James Brownstein advises private equity sponsors on a range of complex business transactions, including acquisitions, divestitures, recapitalizations, and minority investments. James also advises private equity-backed companies on add-on acquisitions as well as routine corporate, governance, executive compensation, and incentive equity matters.
Prior to joining O’Melveny, James was a partner in the private equity practice of another international law firm in San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Earlier in his career, James spent seven years as a corporate lawyer in Australia, where his practice focused on public and private mergers and acquisitions, capital markets transactions, and corporate governance matters. He is therefore uniquely positioned to provide strategic advice on cross-border transactions involving the US and Australia.
- Kingswood Capital Management in numerous transactions, including its acquisitions of Lind Marine, Save Mart Supermarkets, Support Services Group, Obsession Holdings and G FUEL
- Peak Rock Capital in numerous transactions, including its acquisitions of Paragon Healthcare (and subsequent sale to Elevance Health), Shipley Do-Nuts, Amtech, SAM Companies (and multiple subsequent add-ons), Xenon Arc, Ziyad Brothers Importing (and multiple subsequent add-ons) and Spatial Business Systems, and its sale of portfolio company Pretzels, Inc. to The Hershey Company
- Gryphon Investors in numerous transactions, including its acquisition of Big Chief (and a subsequent add-on), the acquisition by portfolio company Kano Laboratories of Super-Lube, the acquisitions by portfolio company Vivify Specialty Ingredients of Reitech and Access Ingredients, and its sale of portfolio company RoC Skincare to Bridgepoint
- PPC Investment Partners (Pritzker Private Capital) in numerous transactions, including its acquisitions of Highline Aftermarket and Vertellus, its sale of PECO Pallet and multiple add-on acquisitions for portfolio companies PathGroup, PLZ Aeroscience and Vertellus
- Francisco Partners in its acquisition of VitalSource, its recapitalization of Dynamo Software alongside Blackstone Growth and multiple add-on acquisitions for portfolio companies Dynamo Software and Renaissance Learning
- RLDatix, a portfolio company of Five Arrows, TA Associates and Nordic Capital, in multiple add-on acquisitions
- Olympus Partners in its acquisitions of Heniff Transportation and ONsite Mammography
- Turn/River and its portfolio company Tufin in their acquisition of AKIPS
- Alpine Investors in its acquisition of FEV Tutor
- Vista Equity Partners and its portfolio company Four Winds Interactive in their acquisition of Poppulo
- Intermediate Capital Group in its strategic investment in Gil-Bar
- GI Partners in its acquisition of Valet Living
The experience listed above includes a number of transactions handled prior to joining O’Melveny.
Admissions
Bar Admissions
- California
- New York
Court Admissions
- High Court of Australia
- Supreme Court of Victoria, Australia
Education
- New York University School of Law, LL.M., Corporate Law, 2015: Graduate Editor, NYU Law Journal of Law and Business
- University of Melbourne, B. Com., Accounting, 2012
- University of Melbourne, LL.B., 2012: with honors
Honors & Awards
- Recognized by Best Lawyers® “Ones to Watch” list for Mergers and Acquisitions Law (2024)