Press Releases

LONDON—Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP announced today that 11 new partners will be joining the firm in the U.K. and Russia.  The announcement confirms the report from Coudert Brothers that its partners are leaving its London and Moscow offices.

The new partners are all recognized leaders in their fields. They bring to Orrick expertise in a diversity of specialties and include premier legal experts on Russian energy, U.K. property, cross-border-banking and mergers and acquisitions transactions, international arbitration, U.K. employment law and commercial property litigation and arbitration. All are expected to join Orrick as soon as possible consistent with their obligations to Coudert Brothers.

“Expanding our European practice is among our highest priorities. These moves will broaden and deepen our London office and make us a new and important player in the fast-growing Russian legal market,” said Ralph Baxter, chairman and CEO of Orrick. “These new partners bring expertise unsurpassed in their respective fields. Our global corporate practice and worldwide finance capabilities are strengthened by the addition of these top-tier lawyers.”

The new partners in London include: Simon Cockshutt, an expert in property litigation and arbitration; John Evans, the former head of Coudert’s employment law practice; Maria Frangeskides, a litigator and leading practitioner of international trade and arbitration; Alexander Michael Janes, a preeminent international banking lawyer; Peter O’Driscoll, an expert in mergers and acquisitions in emerging markets; Anne O’Neill, a commercial property specialist; Dean Poster, the former head of Coudert’s corporate and commercial law group, and Fiona Stone, a commercial property specialist.

The new team in Moscow includes: John Sheedy, a leading expert on oil and gas law in Russia,  Larisa Afanasyeva, an expert on mergers and acquisitions and corporate restructuring, and Olga Anisimova, a litigator and international arbitration expert.

Orrick launched its European practice when it opened an office in London in 1998. Since then, it has opened offices in Paris in 2002, Milan in 2003 and Rome in 2004.  Orrick’s European practice has now grown to more than 100 lawyers.

“Moving to Russia is the right move to make at the right time,” said David Syed, Orrick’s managing partner for Europe. “Orrick has evolved into a multi-national firm that can expertly handle complex global transactions for clients in Europe and across the world.”

“We are expanding our expertise into new areas, including arbitration and commercial real estate, which gives us a broader base from which to serve our clients,” said Adrian Harris, head of Orrick’s London office.

About Orrick’s London Office
London’s importance to global markets makes it a critical business center for Orrick’s clients, many of whom have major operations in the United Kingdom and Continental Europe.  Orrick established its presence in London in 1998 and, following steady growth, now has a team of leading corporate, finance and litigation lawyers qualified in English and U.S. law.

About Orrick
Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP is a global law firm with more than 1,100 lawyers in North America, Europe and Asia. The firm focuses on litigation, complex and novel finance and innovative corporate transactions. Orrick clients include Fortune 100 companies, major industrial and financial corporations, commercial and investment banks, high-growth companies, governmental entities, start-ups and individuals. The firm's 22 offices are located in Beijing, Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, Milan, Moscow, New York, Orange County, Paris, Portland, Rome, Sacramento, San Francisco, Seattle, Shanghai, Silicon Valley, Taipei, Tokyo and Washington, D.C.

Contact
For more information, please contact us by e-mail at pr@orrick.com or telephone at
415-773-5972 for West Coast & Asia Communications or 212-506-5160 for East Coast & Europe Communications.