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Private Equity, Investment Funds Trailblazer Joins O’Melveny’s London Office

LONDON—January 10, 2017—Jonathan Blake, head of the International Funds Practice at King & Wood Mallesons, is joining O’Melveny’s global investment funds group in the firm’s London office. A trailblazer in the industry, Blake advises private and public funds and institutional investors in private equity, infrastructure, debt and mezzanine, and venture capital matters. 

One of the pioneers of the legal market for investment funds in Europe, Blake founded the private equity and private funds practices at KWM and was recognized by Private Equity International as one of the 100 most influential people in private equity. In the late 1980s, Blake negotiated the guidelines for the use of limited partnerships as venture capital investment funds with the UK’s Inland Revenue and Department of Trade and Industry. That work paved the way for the use of limited partnerships in European fund structures and started a new legal industry. He subsequently negotiated the original tax treatment for venture capital trust with the Inland Revenue in 1995. Blake has remained at the forefront of the industry ever since and advises on structures for Europe, Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

“Jonathan helped define the private equity industry, and we’re thrilled a lawyer of his stature and experience is joining the O’Melveny team,” said John Daghlian, head of O’Melveny’s Investment Funds Practice. “I’ve worked with him for a number of years and know that his dedication to client service, his energy, and his extensive market knowledge will be a tremendous asset for the firm, and a great addition to our team.”

In recognition of Blake’s extensive experience, the British Private Equity & Venture Capital Association admitted him to its “Private Equity Hall of Fame,” and Chambers UK ranks him highly for private equity investment funds. He received his LL.M. in economics and law from the University of Cambridge.

O’Melveny’s investment funds group has been growing fast, having made news with the recent promotion of Aleksander Bakic to partner and the recruitment of partners Eve Ellis and Andrew Weiler. The team has been involved in some of the most exciting developments in private equity, from secondary transactions of enormous complexity on every continent to African permanent capital vehicles and publicly traded limited partnerships to the new Swedish AB structures for Valedo, eEquity, and Adelis, to name a few. 

O’Melveny is currently short-listed for several Private Equity International awards, including EMEA Fund Formation Law Firm of the Year. 

About O’Melveny
O’Melveny’s clients shape markets, set precedents, and break boundaries. They are stalwarts and innovators, the names you trust and the next big thing. And for more than a century, O’Melveny has been right beside them, kicking down walls and putting up defenses to help our clients achieve their most important goals. With approximately 700 lawyers in 15 offices worldwide guided by the principles of excellence, leadership, and citizenship, we uphold a tradition of treating our clients’ challenges and opportunities as our own. What do you want to achieve? For the answers, please visit www.omm.com.

Contact:

Julie Fei
O’Melveny & Myers LLP
213.430.7792
jfei@omm.com

Chris Till
O’Melveny & Myers LLP
202.383.5237
ctill@omm.com