Corporate attorneys work on a wide array of transactional work and other legal needs that are separate from litigation matters.
They review mergers and acquisitions, restructurings and bankruptcies; provide guidance for debt and equity financing; review contracts; and advise on regulatory issues.
Top firm Kirkland & Ellis LLP has 117 attorneys in its local offices. Notable recent transactions include advising Galleher, a portfolio company of Transom Capital Group LLC, in connection with the acquisition of Tom Duffy Co., a wholesale flooring product distributor in the United States, by Galleher’s parent company, Artivo Surfaces.
Sheppard Mullin has the second largest corporate practice group in Los Angeles County with 75 attorneys in the group. The firm has worked on several recent notable transactions, including one of the most recognizable attractions in the area. It advised the sellers of Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier in its sale to New York-based SC Holdings in March. The sellers were led by lead investor Off Road Capital Partners. It also recently advised Uproxx Studios LLC in the acquisition of media brands and assets from Warner Music Group. Uproxx Studios LLC, a newly formed independent company, has the exclusive license to represent Warner Music Group’s YouTube inventory for all media sales in the United States.
O’Melveny & Myers ranked third among the local corporate practice groups with 72 attorneys. The company works on major transactions, such as the $1.9-billion acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines by Alaska Airlines. The transaction was announced in December 2023 and cleared regulators within nine months.
A multidisciplinary team of antitrust, M&A and labor lawyers advised Alaska on the merger agreement, its clearance through the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Transportation regulatory review processes, and the dismissal of private antitrust litigation.
Overall, the 25 largest corporate practice groups in Los Angeles County reported 953 attorneys in local offices, which included 643 partners.