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Overview
Kelly Galligan is a corporate attorney with a focus on a wide range of general corporate law, with an emphasis on mergers and acquisitions, litigation funding, private equity, and corporate governance.
Kelly has experience in an array of corporate transactions, including representing acquirers and target companies in stock and asset acquisitions and divestitures, mergers of privately held companies, joint venture transactions, litigation funding, and private equity investments. Her mergers and acquisitions practice is focused on the middle market with transaction values ranging between $5 million and $500 million. Kelly serves as outside general counsel for corporate clients, providing private companies day-to-day counseling on a broad range of transactional and governance matters.
Kelly’s practice touches a variety of industries including private equity, apparel and beauty, financial services, food and beverage, health, wellness and fitness, logistics, manufacturing, construction, and entertainment.
Committed to serving her community, Kelly provides pro bono legal services through the Public Law Center and serves as the Board Member of Project Youth OCBF (former associate board chair), a nonprofit organization committed to keeping at-risk youth in Orange County in school, healthy and drug-free. Additionally, Kelly is a Board Member of the Orange County Bar Association (OCBA), Vice President of the Orange County Women Lawyers Association (to be President in 2021), and Past Chair of the OCBA Young Lawyers Division.
Experience
Areas of Expertise
- Corporate/securities law
- Mergers and acquisitions
- Venture capital/private equity
- Litigation funding
- Contract negotiation
Representative Matters
- Acts as outside general counsel for local private equity firm, assisting with all matters from acquisitions, capital raises, contract negotiation, and securities issues
- Represented both issuers and investors in private equity investment transactions and offerings of equity, debt and securities
- Represented both buyers and sellers in mergers and acquisition transactions across a broad spectrum of industries and geographies
- Counseled private companies about internal governance and restructuring matters
- Represented a public building materials company in serial acquisitions of distribution companies across the United States
- Represented a buyer in consecutive acquisitions of automotive dealerships
- Represented funders in various litigation finance investment transactions
News & Insights
Publications
- “Best Board Practices in a Pandemic Era,” Orange County Business Journal (May 2020)
- “Navigating Social Media Sweepstakes and Contests,” Orange County Lawyer Magazine (July 2019)
- “Update on the Reformation of CFIUS Review,” Orange County Business Journal (January 2019)
- Co-Author of Updated Publication: Advising the Board, Chapter 2, Counseling California Corporations, by Continuing Education of the Bar (CEB) (January 2019)
- Co-Editor and Co-Author: Updates in the Law on Domestic Professional and Collegiate Sports, Recent Developments in Business and Corporate Litigation, American Bar Association, Business Law Section (2018)
- Co-Author of Updated Publication: Advising the Board, Chapter 2, Counseling California Corporations, by Continuing Education of the Bar (CEB) (January 2017)
- Co-Author of Updated Publication: Establishing a Corporate Compliance Program, Chapter 9, Counseling California Corporations, by Continuing Education of the Bar (CEB) (January 2019)
- “Disclosures When Approval Not Required,” Daily Journal February (2016)
Speaking Engagements
- Presenter, Unity in a Time of COVID-19 Webinar, Orange County Bar Association (May 2020)
- Panelist, Practicing at Large Law Firms, UC Irvine School of Law (November 2019)
- Moderator, A 360 View of In-House Counsel, Orange County Women Lawyers Association (July 2019)
- Moderator, Getting a Seat at the Bench: Lessons from Female Leaders of the Judiciary, featuring Judge Staton, Justice O’Leary, Judge Sanders and Judge Hubbard, Orange County Women Lawyers Association (March 2019)
- Panelist, Practicing at Large Law Firms, UC Irvine School of Law (March 2019)
- Panelist, The Practice of Corporate Law, Chapman University’s Dale E. Fowler School of Law (March 2019)
- Keynote Address, Elder Law & Disability Rights Center First Annual Fundraiser (October 2018)
- Introductory Address, Orange County Bar Association YLD Fall Member Meeting (May 2018)
- Co-Presenter, Leaders in the Community, UC Irvine School of Law (April 2018)
- Presenter, Welcome to the Legal Profession, Orange County Bar Association Bridging the Gap Program (February 2018)
- Keynote Address, State of the Young Lawyers Division, Orange County Bar Association YLD Annual Business Meeting (January 2018)
- Panelist, Practicing at Large Law Firms, UC Irvine School of Law (January 2018)
Awards & Affiliations
Honors & Awards
- Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch for 2021
- Southern California Super Lawyers, Rising Stars Edition (2018-2020)
- Distinguished Young Alumni of the Year by Hope International University (2017)
- Wiley W. Manuel Certificate for Pro Bono Legal Services, given by State Bar of California (2015-2017)
Professional Activity & Community Involvement
- Vice President, Orange County Women Lawyers Association (to be President in 2021, served as Secretary in 2019)
- Board Member, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, Orange County Bar Association (2018-Current)
- Board Member, Orange County Bar Association (2017-Current)
- Board Member, Leadership Development Committee, Orange County Bar Association (2017-Current)
- President, Associate Board, Project Youth OCBF (2019)
- Chair, Young Lawyers Division, Orange County Bar Association (2018, served as Chair-Elect in 2017 and Social Chair in 2016)
- Board Member, UCI Law Alumni Association (2015-2018)
- Chair, Rising Stars Group, Association of Corporate Growth (2015-2016)
