Beach’s arrival continues the expansion of Morrison Foerster’s global and U.S. private equity capabilities in recent years; follows the recent addition of Steven Tran in Singapore
(March 27, 2023) – Morrison Foerster, a leading global law firm, is pleased to announce the arrival of James Beach as a partner in the firm’s Private Equity and Mergers & Acquisitions Groups in San Francisco. Beach brings to Morrison Foerster significant experience representing private equity funds and their portfolio companies in complex U.S. and cross‑border transactions. His addition highlights the continued expansion of Morrison Foerster’s global and U.S. private equity capabilities in recent years. Beach is the fifth lateral partner to join the firm’s Private Equity M&A practice since 2020, following the additions of Mitchell Presser, Omar Pringle, and Aly El Hamamsy in New York, and Steven Tran in Singapore in January.
Beach’s practice focuses on representing private equity funds and their portfolio companies in complex U.S. and cross‑border transactions, including leveraged buyouts of private and public targets, divestitures, and growth equity investments. He also advises private equity-owned and public companies in all stages of their life cycle. He has a particular focus on the tech sector, including enterprise software, data and security and hardware, as well as strong experience with logistics, manufacturing, and consumer products.
“James is a high-caliber attorney who knows private equity inside and out. We are thrilled to welcome him to MoFo. Having worked closely with him in the past, I am confident he will be a great fit for MoFo and leverage his sophisticated legal skills, business acumen, and collaborative spirit to continue to grow our private equity offering on the West Coast,” said Patrick Huard, global co-chair of Morrison Foerster’s Private Equity practice. “His arrival also underscores the firm’s continued investment in its Private Equity M&A capabilities to meet growing client needs in key geographic locations.”
“I was drawn to Morrison Foerster’s exceptional private equity and M&A capabilities, tech sector leadership, and its global platform,” said Beach. “I look forward to leveraging my private equity and M&A experience and relationships to further grow the firm’s private equity and technology M&A practice in the Bay Area. I am also excited to work with my new colleagues and reconnect with former colleagues across the firm’s global offices to craft practical solutions for our clients in connection with their most sophisticated transactions.”
Beach joins Morrison Foerster from the San Francisco office of a private equity and M&A-focused boutique law firm, where he was a partner. Before that, he was a partner in the private equity and M&A group of another leading global firm in the Bay Area. Beach earned his B.A. in philosophy from the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he received a Regents Scholarship. He holds an M.A. in political science from the University of California, Riverside, and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center. Beach is admitted to practice in California.
