Michelle Earley handles a wide range of corporate and securities matters for public and private companies with a strong focus on securities offerings, public disclosures, mergers and acquisitions and corporate governance.
Michelle has extensive experience representing issuers and selling stockholders in registered public offerings, Rule 144A transactions as well as equity and debt private placements, and merger and acquisition transactions. She also advises management and boards of directors on general corporate governance matters.
Prior to joining O’Melveny, Michelle was a partner at an international, full-service law firm, where she served in various leadership positions, including Co-Chair of the Capital Markets practice.
Honors & Awards
- Selected as a “Diversity & Inclusion Champion,” Texas Lawyer (2020)
- Named to the “Top 50 Women in Oil & Gas,” National Diversity Council (2020)
- Recognized as one of the “Top 10 Central Texas Super Lawyers,” Austin Black Business Journal (2019)
- Named a Super Lawyers® Texas Rising Star, Securities & Corporate Finance (2005, 2009)
Admissions
Education
- Yale Law School, J.D.: Coker Fellow
- Texas A&M University, B.A.: summa cum laude
Professional Activities
Memberships
- Board of Directors, Murphy Oil Corporation
- Board of Directors, Adams Resources & Energy, Inc.
- Fellow, The American College of Governance Counsel (2021)
- Member, Corporate Laws Committee, American Bar Association’s Business Law Section
- Member, American Law Institute
- Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation
- Member, Austin Black Bar Association
- Member, National Bar Association
- Fellow, Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (2016)
- Frank McBee Jr. Fellow, Austin Area Research Organization (2016)
- Member, Leadership Texas Alumnae Association
- Leadership Austin Class of 2011
- Power Pipeline Class of 2006
Community Involvement
- Board of Visitors, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (2020)
- Executive Committee, Austin Area Research Organization (2018)
- Board of Directors/Executive Committee, Austin Ed Fund
- Board of Directors, Westcave Outdoor Discovery Center
- Member, IMPACT Austin
- Member, Jack and Jill of America Inc., Austin Chapter (2008-Present)
- Member, Junior League of Austin (2007-Present)
- Volunteer, Meals on Wheels Groceries to Go
Speaking Engagements
- Speaker, “Diversity, Equity & Inclusion: Continuing the Path Forward in the Legal Profession,” 2021 Southern Methodist University Corporate Counsel Symposium October 22, 2021)
- Speaker, “Why Board Diversity Matters: From Multiple Perspectives,” 2019 Southern Methodist University Corporate Counsel Symposium (October 18, 2019)
Clerkships
- Law Clerk, Hon. Thomas M. Reavley, US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (1997-1998)