Phillip Isom

Partner

Phillip Isom is a partner in O’Melveny’s New York office and a member of the Investment Funds Practice.

Phil is recommended by Chambers USA 2009, Legal 500 2009 and PLC Cross-border Private Equity Handbook 2008/09 for his private investment fund formation practice, and has worked on various investment fund matters for alternative asset managers such as Citi Alternative Investments, JPMorgan Partners, CCMP Capital, and Apollo Global Management. His clients also include ICV Capital Partners, RLJ Equity Partners, Crossbeam Capital, and Integral Capital Management.

Fund Formation: Phil focuses in matters relating to private investment funds across a broad range of areas and asset classes, including fund formation (US, global and emerging markets), establishing joint venture or subadvisory arrangements, structuring carried interest arrangements and co-investment vehicles for their investment professionals and ongoing fund administration matters. Phil also concentrates in secondary transfers of investment fund interests and reviewing terms set forth in investment fund documentation on behalf of fund of funds, financial institutions, pension funds and high net worth individuals.

Private Equity Transactions: Phil also represents private equity firms (including their portfolio companies) in connection with mergers, leveraged acquisitions, mezzanine and venture capital/growth equity investments, joint venture arrangements, asset and equity dispositions, recapitalization transactions and restructurings.

Emerging Managers: Phil has extensive experience in representing emerging managers (i.e. managers of first/second time private investment funds as well as spinoffs). Phil regularly represents emerging managers in the creation of their firms (including pledge and captive fund arrangements), formation of their investment funds and negotiation of the terms on which capital is committed to their funds by institutional investors.

Phil is a frequent speaker on various matters related to private investment funds, most recently speaking at a seminar titled "Strategies to Address and Prevent LP Defaults." Additional topics include recent trends in fund formation, market terms for venture capital and M&A transactions and best practices regarding use of outside directors for portfolio companies of private equity funds.

Professional Activities

Admitted, New York
Admitted to Practice, U.S. District Court, Southern and Eastern Districts of New York
Honors, Recognized by Black Enterprise Magazine as one of the top African American attorneys (Private Equity) in the United States; awarded Lawyer of the Year by the Metropolitan Black Bar Association
Board Member, Serves on the Board of Directors of the Twenty-First Century Foundation and Blue Nile Passage Inc. and the Advisory Boards of Youth About Business, Community Development Project for Legal Aid Society and Macauley Honors College
Member, New York City Bar Association
Speaker, “Strategies to Address and Prevent LP Defaults,” The Emerging Markets Private Equity Association (June 2009); “How Will New Private Investment Fund Regulations Impact Your Business,” O’Melveny Webinar (April 2009); “Private Equity Investments in Africa: Opportunity in the Face of a Global Financial Crisis,” New York City Bar's Committee on African Affairs and the American Bar Association, Section of International Law's Africa Committee (March 2009)