O'Melveny & Myers LLP
Overview
O’Melveny is a global US-headquartered law firm with a long heritage and an emphasis on high-stakes litigation, investigations, and large cross-border corporate transactions. The firm positions itself as offering the “best of both worlds”: high-calibre, headline-making work combined with an intentionally collaborative, wellbeing-focused culture, powerful pro bono commitments, and a developed talent pipeline. O’Melveny highlights deep government and regulatory expertise (50+ former government lawyers), an integrated global approach across its practices, and sector-focused teams that deliver complex M&A, capital markets, restructuring and investigative work for multinational clients.
- Lawyers: 850+
- Offices: 17
Values & Culture
Practice Areas
- Corporate & M&A
- Capital Markets
- Banking & Finance
- Insolvency & Restructuring
- Dispute Resolution & Litigation
- White Collar Crime
- Regulatory & Compliance
- Financial Services & Regulation
- Intellectual Property
- Energy & Natural Resources
- Private Equity & Venture Capital
- Investment Funds
- Real Estate
- Tax
- Employment
- Data Protection & Privacy
- Insurance & Reinsurance
- Technology & Digital
- Healthcare & Life Sciences
- Infrastructure & Projects
- International Arbitration
- Public Law
- Pensions
- Retail & Consumer
- Media & Entertainment
Geographic Focus: O’Melveny is US-centric with a global footprint (cited presence across 17 global offices and work across three continents). The firm emphasises cross-border capability—particularly in the US, Greater China (Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing), and Korea (Seoul)—and routinely fields integrated teams for transactions and multijurisdictional disputes. The firm’s work highlights strong US litigation and regulatory strength together with international capital markets and M&A capabilities in Asia and other,
Training Contract
Mentorship
The firm provides structured mentorship: summer associates are assigned a dedicated mentor and goals are documented to guide future practice placements. For new associates there is a New Associate Mentorship Program (NAMP); the firm also runs leadership academies and tailored career coaching via a Talent Development team and provides work coordination to align assignments with individual goals.
Programmes & Schemes
A substantive summer associate programme where students undertake hands-on, practice-related work on active litigation, corporate and pro bono matters; participants receive dedicated mentorship, practice-group presentations, training sessions, and participate in the Mock Deal and Advocacy Institute. The summer programme is a primary route into the firm’s graduate hiring pipeline.
Recruitment round for 2L Summer Associate positions across most offices; the careers portal is used for applications.
Named fellowship opportunity (listed under Law Students). Specific eligibility, duration and remuneration details are provided through the firm’s students/careers pages.
Targeted summer programme opportunity for 1L applicants in Texas, listed among Law Students programmes.
Practice-specific summer opportunity aimed at 2L candidates interested in IP litigation.
Notable Matters
Served as lead counsel for Puerto Rico governmental agencies and instrumentalities in the Commonwealth’s comprehensive restructuring under PROMESA; crafted a comprehensive debt adjustment agreement approved by a US federal judge—described as the largest and most complex municipal restructuring in US history.
Insolvency & Restructuring
Represented RemeGen in a HK$4.59 billion initial public offering and primary listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (largest biopharma IPO of the year) and later advised on an A‑share listing on Shanghai’s Sci‑Tech Innovation Board (RMB2.6 billion). The matters included cross‑border capital markets and regulatory advice and were recognised with Deal of the Year honours.
Capital Markets
Acted as primary counsel to Microsemi for over a decade across corporate, governance, finance, securities and regulatory work, advising on a series of M&A transactions culminating in Microsemi’s US$10.3 billion acquisition by Microchip Technology in 2018.
Corporate & M&A
Advised Terminal One Group Association and Vantage Airport Group and partners on multimillion‑square‑foot terminal redevelopment projects (noted involvement in securing a US$4.2 billion financial close for a north side terminal and advising on a separate US$7 billion south side terminal project).
Infrastructure & Projects
Served as lead counsel securing confirmation of a $2.1 billion chapter 11 plan post‑Winter Storm Uri, obtaining $350 million DIP financing, contesting a $2.1 billion proof of claim, and negotiating settlements—work with implications for state law authority over cooperatives.
Insolvency & Restructuring
Lead trial counsel defending numerous individual and business claims after a gas-storage facility leak, negotiating a US$1.8 billion global resolution of individual plaintiffs’ claims and additional settlements with real estate developers.
Dispute Resolution & Litigation
Antitrust and white collar defence leading to acquittal of former Pilgrim’s Pride CEO after multiple trials; secured acquittal and related dismissals in associated securities litigation.
White Collar Crime
Represented Thomas J. Barrack, Jr. in a high‑profile federal criminal jury trial, securing acquittal on all counts.
White Collar Crime
What O'Melveny & Myers LLP Looks For
Key Competencies
- Commercial awareness
- Collaboration and teamwork
- Leadership potential
- Commitment to pro bono and citizenship
- Intellectual curiosity
- Resilience and adaptability
- Client-service orientation
- Excellent written and oral advocacy skills
Evidence Signals
- Substantive summer-associate experience or high-quality vacation-scheme work
- Pro bono involvement and demonstrated civic engagement
- Leadership roles in student societies or employee networks
- International experience or language skills (e.g., Spanish, Korean, Mandarin) for cross-border work
- Practice-specific experience (e.g., IP litigation for IP seats; capital-markets internships for Capital Markets)
- Mock-trial, mooting, negotiation competitions or advocacy-focused training
Benefits & Wellbeing
- Living Well wellbeing programme led by a Director of Wellbeing
- Robust Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) tailored to legal professionals
- Access to short-term counselling or referrals
- Fertility and family-building benefits
- Generous parental leave programmes
- Back-up child, elder, and pet care
- Concierge support for sourcing child and elder care
- Specialised leave transition coaching
- Flexible work schedules and generous allowances for remote work
- Workplace lactation programme
- More than 30/45 Employee Networks (open to all)
- Paid volunteer day through 'Giving Back' programme
- 401(k) plan
- Private banking services and concierge financial counselling
- Student loan refinancing and financial planning webinars
- Unlimited access to Continuing Legal Education (CLE)
- Free membership to One Medical
- No-cost membership to 2nd.MD medical consultations
- Free basic Peloton membership and significant discounts on equipment and premium subscriptions for US and UK employees
- Discounts on Wellhub, Daily Harvest, Pressed, and Therabody
- Nutritional programmes
- Comprehensive wellness benefits and resilience/substance-abuse programming
Wellbeing
Living Well programme (holistic mental, physical, social, spiritual and career wellbeing) with a full-time Director of Wellbeing; EAP, counselling, resilience and addiction programmes, Peloton corporate wellness partnership, nutrition support, concierge services, listening sessions, and paid volunteer time.
Awards & Recognition
- 14 consecutive years on The American Lawyer’s A-List
- Vault: #2 'Best Law Firms to Work For' (2026) and top-three for 12 consecutive years
- Vault: #1 rankings in Firm Culture, Satisfaction, Wellness and Pro Bono subcategories (year cited on site)
- Vault: #1 in 'Overall Inclusion' (site citation)
- Human Rights Campaign Equality 100 Award: Leader in LGBTQ+ Workplace Inclusion
- Bloomberg Law recognition for putting DEI plans into action
- Chambers recognition for Innovation in Diversity & Inclusion
- Law360: Bankruptcy Group of the Year (2022)
- The American Lawyer: John Rapisardi - Dealmaker of the Year (2022); John Rapisardi - MVP of the Year (2022)
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
The firm states a commitment to creating an inclusive environment offering advancement and leadership opportunities for all lawyers and business professionals. It also explicitly notes that qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records will be considered for employment with O’Melveny & Myers LLP. The firm emphasises retention through inclusion, systems analysis and engagement (RISE-style approach to reviewing policies and practices).
- Approximately 45 Employee Networks (open to all) focused on identity and life stage
- Living Well wellbeing programme
- Embracing Diversity and Values Day (annual firmwide commemoration)
- Diversity Task Force (advises clients on DEI legal landscape and corporate DEI risk)
- Leadership academies for lawyers of all backgrounds
- Student pipeline scholarships (nearly $500,000 annually) for underserved elementary and high school students in Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Seoul
- Associate Exchange Program (international placement opportunities)
Pro Bono
Pro bono is a firm-wide priority. The firm treats pro bono hours equivalently to commercial billable hours. lawyers are encouraged to spend at least 50 hours per year on pro bono work, with a minimum expectation of no less than 20 hours; all new hires are required to work on at least one pro bono matter during their first year. The firm reports high participation: 'More than 92 percent of our lawyers participated, devoting nearly 93,000 hours in 2024' and elsewhere the firm reports 'In 2025, 97% of our lawyers participated in pro bono matters, devoting nearly 73,000 hours.'
Innovation
O’Melveny's innovation approach emphasises pragmatic deployment of technology and service-delivery teams to improve client service and internal efficiency. The firm highlights investment in information-retrieval and review tools, dedicated service-delivery professionals, and ongoing evaluation of business processes. Trainees and juniors are exposed to structured training programmes, practice-group training and mock-deal/advocacy exercises which are supported by service-delivery and technology resources.
- Service-delivery professionals and dedicated teams that optimise information-retrieval and review capabilities
- Investment in people and technology to expand efficiency in case management and brief editing (including reference to a Pulitzer Prize–winning brief editor)
- First law firm to offer Peloton benefits (corporate wellness innovation)
Quick Application Angles
- Reference specific cross-border deals or disputes such as the Puerto Rico restructuring, the RemeGen HK IPO, or the Microsemi-Microchip transaction to show commercial and cross-jurisdictional awareness.
- Highlight a sustained pro bono commitment (hours or substantive projects) — the firm treats pro bono as billable-equivalent and expects early participation.
- Stress cultural fit: cite the firm’s core phrasing (e.g., 'leadership, citizenship, and excellence' or 'a dedication to excellence, a drive to lead, and a deep sense of civic responsibility') and give examples of how you have demonstrated those values.
- If you have international or language experience (Korean, Chinese, Spanish), make it clear — O’Melveny frequently deploys cross-border teams in Asia and the Americas.
- Demonstrate interest in wellbeing and sustainable working practices — mention how you would engage with Living Well initiatives and balanced hybrid working.
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