“I appreciate the trust the firm has placed in my ability to lead the Century City office,” said Ocampo. “It is particularly exciting to step into a new role after the recent completion of a renovated and completely re-imagined office space. I look forward to continuing to build our presence here by drawing the community into this beautiful new environment in innovative ways. We’ve already begun hosting bar association and law school events, and our entertainment and media practice has brought in several of their music clients.”
Ocampo succeeds Cisca Mok, who had served in the role since 2016. After guiding the Century City office through the pandemic years and the major remodel, she has returned fulltime to her busy white-collar practice.
“We are grateful to Cisca for her steadfast commitment and service to the firm and the Southern California market,” said Doug Cameron, Reed Smith’s managing partner – Americas and a member of its Senior Management Team. “Her hard work navigating the newly completed Century City office renovation is particularly appreciated.”
Ocampo’s practice covers a broad range of transactional matters, including equity and debt financings, formation and corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, and joint ventures. In addition to acting as outside corporate counsel, he advises entertainment clients in connection with investments, joint ventures and business launches, and advises real estate clients on acquisitions and development of renewable energy facilities and commercial properties.
A 2004 graduate of Boalt Hall School of Law at the University of California at Berkeley, Ocampo is well connected within the legal and AAPI communities. He serves on the boards of the Philippine American Bar Association, USC’s Asian Pacific Alumni Association and Filipinos in Institutional Real Estate. He also serves as pro bono outside counsel for Search to Involve Pilipino Americans, a nonprofit providing programs for youth and families in Historic Filipinotown and other neighborhoods throughout Greater Los Angeles County.
“Ernie’s enthusiasm, energy and ideas will make him a great office leader,” said Cameron. “He will quickly find new ways for those in the office and within the community to connect with one another and make a positive impact in the Southern California legal market.”
Ocampo joined the firm in 2006, and throughout his career he has been a steadfast supporter of the firm’s diversity and professional development initiatives. He has also served on the associates committee, as an advisor in the firm’s professional development program, and on its summer program committee for Southern California.
In addition to opening its renovated space in Century City and a new office in Orange County in January of this year, which now has 11 lawyers, the firm added new talent in Southern California, including intellectual property partner Marjorie Norman who joined from Willkie Farr & Gallagher in October 2022, and a two-person labor/employment team led by partner Samantha Grant from Sheppard Mullin in December 2022. Both Norman and Grant split their time between the firms three Southern California offices, in Century City, Los Angeles and Orange County.