Profile
Emily Stephens concentrates her practice on fund formation and investment management. She has a deep institutional knowledge of virtually all aspects of the investment management business from serving for 14 years at Oaktree Capital Management, L.P., a leading global alternative investment management firm, both as a lawyer and as a member of Oaktree’s distressed debt investment team. She regularly advises both established and first-time managers with private equity, credit, venture/growth, real estate and oil and gas/energy transition funds, as well as carry and equity arrangements, governance, and subscription or other fund-level credit facilities. Given the breadth of her transactional experience from her time as an investor, including serving on over 10 public and private boards, she also often assists her fund clients with their investments, including private credit issuances, seed equity transactions, M&A and restructurings.
Concentrations
- Investment management
- Mergers and acquisitions
- Private funds
- Restructuring and bankruptcy
- Corporate governance and compliance
- Environmental, social and governance (ESG)
- Finance
Capabilities
Experience
- Oaktree Capital Management, L.P. in the formation and ongoing operation of OCM Opportunities Fund VIIb, the world’s largest closed-end distressed debt fund at the time with $10.9 billion in capital commitments.°
- Oaktree Capital Management, L.P. in the formation and ongoing operation of the U.S. Senior Loan strategy, comprising closed-end opportunistic unleveraged and leveraged funds to capitalize on “hung” bridge loans held by investment banks near the start of the financial crisis and expanded in 2008 to include open-end funds focusing on bank loans and senior debt from the middle- and upper-quality tiers of the non-investment grade market.°
- Oaktree Capital Management, L.P. in the formation and ongoing operation of the Strategic Credit strategy, comprising separately managed accounts and open-end funds focusing on stressed credits with targeted returns above those on high yield bonds but below those on more distress-oriented strategies.°
- Oaktree Capital Management, L.P. in the formation of Oaktree European Dislocation Fund, Euro-denominated closed-end funds created to capitalize on opportunities resulting from the decline in European bank lending.°
- Smart Pool Services LLC in all aspects of its business to acquire, roll up and operate swimming pool services assets across the United States.
°The above representations were handled by Ms. Stephens prior to her joining Greenberg Traurig, LLP.
- Hum Capital, Inc., 2020
- Advisor to the Chief Executive Officer, 2020
- Vice Chairman, 2020
- Oaktree Capital Management, L.P., 2006-2020
- Managing Director, Distressed Debt, 2014-2020
- Managing Director, Legal, 2006-2014
- Vice President and Associate General Counsel, Trust Company of the West, 2005-2006
Recognition & Leadership
- Selected, Lawdragon, “500 Leading Dealmakers in America,” 2021-2023
- Director and Member, Nomination and Corporate Governance Committee, Star Bulk Carriers Corp. (Nasdaq: SBLK; Oslo: SBLK), a global shipping company providing worldwide seaborne transportation solutions in the dry bulk sector, 2018-2020
- Director, Aleris Corporation (NYSE: ARS), a global leader in the manufacture and sale of aluminum rolled products, 2011-2020
- Director, Neo Performance Materials Inc. (TSX: NEO), a global leader in the innovation and manufacturing of rare earth- and rare metal-based functional materials, 2016-2019
- FiRST Task Force, San Marino Schools, 2019
Credentials
-
J.D., University of Texas School of Law, 2000
- Order of the Coif
- Member, Texas Law Review
- B.A., cum laude, Dartmouth College, 1997
- California