O’Melveny Worldwide

Viq Shariff

Partner

New York Office
Areas of Focus
Areas of Focus
Corporate & Transactions
Emerging Companies
Mergers & Acquisitions
Private Equity
Overview Experience Insights News Credentials

Viqar Shariff brings over two decades of diverse experience to the practice of law. In the past, Viq has served as:

  • a partner at an international law firm advising on complex domestic and cross-border transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, debt and equity financings, startup transactions, special situations and general corporate matters;
  • a Managing Partner at private equity fund, Rizvi Traverse, where he acted in a dual legal and business role, including reviewing transaction agreements, serving on company boards and working closely with company management to provide strategic advice to portfolio companies where he led the firm’s growth technology strategy and directing investments in companies such as Twitter, Square, Flipboard, Facebook, and Pinterest, partnering with O’Melveny on most of these investments; and
  • an entrepreneur making growth capital investments in technology companies and serving as chief strategy officer for an artificial intelligence startup.

Drawing on this experience, Viq brings deep insight to clients in the private equity, technology, health care and finance sectors. This unique blend of legal and business acumen allows him to provide sophisticated counsel that addresses both legal complexities and commercial objectives.

Viq is well equipped to guide clients through all stages of the business life cycle—from formation and fundraising to exit. With hands-on experience in emerging technologies and private capital markets, Viq serves as a trusted advisor to growth-stage companies and institutional investors alike. He steers clients through high-value corporate transactions, including domestic and cross-border M&A, public and private securities offerings, and start-up, growth and strategic investments. Viq routinely leads interdisciplinary teams in structuring and negotiating M&A deals. His strategic perspective and transactional fluency make him a go-to resource for clients seeking pragmatic and forward-thinking legal guidance.

More than “just a lawyer,“ Viq offers a rare combination of legal skills, deep industry knowledge, and business savvy—qualities that make him a sought after counselor to the technology, emerging growth, and investment communities.

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Get to Know Viq

Get to Know Viq

M&A Transactions

  • Represented a German optical retailer in multiple acquisitions of US businesses
  • Represented several consulting companies in sales to strategic and financial buyers
  • Represented a product manufacturer in its potential sale to a strategic buyer following consideration of sale to a SPAC
  • Represented a publicly-traded LIDAR company in its sale to a SPAC and later going-private transaction
  • Represented a battery storage company in its sale to a SPAC and associated financing
  • Represented a publicly traded industrial supply company in its multi-billion dollar strategic sale
  • Represented an entertainment company in its acquisition of a French streaming platform
  • Represented a cosmetics manufacturer in its sale transaction
  • Represented a healthcare software company in its sale to a strategic buyer
  • Represented an electric aircraft and air mobility company in a strategic merger and concurrent direct listing
  • Represented a gaming and virtual reality company in its sale to a strategic buyer
  • Represented a telecom company in several strategic acquisitions and eventual sale to a strategic partner
  • Represented a private equity firm in the formation and financing of new movie studio and subsequent sale
  • Represented a Danish telecom company with assets worldwide in its sale to a private equity firm
  • Led private equity teams in mixed business and legal reviews of acquisitions of entertainment, media, private aviation and financial assets
  • Represented activist shareholders in a hostile proxy battle for a publicly traded energy company

Special Situations

  • Represented a healthcare startup in its distressed sale to a strategic buyer
  • Managed restructuring of debt for a distressed private aviation company during an economic downturn
  • Represented a distressed bond fund in its restructuring and acquisition of companies in the oil and gas, healthcare and telecom sectors, as well as follow on acquisitions and corporate matters

Emerging Company/Venture Capital

  • Led legal teams representing startups in their formation, funding rounds and general corporate and commercial matters
  • Led numerous secondary purchases and sales of stock in the following pre-IPO companies:
    • Facebook
    • Lyft
    • Pinterest
    • Square
    • X (formerly Twitter)

Capital Markets and Other Transactions

  • Represented an electric aircraft and air mobility company in its direct listing
  • Represented a wireless telecom company in several public bond offerings

Admissions

Bar Admissions

  • New York

Education

  • Tulane University Law School, J.D.
  • Johns Hopkins University, B.A., English Literature
Related Practices
Corporate & Transactions
Emerging Companies
Mergers & Acquisitions
Private Equity