ACG 101 June 25th 2025 Aerospace & Defense Panel

Zachary Turke is a corporate partner in Sheppard Mullin’s Los Angeles office.  He is head of the Mergers & Acquisition team and its Government Business Group, which encompasses Sheppard’s aerospace & defense practice.

Zac’s practice focuses on mergers & acquisition transactions across a wide variety of industries.  He works with private equity firms, public companies, family-owned business, strategics and entrepreneurs in industries such as aerospace & defense, consumer products, business services, software & technology, video games & esports, cannabis, healthcare, apparel & beauty, manufacturing, retail and food & beverage.  Over his career with Sheppard Mullin, Zac has successfully closed over 200 M&A transactions.

He also helps clients with debt and equity financings, venture capital investments, corporate governance and joint ventures and strategic alliances.

Zac specializes in getting deals done.  He is adept at making complex issues comprehensible and finding practical solutions to legal problems.  He is an avid writer and speaker with respect to areas of corporate law.  He holds a law degree from Harvard Law School and B.A. from Duke University.  He has been recognized as a leader by Super Lawyers, the Legal 500 and the M&A Advisors.

Mr. Williamson is a Managing Director at Calabasas Capital where he advises emerging growth companies and investors in aerospace and defense, software and technology. He has more than 17 years’ experience in investment banking and corporate development in addition to CFO and operating management roles in private equity and venture capital backed companies. He was CFO of the Merex Group and Kellstrom Defense, a private equity backed aerospace and defense company. Previously he was Managing Director of Angeles Capital Group, Director of Alexander Dunham, Associate of Gerard Klauer Mattison (now BMO Capital Markets) and Associate of Chanin Capital Partners (now Duff & Phelps). Mr. Williamson was a Senior Manager at Oracle Corporation and Treasury Services Corporation, a private equity backed enterprise software company acquired by Oracle. Prior to that, he spent four years at Price Waterhouse where he was qualified as a Chartered Accountant (CAANZ). Mr. Williamson received his MBA from the John E. Anderson Graduate School of Business at UCLA where he was selected as a Venture Fellow and received his Bachelor's of Commerce degree at the University of Western Australia.