O’Melveny & Myers

O’Melveny & Myers
Name	O’Melveny & Myers
Founded	1885
Headquarters	Los Angeles, California
Offices	Multiple
Num attorneys	~700
Practice areas	Corporate, litigation, regulatory, intellectual property, real estate
Key people	Managing Partner

O’Melveny & Myers is an American law firm founded in the late 19th century with a long record in corporate transactions, litigation, and regulatory matters. The firm has advised clients across sectors including entertainment, finance, technology, and energy, and has participated in major matters touching on antitrust, securities, and international arbitration. Its attorneys have included former government officials, judges, and academics who have engaged with institutions such as the Supreme Court of the United States, the United States Department of Justice, and the Securities and Exchange Commission.

History

Founded in 1885 in Los Angeles, the firm emerged during the post‑Reconstruction expansion of commerce alongside entities like the Santa Fe Railway and municipal projects in California. Early partners were involved with litigation related to railroads, land grants, and the development of Los Angeles County infrastructure, and later represented clients during the Great Depression and World War II era industrial mobilization. In subsequent decades the firm expanded nationally, aligning with corporate clients from General Motors and Standard Oil successors to media conglomerates such as Paramount Pictures and The Walt Disney Company. Throughout the late 20th and early 21st centuries the firm handled matters involving the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, cross‑border disputes implicating the North American Free Trade Agreement, and regulatory challenges before agencies like the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Trade Commission.

Practice areas

The firm’s practice areas span transactional and litigation work including mergers and acquisitions for clients such as Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase, securities and capital markets matters involving the New York Stock Exchange, and antitrust counseling tied to the Clayton Act and Sherman Antitrust Act enforcement actions before the United States Department of Justice Antitrust Division. Its litigation teams have handled class actions, product liability suits, and appellate work in courts including the United States Supreme Court and state supreme courts. Intellectual property practice intersects with entertainment and technology clients like Apple Inc., Microsoft, and studios in Hollywood, while real estate and finance groups advise on transactions involving entities such as Blackstone and Morgan Stanley. The firm also provides regulatory and compliance counseling connected to the Securities Act of 1933, the Dodd–Frank Act, and international arbitration under rules of the International Chamber of Commerce.

Notable cases and clients

Attorneys have represented high‑profile corporate clients including multinational banks, media companies, and energy firms in cases before the Supreme Court of the United States, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and international tribunals. The firm has been counsel in merger reviews involving the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice, securities litigation tied to offerings on the NASDAQ, and antitrust defenses for technology companies facing scrutiny similar to matters involving Microsoft and Google. It has represented entertainment companies in disputes reminiscent of litigation involving Warner Bros., advised automotive manufacturers in recalls comparable to matters involving Toyota, and acted in cross‑border investments with sovereign wealth entities akin to those from Norway and Saudi Arabia. The firm’s litigators have appeared in high‑stakes class actions and white‑collar investigations alongside investigative bodies such as the United States Attorney's Office.

Offices and global presence

Headquartered in Los Angeles, the firm established additional offices in major business centers including New York City, Washington, D.C., and international locations in cities that serve as hubs for finance and commerce. Its New York office connects with capital markets and litigation matters linked to the New York Stock Exchange and the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, while the Washington office engages with federal agencies such as the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Department of Justice. International work has involved arbitration and transactional matters in jurisdictions such as London, Tokyo, and Hong Kong, engaging with multinational clients and cross‑border regulation under frameworks like the World Trade Organization and bilateral investment treaties.

Firm leadership and organization

Leadership has included managing partners and practice chairs with backgrounds in federal and state service, academia, and prior positions at institutions like the United States Department of Justice, state attorney general offices, and law schools such as Harvard Law School and Stanford Law School. Governance typically comprises an executive committee and practice group chairs overseeing corporate, litigation, intellectual property, and regulatory practices; these leaders coordinate with recruiting, diversity, and pro bono committees to align firm strategy with market developments in sectors represented by clients such as Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, and major entertainment studios.

Pro bono and diversity initiatives

The firm maintains pro bono practices partnering with legal aid organizations, civil rights groups, and public interest institutions such as The Innocence Project, immigration clinics, and veterans’ advocacy groups. Diversity and inclusion efforts involve affinity groups, pipeline programs with law schools including UCLA School of Law and Columbia Law School, and participation in initiatives promoted by organizations like the National LGBT Bar Association and the American Bar Association to support recruitment and advancement of diverse attorneys. The firm’s pro bono docket has included asylum representation, impact litigation, and nonprofit counseling tied to cultural institutions and foundations.

Category:Law firms in the United States