James Thompson

James J. Thompson is a partner in the Corporate Practice Group in the firm’s Los Angeles office. Mr. Thompson focuses his practice on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, private placements, reorganizations, emerging growth companies, and corporate governance matters.

He represents clients in a variety of industries, including technology, e-commerce and the Internet, healthcare, oil and gas, food and beverage, plastics, biotechnology, real estate, entertainment, education, financial services, retail and consulting industries.

Education:

• J.D., University of Southern California Law School, 1998
• B.A., Georgetown University, 1995, magna cum laude

Admissions : California

Experience:

• Represented a publicly traded auto parts retail company in connection with its acquisition of an auto parts supply business with a significant presence in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions
• Advised a multinational chemicals and plastic company relating to its acquisition of an acetate homopolymer and co-polymer (PVAc) business from a publicly traded chemicals company
• Counseled a strategic client and a private equity client in connection with a proposed acquisition to acquire the car rental division of a publicly traded car rental company
• Represented two medical groups in connection with each entity’s buy-back from a publicly traded medical services management company
• Assisted in the divestiture of the pharmaceutical and optometry businesses of a prominent primary care and multispecialty medical group located in Southern California
• Assisted a publicly traded company organized and operating in England and Wales in a cross-border merger with a California corporation for consideration in excess of $100,000,000
• Counseled a private equity fund relating to the merger of one of its portfolio companies, which owns and manages night clubs, with another club management company
• Represented a private equity fund and its portfolio company, a producer of content for in-store TV networks, with respect to its merger with a provider of in-store entertainment for retail, restaurant, and hospitality environments
• Assisted a multinational Japanese technology firm in its investment in over 20 emerging growth and later stage venture capital companies in the internet, high-tech and life sciences industries
• Formed an animation studio company and counseled on all aspects relating to the company’s legal and business needs, including representing the company in connection its financings with angel and venture capital investors
• Represented an affiliate of a publicly traded oil and gas company in connection with a multi-billion dollar restructuring and stock exchange involving an oil and gas joint venture with a multi-billion dollar, publicly traded Spanish company
• Represented a Fortune 500 oil and gas company with respect to a $50,000,000 joint venture with a regional power supply and transport company
• Negotiated a settlement and related corporate “divorce” of an online payment processing company with total annual revenues in excess of $100,000,000 for such company’s co-founder and majority shareholder

Memberships:

• Los Angeles County Bar Association
• American Bar Association
• Association for Corporate Growth
• Los Angeles Venture Association
• State Bar of California, Business Law Section, Corporations Committee (2005-2009)