Holland & Knight LLP has continued expanding its Philadelphia office with the recent addition of an attorney specializing in mergers and private equity transactions who moved her practice after five years with Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP.

Erin O’Gurek was welcomed recently to Holland & Knight as a partner in the Corporate, Mergers & Acquisitions and Securities practice group in Philadelphia, the firm announced.

O’Gurek told Law360 Pulse she was attracted to Holland & Knight by its “collaborative culture and strong focus on growth,” as well as its “commitment to investing in its attorneys.”

“I was also drawn to the opportunity to work alongside colleagues who are genuinely invested in one another’s success, and to be part of a firm that is ambitious about its future and growth,” O’Gurek said. “After conversations with many of the firm’s current partners, it became clear that Holland & Knight was a really natural fit, and I’m excited to contribute to what they’re doing here.”

O’Gurek added she looks forward to working alongside former colleagues from previous firms, including Colby Smith, formerly of Morgan Lewis, and Nicole Visco and Francesco Salpietro, both previously of Dechert LLP. “It’s great to be reunited with these folks, who are not only friendly faces, but trusted colleagues who have built impressive practices of their own here at the firm,” O’Gurek said.

O’Gurek’s practice focuses primarily on advising strategic and private equity clients on complicated transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and growth equity investments, according to the firm’s announcement.

She also counsels clients on corporate governance matters, post-closing integration and collaboration with financial, regulatory and other third-party advisers. Her transactional experience spans a broad range of industries, including health care, technology, energy, financial services, consumer products and sports and entertainment.

“Being an M&A attorney means I wear a number of hats, but my favorite part of the job is being a problem solver for our clients,” O’Gurek said. “Plenty of obstacles come up in the context of a transaction, some of which we have well established road maps for tackling and others which require us to get a little more creative, but I really enjoy leading collaborative teams who are committed to figuring things out and achieving positive outcomes for our clients.”

Marty Clarke, co-leader of Holland & Knight’s corporate, M&A and securities section in the firm’s Northeast region, said O’Gurek is a “fantastic addition.”

“In addition to her experience guiding clients through their most significant public and private M&A, private equity and joint venture transactions, Erin’s experience in the health care and energy industries and commitment to client service will greatly support our ability to serve clients throughout the Northeast and nationwide,” Clarke said.

O’Gurek earned her law degree in 2017 from Temple University’s Beasley School of Law, where she was the lead research editor and staff editor of the Temple Law Review. She went on to clerk for U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy R. Rice and U.S. District Judge Juan R. Sánchez in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. She moved to Dechert in September 2019, then joined Morgan Lewis in September 2021.

O’Gurek is a 2003 graduate of Marian Catholic High School, Hometown, where she serves on the board of directors, and earned an undergraduate degree as a Registered Nurse from Villanova University. Before beginning her legal career, O’Gurek worked as a registered nurse in pediatric, neuroscience and perioperative care settings. Her health care background provides her with practical insight into the operational considerations affecting health care organizations and companies operating in the medical device, pharmaceutical and life sciences sectors.