People

Robbie Manhas Partner

Washington, D.C.

Robbie has achieved significant victories in areas including patent law, statutory and regulatory interpretation, administrative law, and personal and appellate jurisdiction. He specializes in patent appeals before the Federal Circuit, where he has presented oral argument seven times. His winning arguments include a complete, precedent-setting victory for a leading tech company in an appeal and cross-appeal of a PTAB decision, where he secured affirmance of the PTAB's decision to strike down some patent claims and reversal of the PTAB's decision to uphold the remainder.

Robbie has represented clients across a wide variety of industries, including semiconductors and electronics, software, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and sporting goods. His work has also involved a number of U.S. agencies, including the Patent and Trademark Office, the International Trade Commission, the Food and Drug Administration, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Labor, and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Before joining Orrick, Robbie was a lawyer at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP, where he was a member of its Appellate and Supreme Court Litigation, Intellectual Property Litigation, and Government and Regulatory Litigation groups. Before that, Robbie was a law clerk for the Honorable Richard G. Taranto of the Federal Circuit.

Kathryn G. Mantoan Of Counsel

San Francisco; Portland

Katie was a part of the trial team that obtained a complete dismissal for Oracle in OFCCP v. Oracle, a high-stakes systemic compensation discrimination case that garnered national media attention. Katie and her co-counsel were named "Litigators of the Week" by American Lawyer for the win. Two years later, Katie and her co-counsel were named Runners-Up by American Lawyer for securing decertification of a 3,000-person putative equal pay class action for Oracle.

In fall 2023, Katie co-first chaired a two week federal jury trial in Oregon and obtained a verdict against the client's former general manager, who set up a competing business while employed, on claims for breach of fiduciary duty and intentional interference.

Previously, Katie received California Lawyer’s Attorney of the Year Award in 2016 and was named a Northern California Super Lawyers "Rising Star" for seven consecutive years. She regularly writes and publishes on employment law developments, having presented on topics to three separate state bar associations and a host of national and regional legal and academic conferences.

Katie started her career at Orrick in 2004 and returned in 2015. From 2011 to 2014, she was an associate at a litigation boutique in San Francisco where she handled employment and constitutional law matters.

Manon Speich Senior Associate

Paris; Paris Tech Studio

Manon advises startups and high growth technology companies in raising capital and building their businesses from formation through exit. She assists founders developing and implementing effective corporate governance strategies throughout the life of their startup and issuing customized equity instruments for their fundraising. 

Before joining Orrick, Manon worked as an M&A and Private Equity attorney at Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel in Paris.

Manaf Triqui Partner

Paris

Manaf advises investors (debt funds, insurance companies, financial institutions, etc.), arrangers and issuers (corporates, fintechs and start-ups), in connection with debt transactions such as Euro Private Placements (Euro PP), Eurobonds, sustainability and sustainability-linked bonds, corporate hybrids, establishment and update of EMTN programs, French commercial paper and liability management transactions.

Manaf contributed to the Euro PP (Euro Private Placement) working group composed of several professional organizations under the leadership of Banque de France, the French Treasury and the Paris IDF Chamber of Commerce and Industry, designed to facilitate financing for intermediate-size enterprises (ISE) and SMEs to define a more harmonized legal framework for Euro PP transactions.

Prior to joining Orrick, Manaf worked for several years at leading international law firms in Paris. At his previous firm, he was the head of its Paris Debt Capital Markets practice.