Michael G. O'Bryan

Partner

San Francisco, (415) 268-6352

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Education

University of Michigan (B.A., 1983)
;
Harvard Law School (J.D., 1988)

Practices

Corporate

Mergers + Acquisitions

Public Companies Counseling + Compliance

Bar Admissions

California

Michael O'Bryan is co-chair of the Firm's M&A group. He focuses his practice on U.S. and international mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures and other strategic transactions, including going private and other potential conflict situations. Mr. O'Bryan has advised a wide variety of public and private companies, as well as special committees and investment banks, in more than 350 such transactions. As an important aspect of M&A, he helps companies involved in transactions prepare to integrate their businesses. He also counsels companies on takeover defenses and corporate governance.

Prior to joining Morrison & Foerster, Mr. O'Bryan worked at a Japanese law firm for two years, concentrating on cross-border transactions, including financings and joint ventures.

During law school, Mr. O'Bryan was Editor of the Harvard International Law Journal.

Restoration Hardware's Acquisition by Catterton Partners.

Represented Restoration Hardware in its 2008 sale to for $267 million to a group of private equity investors lead by Catterton Partners, a private equity firm based in Greenwich, Conn. (2008)

Citigroup's $4.6 billion tender offer for Nikko Cordial.

Represented GCA and Greenhill, as joint financial advisors to Nikko Cordial's board, in connection with Citigroup's $4.6 billion offer for Nikko Cordial. This transaction completed the largest ever foreign acquisition of a Japanese company, and marked the first time that shares of a foreign company were offered in a "kabushiki kokan" (statutory share exchange) transaction in Japan.

Ricoh's $2.4 billion acquisition of IKON.

Represented Ricoh Company, Ltd., Japan's second-largest maker of office machines, in its $2.4 billion acquisition of IKON Office Solutions, Inc., the world's largest independent channel for document management systems.

Hewlett-Packard/Mercury Interactive

Represented Mercury Interactive Corporation in the EU merger filing of its $4.5 billion acquisition by Hewlett-Packard Company. (2006)

Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. Acquisition of SigmaTel, Inc.

Represented Freescale Semiconductor, Inc., one of the world's largest semiconductor companies, in its $110 million acquisition of SigmaTel, Inc., a Texas-based public semiconductor company.

Mentor Corporation's $1.12 Billion Acquisition by Johnson & Johnson

Represented Mentor Corporation in its $1.12 billion merger with Johnson & Johnson.