LOS ANGELES – January 12, 2016 – Corporate attorney Christopher R. O’Brien, a former in-house counsel at Mattel, a Fortune 500 company, and former partner at Polsinelli, has joined Venable LLP as a partner in the firm's Los Angeles office.
Mr. O’Brien's practice covers a broad range of corporate matters, including mergers and acquisitions, finance, and general outside counsel advice. He represents clients in the entertainment, consumer products, and media industries and advises early-stage companies on their growth. He has deep experience working for companies with intellectual property at their core.
Throughout his career, Mr. O’Brien has led several matters with a significant international component, first at an international law firm working in both Prague and Helsinki, and later as in-house counsel for several companies with international operations, where he handled a diverse portfolio of international legal affairs.
“Chris brings a wealth of in-house, private practice, and international experience in the entertainment, media, and digital media industries to augment Venable's existing practices,” said Douglas Emhoff, Managing Director of Venable’s West Coast offices. “His industry experience and practice focus fit seamlessly with our Los Angeles corporate group.”
“As a former in-house counsel to a Fortune 500 company and general counsel of a venture capital-backed wireless startup company, Chris brings a second-to-none perspective on the business needs of clients,” added Mitch Evall, Partner-in-Charge of the Los Angeles office. “He will be an asset to our corporate team and our firm.”
“The firm was a natural for my practice and presents both the firm and me the opportunity to grow our presence in specific industry sectors in LA and throughout the firm,” said O’Brien. ”As a side note, I have known Doug since law school and really look forward to partnering with him and the Corporate and Entertainment teams at Venable.”
Mr. O’Brien received his J.D. from the University of Southern California – Gould School of Law. He earned a B.A. from The American University and passed the U.S. State Department Foreign Service Exam.
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Note: Venable LLP is an American Lawyer Global 100 law firm headquartered in Washington, DC, with offices in California, Delaware, Maryland, New York, and Virginia. Our lawyers and legislative advisors serve domestic and international clients in all areas of corporate and business law, complex litigation, intellectual property, regulatory matters, and government affairs. For more information, visit www.venable.com.