O’Melveny Worldwide

Ryan Gorsche represents clients in a diverse array of complex mergers and acquisitions, as well as other strategic and financial transactions. He frequently represents clients across the entire transaction timeline, including the planning, execution, and integration of their transactions. Additionally, he has extensive experience advising both private and public companies and private equity funds on their most important, valuable, and complicated domestic and cross-border joint ventures, divestitures and carve-outs, and restructurings.

Drawing from nearly two decades of challenging and diverse private firm experience, Ryan caters his business-oriented approach to fit clients’ needs, ensuring that their goals are met in an efficient, cost-effective manner.

Mergers & Acquisitions

  • Represented United Surgical Partners International, Inc., a subsidiary of Tenet Healthcare Corporation, in numerous acquisitions and dispositions of ambulatory surgical centers and associated joint ventures
  • Represented Ingevity Corporation in numerous transactions, including, its US$325 million acquisition of Ozark Materials, LLC, a leading pavement marking materials business, and the sale of its North Charleston crude tall oil refinery and the majority of its Performance Chemicals Industrial Specialties product line to Mainstream Pine Products, LLC
  • Represented Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions as the majority shareholder of GfK SE in its combination with NielsenIQ
  • Represented The E.W. Scripps Company in its acquisition of national broadcast network ION Media for US$2.65 billion and the related $600 million preferred investment in Scripps by an affiliate of Berkshire Hathaway
  • Represented ORIX Corporation USA (a subsidiary of ORIX Corporation) in its acquisition of Lancaster Pollard Holdings
  • Represented Newfield Exploration Co. in its approximately US$5.5 billion acquisition by Encana Corp
  • Represented Primoris Services Corporation in its acquisition of Willbros Group, Inc.
  • Represented SoftBank Group Corp. in its US$3.3 billion acquisition of Fortress Investment Group LLC
  • Represented Innospec Inc. in its US$225 million acquisition of Huntsman Corporation’s European surfactants business
  • Represented Outfront Media Inc. in its acquisition of Reynolds Outdoor Media, Inc.
  • Represented WPX Energy, Inc. in its US$2.75 billion acquisition of RKI Exploration & Production, LLC
  • Represented Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation in its US$44 billion acquisition by Berkshire Hathaway Inc
  • Represented LIN Media LLC in its US$1.6 billion acquisition by Media General Inc.
  • Represented CEC Entertainment, Inc. (Chuck E. Cheese) in its US$1.3 billion acquisition by Apollo Global Management
  • Represented McMoRan Exploration Co. in its US$2.2 billion acquisition by Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc.
  • Represented private equity sponsor in its acquisition of approximately US$1 billion insurance claims-adjuster
  • Represented General Motors in its US$4.2 billion acquisition of Ally Financial’s European and Latin American auto finance operations and its share in a Chinese joint venture
  • Represented Johnson & Johnson in its US$1.1 billion acquisition of Mentor Corporation
  • Represented Johnson & Johnson in its US$170 million acquisition of HealthMedia, Inc
  • Represented IBM in its acquisition of National Interest Security Company LLC
  • Represented numerous banks (including, J.P. Morgan, Goldman Sachs and Credit Suisse) in arrangement of numerous acquisition financings and syndicated loans
  • Represented Rowan Companies plc in its US$12 billion combination with Ensco plc
  • Represented Perella Weinberg Partners in its business combination with Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co.

Private Equity & Investments

  • Represented CleanArc Data Centers, a developer and operator of renewables-focused hyperscale data center campuses, in a strategic investment by Snowhawk LP, a private equity firm investing in digital transition
  • Advised Ascent Resources in its equity investment by Riverstone and the simultaneous acquisition of Utica Shale assets from Salt Fork Resources, a Riverstone-backed company
  • Represented Fir Tree Partners and Crestline Investors in their US$110.5 million acquisition of the assets of Emerald Oil, Inc.
  • Represented funds managed by Apollo Global Management, LLC in connection with a US$200 million equity commitment to Freestone Midstream Holdings, LLC to invest in water assets serving the oil and gas industry with an initial focus on the Powder River Basin in Wyoming
  • Represented Guggenheim Partners, LLC in its minority investment (for an undisclosed price) in Safe Harbor Marinas, a portfolio company of American Infrastructure Funds
  • Represented Providence Equity Partners in provision of equity to Blackboard Inc. in connection with Blackboard’s US$260 million tender offer for Higher One Holdings, Inc.
  • Represented Magnetar Capital and GSO Capital Partners in connection with a co-investment in US$450 million of preferred securities
  • Represented Lindsay Goldberg in connection with its investment in Bedrock Industries, a privately funded holding company focused on investments in the minerals and mining sectors

Sales and Other Transactions

  • Represented a consortium led by Mubadala Investment Company in the sale of its approximately 60% equity interest in EMI Music Publishing to Sony Corporation of America, in a transaction valued at approximately US$4.75 billion
  • Represented Approach Resources in its US$130 million initial exchange of senior notes held by the majority noteholder for new common shares of Approach, and a follow-on exchange offer for the remaining notes for new common shares of Approach
  • Represented Apco Oil & Gas International, Inc. (a subsidiary of WPX Energy, Inc.) in its US$430 million sale to Pluspetrol Resources Corp.
  • Represented private equity sponsor in its approximately US$900 million sale of manufacturing company
  • Represented Apache Corporation in its US$3.1 billion sale of a one-third minority interest in its Egypt oil and gas business to Sinopec International Petroleum Exploration and Production Corporation
  • Represented Brazos Private Equity Partners, LLC in its sale of Ennis-Flint
  • Represented Capital Z Partners in its sale of its portfolio company, PGC Holdings Corp. (Permanent General Companies) to American Family Insurance
  • Represented Barnes & Noble in its adoption of a “poison pill” and successful takeover defense against Ron Burkle and The Yucaipa Companies
  • Represented Magnesita Refratarios S.A. in its joint venture with Krosaki Harima Corporation

Other Corporate Representations

  • Represented Seekr Technologies, Inc. in numerous transactions, including several equity fundraises, joint ventures, branding arrangements, the acquisition of NTENT Inc. and on-going corporate governance and board-level guidance
  • Represented Baker Hughes Company in numerous minority and preferred investments in the oilfield services, energy and renewables sectors
  • Represented members of an ad hoc group of secured lenders with respect to certain corporate governance and related matters in connection with the Chapter 11 restructuring of Magnum Hunter Resources Corporation
  • Represented members of an ad hoc group of secured lenders with respect to certain corporate governance and related matters in connection with the Chapter 11 restructuring of Seventy Seven Energy Inc.
  • Advised investment banks in connection with their M&A advisory services and rendering of fairness opinions
  • Represented Chief Executive Officer in connection with his retirement and departure from a public company

Admissions

Bar Admissions

  • New York
  • Texas

Education

  • The University of Texas School of Law, J.D., 2007: Order of the Coif; Articles Editor, Texas Law Review
  • Dartmouth College, B.A., 2004

Honors & Awards

  • Recognized as a “Rising Star” by Texas Super Lawyers for Mergers & Acquisitions (2014-2022)

Professional Activities

Memberships

  • American Bar Association, Public Company Deal Points Study: Working Group Member (2017)

Clerkships

  • Honorable Priscilla R. Owen, US Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit

Corporate & Government Experience

  • Q Investments, Senior Legal Counsel