DLA Piper today announced that corporate and finance lawyer Masood Sohaili has joined the firm’s Los Angeles (Century City) office as a partner.

Masood Sohaili joins DLA Piper from Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP, where he served as co-chair of the Private Equity and Venture Capital Markets group. With more than 30 years of experience, Sohaili’s practice includes the representation of private equity, hedge funds and financial institutions, as well as clients in a variety of other industries, in corporate transactions and financing matters. In this role, he has handled a range of key infrastructure, corporate, finance and restructuring transactions.

“Masood is a highly experienced lawyer who will help us grow and enhance our representation of private equity firms, hedge funds and financial institutions as we continue to expand our Corporate and Finance capabilities in the United States and abroad,” said Roger Meltzer, global chair of DLA Piper’s Corporate and Finance practice.

“Los Angeles is a key market that helps serve as a springboard for the firm in California, as well as Asia Pacific,” explained Jay Rains, co-chair of DLA Piper’s Corporate practice. “Masood’s practice will be a valuable addition to our footprint here.”

“As a long-time member of the Los Angeles legal community, Masood brings a well-established practice to DLA Piper that fits well with our global platform and our team on the ground in Los Angeles,” said Michael Meyer, managing partner of DLA Piper’s Los Angeles office. “His arrival also reinforces our commitment to the continued expansion of our Corporate and Finance presence on the West Coast.”

DLA Piper’s Los Angeles offices are an important part of its global platform, playing a key role in the recent accolades earned by the firm’s top-ranked Emerging Growth and Venture Capital, and Real Estate practices. In March, DLA Piper was ranked #1 globally for total private equity and venture capital deal volume in 2011 by Dow Jones Private Equity Analyst. Chambers & Partners, the leading international research firm, recently recognized DLA Piper’s Real Estate practice group as the leading Real Estate practice in the United States with its 2011 Award of Excellence. Having also earned this honor in 2008, DLA Piper is only firm to receive the prestigious award twice.

Earlier in his career, Sohaili was a partner with O’Melveny & Myers in Los Angeles. He earned his J.D. and M.A. from the University of Southern California, and received his B.A. from the University of California-Santa Barbara.

Sohaili is the latest addition to DLA Piper’s rapidly growing Corporate practice, which in 2012 has also added: John Altorelli, Alexander Fraser, Patrick Costello, Gerald Francese, Richard Reilly, Edward Johnsen and Daniel Eisner in New York; Wesley Nissen in Chicago; Rich Scudellari, Armando Castro and Matt Oshinsky in Silicon Valley; and Kathleen Smith Ruhland in Minneapolis.

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