Philip Isom, Esq.

Phil Isom, a corporate attorney, is a 44-year-old, life long resident of Harlem. He together with his wife (Anne Williams-Isom), and their three children, Aiyanna (16), Phillip (13), Ande (7) live on 139th Street between 7th and 8th Avenue, in a brownstone they purchased 16 years ago.

After attending Hunter College High School here in New York City, Phil attended the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business where he majored in Finance. He graduated from Wharton with a Bachelor of Science in Economics in 1986. After graduation, Phil worked for two years at a New York City bank as a lending officer focused on middle-market businesses. In 1988, Phil decided go to law school and attended the Columbia University Law School. Upon graduation from law school in May 1991, he began his practice of law at the firm - Weil, Gotshal & Manges and remained an attorney at that firm until January 1995. While practicing law at Weil Gotshal & Manges, Phil specialized in corporate restructuring, representing both corporations and investors in financially-distressed corporations.

Phil joined his current law firm in January 1995, and in January 2001 became a partner of the firm. At O'Melveny & Myers LLP, Phil specializes in providing legal representation to private equity sponsors and investors focused in the leveraged buyout and venture investment sectors. His expertise covers the wide range of legal needs for these private equity sponsors or investors including private equity fund formation, mergers and acquisitions transactions and venture capital investments. Phil is also actively involved in advising private equity sponsors and investors in the management of their portfolio companies, including structuring management equity incentive plans, debt financings, follow-on acquisitions, asset or stock dispositions and restructuring.

During his legal career, Phil fortunately has also been able to continue to use his corporate legal skills to further his beliefs regarding the economic development of African-American communities. In fact, Phil represents a number of private equity funds managed by African-Americans whose mandate is to provide capital and equity financing to ethnic minority and women owned businesses.

Phil is currently a member of the Boards of Directors of The 21st Century Foundation and the Blue Nile Rights of Passage Inc. and a member of the advisory boards for Legal Aid Society Community Development Project, MacCauley Honors College and Youth About Business. From 1995 through 1997, Phil served as a member of the Manhattan District Community Board #10 (Central Harlem).