O'Melveny & Myers

O'Melveny & Myers LLP is an international law firm founded in Los Angeles, California in 1885. The firm employs approximately 740 lawyers and has offices in California, Washington, D.C., New York City, Beijing, Brussels, Hong Kong, London, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, and Tokyo.

O'Melveny & Myers LLP
Headquarters400 South Hope Street
Los Angeles, CA 90071, USA
No. of offices15
No. of attorneys740
Major practice areasLitigation and Transactions
Key peopleBradley J. Butwin, Firm Chairman
Revenue$725 million (2016)[1]
Date founded1885
FounderHenry O'Melveny and Jackson Graves
Websitewww.omm.com

History

The firm was founded in 1885 as "Graves & O'Melveny" by Henry O'Melveny and Jackson Graves.[2] The firm gained traction through its work on land litigation surrounding the ownership of California's Spanish haciendas and its handling of the legalities of hydroelectric power, which helped to transform the arid basin of Los Angeles into a car-centric metropolis.[3] The firm became "O'Melveny & Myers" when Chief Justice of California Louis Wescott Myers joined the firm after retiring from the Supreme Court of California in 1926.

In 1977, O'Melveny hired William T. Coleman, Jr., who had helped the country move toward desegregation 23 years prior as a lead strategist for the plaintiffs in the landmark Brown v. Board of Education.[3]

The former Chair of the firm, Arthur B. Culvahouse, Jr., who serves at the firm's Washington, D.C. office, is the former White House Counsel during the Reagan Administration. Former U.S. Secretary of State Warren Christopher (1925-2011), who served as the firm's chairman from 1981 to 1991, was a senior partner at the firm's Century City, CA office. Warren Christopher supervised the largest period of growth in the firm's history, expanding to seven different countries.[3] Litigation partner Bradley J. Butwin is the current Chair of the firm. His term as Chair extends until 2025.[4]

The firm defended Donald Trump against a lawsuit over Trump University.[5] O'Melveny vetted the president's nominees.[6][7] The firm represented the Trump inaugural committee when it was investigated by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.[8] O'Melveny also represented President Trump's commerce secretary, Wilbur Ross, over allegations of conflicted investments.[9]

Reputation

The firm ranked number one on Vault.com's 2019 list of "Best Firms to Work For," a ranking of the world's law firms based quality of life for attorneys. It received the highest rankings for "Job Satisfaction", "Associate/Partner Relations", "Best Firm Culture", "Quality of work", "Transparency", "Hours Requirements", "Summer Associate Program", and "Attorney Development."[10] The firm ranked number six for "Best Attorney Compensation." According to Vault, first-year associates at the firm are paid a base salary of $190,000 with bonuses available yearly. Summer associates are paid the same salary, although it is prorated over 10 weeks (amounting to $3,700 per week).[3] Vault ranked O'Melveny as the 4th most selective law firm in the world in 2019.[10] However, a former attorney of the firm, and winner of the Wall Street Journal's "Law Blog's" Lawyer of the Year award in 2007, has criticized the firm's handling of discrimination and sexual abuse matters.[11][12]

O'Melveny ranked in the Top 10 for the 5th consecutive year on the 2016 "A-List," a prestigious measure of the nation's most "well-rounded" firms.[13] The firm has been a winner, finalist, or honorable mention recipient in every year of the biennial Litigation Department of the Year contest since its 2002 inception, one of only two firms to achieve that distinction. O'Melveny is a member of the V30, a ranking of the 30 most prestigious law firms in the world.[10]

O'Melveny is among the most prestigious and selective firms in the world, and it is widely considered to be one of the best law firms to work for.[10] With regards to compensation, O'Melveny is one of the highest-paying law firms in the United States.[10]

Notable partners and alumni

In culture

O'Melveny & Myers was referenced in an episode of The Sopranos as one of the firms that DOJ officials seek to work for.[15] A DOJ prosecutor is heard saying, "He ruined his six-figure future at O'Melveny & Myers when he blew the Junior Soprano trial."

O'Melveny & Myers was also referenced in an episode of Suits (season 3, episode 6) when Donna is deciding between which law firms she should work at. She says "I'm choosing between Bratton Gould, Skadden Arps, and O'Melveny & Myers."

References
  1. Guarnaccia, Matthew (February 28, 2017). "O'Melveny & Myers Caps 2016 With 5% Revenue Growth". Law360.
  2. Firm history
  3. "O'Melveny & Myers LLP - Company Profile". Vault.com.
  4. https://news.bloomberglaw.com/business-and-practice/omelveny-re-elects-chair-bradley-butwin-to-serve-until-2025
  5. Rufus Koren, James (October 21, 2016). "Trump attorneys seek to block testimony from Times columnist".
  6. McGraw, Meredith (July 11, 2016). "What to Know About the Washington Lawyer Vetting Trump's Potential VPs".
  7. Cook, Nancy (November 23, 2016). "Inside Trump's freewheeling vetting operation".
  8. Kim, Ellis (February 4, 2019). "O'Melveny & Myers Reps Trump Inaugural Committee Amid New York Investigation".
  9. Mufson, Steven (August 17, 2018). "Commerce secretary faces scrutiny for investments, not selling certain holdings".
  10. "O'Melveny & Myers LLP Company Rankings". Vault.com.
  11. Baxter, Brian (March 30, 2018). "'Loyola 2L,' Once Retired, Returns Amid Call to End Law Firm NDAs". Retrieved June 29, 2018.
  12. "A Blog About O'Melveny & Myers".
  13. "O'Melveny Named To American Lawyer's A-List for Fifth Consecutive Year" (Press release). August 1, 2016.
  14. "Solicitor General Donald B. Verrilli Appoints Sri Srinivasan as Principal Deputy Solicitor General" (Press release). United States Department of Justice. August 26, 2011.
  15. Coopster4 (June 4, 2007), O'Melveny & Myers "Sopranos" Reference, YouTube
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