles of excellence, leadership, and citizenship. Our commitment to these values is reflected in our dedication to improving access to justice through pro bono work and championing initiatives that increase the diversity of the legal profession. For more information, please visit www.omm.com

 

About O’Melveny & Myers LLP Asia Practice
O’Melveny began its practice in Asia nearly 25 years ago, and over this time we have become one of the most respected and full service legal service providers in the region. The firm maintains large offices in the most important political and commercial centers of Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Tokyo. Most of our lawyers are native to the region, understand the local law and business practices, speak the local languages and, most importantly, function as an integrated team that taps the firm’s vast resources in Asia and globally, delivering value and expediency to its clients. The China practice is widely and frequently recognized as one of the strongest on the market. The Japan practice has been recommended by The Legal 500 and Chambers Global for corporate, mergers and acquisitions, and dispute resolution work. Our newest office in Singapore, opened in 2008, has grown rapidly and is a hub for corporate, finance, and private equity work for the entire South and Southeast Asia region.

 

For more information, please visit www.omm.com; http://www.omm.cn/