O’Melveny Worldwide

Melissa Wright is an experienced corporate transactional lawyer in O’Melveny’s Silicon Valley office. Melissa advises clients on transactional and general corporate matters, including venture capital and private equity financings, public and private offerings, strategic transactions, mergers and acquisitions, cross border transactions, and public company reporting. Her clients are primarily in the technology space, including software, internet, semiconductor, clean technology, and biotechnology.

Melissa’s professional experience includes:

  • Start-up company counseling, including entity formation, debt and equity financings, operational issues and exit transactions;
  • Investment transactions for venture capital funds, private equity investors, and institutional investors, including initial and follow on investments, debt financings, recapitalizations and divestitures;
  • Strategic transactions for public and private company clients, including buy-side and sell-side representations in mergers, acquisitions, and asset purchase transactions; and
  • Corporate governance counseling, including preparation of periodic filings for public company clients and advising on compliance matters.

Illustrative transactions include:

  • Advised clients in logistics and data management in connection with follow-on equity financings by domestic and international investors.
  • Represented private equity fund client in later stage investments in a range of technology companies and venture fund client in early stage investments in clean technology companies.
  • Worked with public semiconductor company on 1934 act reporting and acquisitions of public company and private company targets (domestic and international).
  • Represented private homebuilder in restructuring and sale of majority interest to private equity buyer.
  • Assisted public beverage company with 1934 act reporting, sale of assets and other transactional matters.

Melissa has also spent time as in house counsel to public and private companies in the semiconductor and medical devices/products industries, providing her with a strong understanding of the challenges faced by corporate counsel. This experience allows Melissa to work efficiently with and provide effective advice to corporate counsel involved on transactions.

Admissions

Bar Admissions

  • California
  • Pennsylvania

Education

  • Lehigh University, M.B.A., 2018
  • University of Oregon School of Law, J.D., 2004: Order of the Coif
  • Houghton College, B.A., Business Administration & Psychology, 2000: magna cum laude; graduated with honors

Professional Activities

Leadership

  • Advisor, Project Entrepreneur 2020 NYC, presented by UBS in partnership with The Female Founder Collective

Speaker

  • JLABS Legal Webinar Series for Life Sciences Entrepreneurs, “Raising Capital: A Legal Primer”