
Orange County
An accomplished litigator, Aaron advises leading investment banks, financial institutions, mortgage servicers, non-bank lenders, and alternative asset managers on the unique issues impacting the finance sector, from major commercial disputes to securities litigation and enforcement actions. Leveraging his dispute resolution expereince, Aaron serves as a trusted partner to clients, advising on best practices for mitigating risk long before there is the threat of litigation.
In 2018, Aaron moved to the firm’s Orange County office from New York. The move served his New York-based traditional financial institution clients needing counsel on the West Coast, while also expanding his practice.
Orange County; New York; Seattle
Legal 500 touts Paul as a recommended attorney for Securities Litigation, observing that he is “among the most creative and strategic lawyers” who always has “an eye on the end game.” Paul achieved American Lawyer Litigator of the Week recognition as part of a team that achieved a ground-breaking New York Court of Appeals victory that substantially reduced financial exposure in RMBS repurchase litigation.
Leader of Orrick's Securities Litigation practice and deputy leader of the Firm's Financial Services Litigation practice, Paul has extensive experience representing clients in securities class actions, shareholder derivative lawsuits, commercial contractual disputes and other complex litigation matters at both the trial and appellate levels, as well as in connection with internal, government and regulatory investigations. Paul also counsels domestic and foreign accounting firms on matters related to state CPA licensing and state board regulation.
Silicon Valley
As a seasoned IP litigator and counselor, Diana’s practice has run the gamut from high stakes trials, to take-down and anti-counterfeiting campaigns, to employee departure and trade secret investigations. She represents clients in District and state courts and before administrative bodies including the ITC and the USPTO. For example, Diana tried and won a complex case in which the other side sought to extend the monopoly of an expired utility patent by claiming trade dress rights in a technical product feature. Drawing upon experience handling both complex patent and trademark matters, her team successfully argued that the intersection of patent and trademark policy prevented the other side from continuing its monopoly, clearing the way for her client to enter the market. With Diana at their side, companies can rest assured that their essential assets are protected, from their core technologies, to assets including their company name, logo, and website.
While at Orrick, Diana was seconded to the City and County of San Francisco, where she had the privilege to serve as an Assistant District Attorney, and first-chair several trials. She was also seconded to Salesforce, where she learned first-hand that the law comprises just one component of a company’s overall business strategy.
Diana is also passionate about her pro bono work. For example, she represented two detainees in Guantanamo in connection with their petitions for a writ of habeas corpus, and she is currently working with the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area. Before joining the firm, Diana worked for the Legal Aid of Cambodia where she assisted with the prosecution of former Khmer Rouge officials and represented individuals who sought to reclaim land rights.
Diana is a member of the International Trademark Association, of ChIPs: Advancing Women in IP and of the Harvard Club of San Francisco.
Milan
Mario deals with labor law and industrial relations, assisting Italian and foreign clients, both in judicial and out-of-court matters, related to every aspect of the management of employment relationship, agency relationship and self-employment relationship in all its forms including inter alia:
Specifically, Mario assists clients in the negotiation of self-employment and employment agreements, during their respective relationships as well as in their termination, with the stated objective of guaranteeing high quality services according to rigorous detailed studies and constant interaction with the clients.
His clients operate in the tourism, tertiary and services sector, as well as credit and chemistry sector and in the public administration (i.e. companies owned by the latter).
Mario has also gained considerable experience in managing relationships of the companies with the members of their Board as well as in disputes between social security institutions and companies.
Mario is author of numerous articles in the field of labor law published in trade magazines.
He is registered in the Milan Bar Association, as well as being both a member of AGI – (Italian Employment Lawyers Association) and of the Italian Journalists Association.
San Francisco
Todd regularly advises companies and their boards on corporate governance best practices and fiduciary and disclosure duties, and has extensive experience in responding to shareholder litigation demands and other shareholder activism.
Before joining the firm, Todd was an associate at the San Francisco office of Clifford Chance US LLP. In his spare time, Todd is a musician, screenwriter and father to three fantastic kids.
New York
Marc represents clients in federal and state court at the trial and appellate levels with a particular focus on class actions, multi-district litigation, and mass joinders. Among Marc’s current engagements, he represents Johns Hopkins University and Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America in over a dozen class actions arising out of a data breach of the MOVEit file transfer software; University of Washington in a pandemic-related class action seeking refunds of tuition and fees on behalf of students; ZoomInfo Technologies LLC in a data privacy class action alleging unlawful disclosure of personal information under federal and state laws; Goldman Sachs in a pay and promotion gender discrimination class action; NCAA in concussion and injury-related cases throughout the country; Marathon Oil Corporation in nationwide climate change litigation; and multiple foreign defendants in a class action arising out of allegedly defective drywall.
Recently, Marc successfully prevailed at trial before the Delaware Chancery Court and earned Litigator of the Week recognition by Law.com for defeating claims by Netflix star Julia Haart that she owns half the shares of Elite World Group; secured dismissal of a dozen class actions against the University of California and Santa Clara University brought by students seeking refunds of tuition and fees due to COVID-driven transition to remote instruction; and defeated class certification and secured affirmance on appeal by the Ninth Circuit in an employment discrimination class action against Microsoft.
Marc served as a law clerk to Judge Betty B. Fletcher of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Prior to joining Orrick, Marc worked as an appellate and post-conviction attorney for the Equal Justice Initiative. In that capacity, he engaged in trial level and appellate representation of clients in both state and federal court, including two cases that were briefed and argued before the United States Supreme Court.
San Francisco
He represents plaintiffs and defendants in complex trade secret misappropriation cases and has conducted numerous TRO and preliminary injunction hearings in aid of these cases. His practice also includes counseling relating to trade secrets misappropriation and non-compete/non-solicitation agreements.
Rob has broad experience in commercial litigation, having litigated claims of securities fraud, lender liability, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of warranties, claims arising from securitization transactions and other business fraud.
Rob's experience in employment-related litigation includes defending claims of discrimination, wrongful discharge, retaliation, sexual harassment and breach of contract. His practice also includes counseling relating to trade secret misappropriation and non-compete/non-solicitation agreements.
U.S. and international clients with significant California presence turn to Rob to represent them in complex matters, including numerous financial services companies. He handles both jury and bench trials, as well as AAA, JAMS and FINRA (formerly NASD and NYSE) arbitration hearings.
Rob serves as the chair of the Firm’s Practice Management Committee, and is a member of the firm’s Risk Management Committee. Rob previously served as head of the San Francisco office. Rob contributes pro bono hours to the Humane Society and Point Blue Conservation Science each year.
Orange County
Orange County
Sarah has broad experience representing investment banks, corporations, and other private and public companies in the financial services and technology industry. She has advised clients in all stages of litigation from receipt of pre-litigation demands through discovery, expert work, summary judgment, trial preparation, and trial. She is also active in pro bono matters.
Sarah graduated cum laude from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles. While in law school, Sarah participated in the Ninth Circuit Appellate Clinic, where she drafted various briefs to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. She also externed for the Honorable Stephen V. Wilson in the Central District of California.
New York
Lisa has been recognized as one of the "Top 250 Women in IP" by Managing Intellectual Property and has received accolades from American Lawyer, Benchmark Litigation, The Legal 500 USA and New York Times Magazine with World Trademark Review 1000 noting that Lisa “marries a rich comprehension of IP law with a gift for connecting with people, making full use of each advantage in the courtroom.” Lisa was recently named to Lawdragon's 500 Leading Litigators in America list.
Trial Experience
Lisa has served as trial counsel across a wide range of matters. She recently served as co-lead trial counsel in a case in Delaware Chancery Court in a dispute over corporate control and ownership. She is currently serving as lead trial counsel in an energy distribution contract and rate dispute in North Dakota. Lisa also served as trial counsel for Oracle in its dispute with Google over the Java APIs in Android phones in the Northern District of California and served as trial counsel in a matter involving the trade dress of a hip implant medical device in the District of Colorado. Lisa has also served as trial counsel in a number of product liability matters involving allegations concerning talc, analgesics and herbicides.
Intellectual Property
Lisa handles a variety of high-profile trademark, trade secret, and copyright matters. Lisa’s copyright experience includes some of the leading copyright cases of the past decade: she represented Oracle in its litigation with Google over the Java APIs, represented DISH Networks, LCC in its copyright litigation with the broadcast networks over various features offered by DISH’s Hopper DVR, including AutoHop and Sling and served as counsel to Supap Kirtsaeng before the U.S. Supreme Court on the issue of the copyright first sale doctrine’s applicability to goods manufactured abroad.
Lisa’s trademark and trade secret litigation has spanned a variety of courts and industries: she successfully defended trademark infringement claims in the Northern District of California on behalf of Sony over its popular “Gran Turismo” racing video game and scored two separate wins in the Southern District of New York and then in the Second Circuit on behalf of client Sanei in trademark litigation brought by fashion designer Jill Stuart. Lisa also successful established secondary meaning and secured a preliminary injunction for the New York City Triathlon in S.D.N.Y. Lisa also represented a major pharmaceutical and healthcare company in trade secrets litigation concerning multi-payor coordination of prescription drug benefits loyalty cards.
Products Liability and Consumer Class Action
Lisa serves as counsel to Johnson & Johnson, Chanel, and Avon in cases asserting claims arising from the use of its talcum powder products, including claims of mesothelioma and ovarian cancer. She also represented Wyeth and Dow Agrosciences in a variety of complex products liability and consumer class action litigations. Lisa served as counsel in hundreds of product liability matters concerning injuries allegedly associated with childhood vaccines, handled litigations involving the labeling and advertising of Advil, and obtained the dismissal, prior to class certification, of a consumer class action in a matter concerning the calcium supplement Caltrate.
Current Pro Bono Representation
Lisa served as trial counsel for Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky, securing an important trial win invalidating as unconstitutional a statewide law that jeopardized access to safe and legal abortion services in Kentucky.Düsseldorf
She has experience in telecommunications licensing disputes and litigating FRAND objections and D&O disputes, as well as in disputes under the UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods.
In addition to experience in arbitration proceedings under the rules of the ICC, LCIA, UNCITRAL VIAC and the Hungarian Chamber of Commerce (ACHCCI), Ramona acts as administrative secretary in DIS arbitrations.
She is a lecturer in arbitration and international commercial law at the University of Bayreuth where she also coaches the university's team in the Willem C. Vis Moot. Further to her legal studies, Ramona has also completed a university degree in economics.
During her education, she worked in US firms in Germany and Paris, where she deepened her knowledge of arbitration, litigation, and dispute resolution. Prior to joining Orrick, Ramona worked as a litigation lawyer for a magic circle law firm in Germany, including patent litigation involving patent infringement, nullity, and patent vindication proceedings, particularly in the telecommunications and automotive industries.
New York
Jim is consistently recognized as a leading lawyer in legal publications such as Chambers USA and Benchmark Litigation. Chambers notes Jim is "able to handle a wide range of mass torts and class actions, including particular strength in toxic tort-related mandates.” Clients told the publication that Jim “is extremely professional, with excellent brief writing and oral arguments,” calling him “a great guy and a great lawyer."
Jim has served in a variety of management roles at Orrick, including Managing Director of Litigation, Member of the Executive Committee and Board, Lead Director, and as a member of the firm’s Management Committee.
Jim has written and lectured on complex litigation and mass tort subjects at a variety of law schools and seminars.
Before joining Orrick, Jim was a partner at Donovan Leisure Newton & Irvine LLP.
London
Sarah resolves disputes for clients in a variety of forums including international arbitration (both commercial under ICC, LCIA, SIAC and HKIAC Rules etc. seated in various jurisdictions and investor state, under ICSID, and UNCITRAL Rules and ad hoc proceedings) and sits as arbitrator. Sarah appears before the English High Court and the DIFC Court, is adept at supervising and managing cross-border litigations in many other jurisdictions, including the Middle East, West Africa (Nigeria, Ivory Coast) India, Asia and South America and works under both common and civil law regimes.
In addition to acting in traditional onshore and offshore energy disputes both upstream and downstream, Sarah has a keen interest in the renewables and alternatives sectors, combining her experience of infrastructure disputes, including those relating to power and energy transmission, with the changing environments in which our clients operate during the Energy Transition. Sarah has conducted cases in the renewables sector, and also frequently represents clients in mediation and uses ADR techniques to achieve favourable settlements.
Sarah is recognised for International Arbitration by Legal 500 UK, as well as being noted as a Rising Star by Super Lawyers.