R. Scott Widen is a seasoned corporate transactional lawyer who leads O’Melveny’s financial advisory practice and specializes in representing financial advisors in mergers and acquisitions. Scott has broad experience representing public and private companies in mergers, acquisitions, and joint ventures.
Prior to joining O’Melveny, Scott was a member of the fairness and valuation committees of Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, Credit Suisse First Boston, and Bear Stearns, including Vice Chairman of the Fairness Committee of Bear Stearns. In these roles, Scott advised on hundreds of fairness and valuation opinions and related matters.
Scott uses his extensive experience in his private practice today. He advises a variety of investment banks and other financial institutions on financial advisory matters. His clients have included Alvarez & Marsal, Banc of America Securities/Merrill Lynch, Centerview Partners, Duff & Phelps, Evercore Partners, Goldman Sachs, Guggenheim Securities, Houlihan Lokey, JMP Securities, Moelis & Company, Morgan Stanley, Oppenheimer & Co., Piper Jaffray, Qatalyst Partners, Raine Securities, RBC Capital Markets, Sagent Advisors, Tudor Pickering & Holt, and UBS Investment Bank, among others.
Scott uses his technical skills and knowledge of finance to guide his clients through problematic valuation issues with a view toward surviving judicial scrutiny.
In connection with his practice, Scott has lectured at Harvard Law School on investment banking valuation practices and has authored published articles that have been cited by the Delaware Chancery Court and frequently used in course materials at Harvard Law School, NYU Law School and the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business.