O'Melveny Adds M&A, Private Equity Partner

LONDON ─ FEBRUARY 20, 2014 ─ O’Melveny & Myers LLP is pleased to announce that Daniel Oates, a seasoned mergers and acquisitions and private equity lawyer, is joining the Firm as a partner in its London office and as a member of the Firm’s Mergers & Acquisitions Practice. 

Oates advises private equity and corporate clients on acquisitions and divestitures, public-to-private transactions, initial public offerings, and secondary issues.  He has worked with many of the world’s leading private equity and venture capital firms on a wide range of matters.  Recent notable transactions include advising Francisco Partners and one of its portfolio companies on the acquisition of the business and assets of Four Soft Limited; advising Sequoia Capital on its acquisition of a stake in Skyscanner, a UK-based airline ticketing business; and advising Francisco Partners on the divestiture of the automotive division of CMAC Micro Technologies.

“We’ve been steadily building our transactions platform over the past several years and Dan will help broaden our European transactions capabilities in a way that will positively impact our ability to assist clients with a far greater range of services,” said Firm Chair Bradley J. Butwin. “His strong background and M&A experience will add tremendous value to the existing work we’re doing for both private equity and corporate clients in London and globally.”

The Lawyer magazine recognized Oates, who joins O’Melveny from Kirkland & Ellis, as one of its “Hot 100” lawyers in Europe last year.  Legal 500 described Oates as a "strong up-and-coming lawyer with good commercial awareness.”  He graduated with honors with a B.A. from St. Hugh’s College, University of Oxford in 2000. He earned a Diploma in Law from City University in 2001 and completed a Legal Practice Course at BPP Law School in 2002.

“I’m excited to join such a collegial group of lawyers and look forward to contributing to the growth of O’Melveny’s transactional capabilities,” said Oates. “There is some overlap between my client base and O’Melveny’s and I expect that our clients will benefit from the combination of my practice with O’Melveny’s strong global platform.”

O’Melveny’s London office has been involved in a number of recent high-profile private equity and fund formation matters and has received several industry recognitions, including “Private Equity Team of the Year” at the Legal Business Awards 2013.  The Firm also has been named a finalist for the “Law Firm (Fund Formation) of the Year in Europe” award in Private Equity International’s annual PEI Awards.

About O’Melveny & Myers LLP

With approximately 800 lawyers in 16 offices worldwide, O’Melveny & Myers LLP helps industry leaders across a broad array of sectors manage the complex challenges of succeeding in the global economy. We are a values-driven law firm, guided by the principles of excellence, leadership, and citizenship. Our commitment to these values is reflected in our dedication to improving access to justice through pro bono work and championing initiatives that increase the diversity of the legal profession. For more information, please visit www.omm.com