Douglas S. Mintz Partner Restructuring, Bankruptcy Litigation

Washington, D.C.

Doug Mintz is a first call for energy, commodities and public finance restructuring.

Doug has deep experience representing lenders, debtors and official and ad hoc committees. He works primarily with bank and hedge fund investors and co-leads Orrick’s hedge fund client initiative.

Chambers USA rates him in Band 3, calling him “a shining star . . . able to apply both a legal mindset and a businessperson’s mindset to distressed situations.” Doug has also been recognized by Legal 500 as an “excellent performer” for his work in both Municipal Bankruptcy and Corporate Restructuring.

Doug also represents debtors in the Energy and Technology sectors.

Prior to joining Orrick, Doug was special counsel at Cadwalader, where he was best known for his representation of the United States Treasury in the bankruptcies of both General Motors and Chrysler (M&A Advisor’s Magnus Deal of the Year). Treasury also retained Doug in the restructuring of several financial institutions.

Doug is currently representing hedge funds in a variety of energy and public finance situations – as well as in litigation in the Caesars bankruptcy case. He also served recently as debtor’s counsel to Ocean Rig in its global restructuring and Lily Robotics and bondholders in several distressed energy and infrastructure situations. 

Devin Brennan Partner Public Finance

San Francisco

Devin represents issuer, underwriter and private sponsor clients in some of the most complex and innovative transactions in the municipal market. 

Such transactions have involved both long- and short-term, fixed and variable rate obligations, public-private partnerships (P3s), commercial paper, swaps, credit and liquidity enhancement, and revenue bonds for natural gas and electrical capacity, as well as a number of sizable special purpose financings. Devin's practice includes representing clients in water, wastewater, transportation, public power, pollution control and other infrastructure financings. Devin has also represented multiple clients in connection with chapter 9 bankruptcies, restructurings and other workouts.

Devin currently sits on the Strategy Council and Audit Committee for OneJustice, an organization dedicated to transforming the delivery of legal services to Californians in need. Devin has also served on the Hiring and Summer Program Committees in Orrick's San Francisco office, and helps organize the office's summer associate pro bono projects and the firm's annual summer surf trip to Capitola Beach. 

Michael Ferrel Data & Applications Architect

San Francisco

Michael Ferrel has been a technologist for the legal industry for nearly 20 years. He got his start in the industry at Venture Law Group where he was a lead systems engineer and software developer.

After VLG, Michael ran a legal technology and software consulting practice, which serviced dozens of AMLAW 100 firms around the world. In his consulting practice, he migrated, deployed and integrated document management, records, accounting and client intake systems from virtually every major industry vendor. He developed and deployed custom line of business applications where no quality product existed to meet the demanding needs of global law firms and other companies. Although Michael has deep experience in systems architecture and management, he is a software geek at heart. He is a core Microsoft developer who focuses on .NET, SQL and cloud.

Michael previously served as the Vice President of Technology for VLP Law Group LLP (formerly Virtual Law Partners). Michael was recruited by Craig Johnson and Jackson Ratcliffe to help found the first completely virtual law firm in the United States. Michael was part of the VLP team for 10 years before joining Orrick Labs, where he once again is focused on changing the legal industry in a positive way.

When Michael is not sitting in front of a monitor, he is teaching Jujitsu, making wine or is off the grid in the wilderness enjoying the great outdoors.

Alessia Ciranna Associate Complex Litigation & Dispute Resolution, Corporate

Rome

Ms. Alessia Ciranna, a senior associate in Orrick's Rome office, is a member of the Complex Litigation and Dispute Resolution Group.

She focuses her practice on Employment law assisting public, private and state-owned companies. She was on the team of Orrick's litigators who obtained an unprecedented judgment from the Italian Constitutional Court that neutralizes the effects of the rule contained in the "Decreto Salva Italia" (the "Save Italy" Decree), which had blocked certain pension revaluation for 2012 and 2013 for values exceeding Euro 1,300 per month.

She has gained significant experience in a wide range of labour law matters, from issues arising from acquisition of companies, restructuring and privatisation of entities with conversion of labour relations from the public to the ordinary regime, the opening and closing of businesses with strong involvement of manpower, outsourcing services, industrial relations with the unions at all levels, a range of ordinary advice in personnel management (recruitment with open-ended contract and certain, disciplinary proceedings, regulations and business agreements, transfers/staff secondments, exodus encouraged, consensual resolution agreements, etc.), concluding with the judicial activity in favour of public bodies (economic or otherwise) and private companies in each sector, including transnational character.

She is also skilled in individual and collective employee layoff and dismissals and mobility procedures connected to CIGS and CIGO.

Jessica S. Pers Contract Attorney Antitrust & Competition, Complex Litigation & Dispute Resolution

San Francisco

Jessica Pers, a partner in Orrick's San Francisco office, is a member of the Litigation Group and focuses on civil litigation, emphasizing antitrust, franchise litigation, trademark and copyright disputes and class actions.

Jessica has handled both jury and non-jury trials and injunction proceedings in federal and state courts and has extensive experience in extraordinary writ practice and appeals before California and federal courts.

Additionally, she has advised clients in the computer industry and various manufacturing and service fields on trademark, copyright and antitrust issues, including issues relating to domain name use on the Internet. She has handled cases for major franchisers in the automotive service and home health care industries as well as state and federal antitrust actions against Microsoft, Levi Strauss & Co. and many television and movie studios. Recently, Jessica has had primary responsibility for large consumer class actions settlements arising from antitrust litigation against Microsoft.

Before joining Orrick, Jessica was a shareholder at Heller Ehrman LLP. She was Managing Partner of that firm from 1992 to 1995 and Chair of the Promotion Evaluation Committee from 2001 to 2007.

Bill W. Bothwell Partner Public Finance, Tax

Los Angeles

Bill Bothwell, a partner in Orrick's Los Angeles office, is a member of the firm's Public Finance Department.

Bill was admitted to the Colorado Bar in 1980 and the California Bar in 1984. He has practiced in the area of public finance his entire career, initially with a major public finance firm in Colorado, and since 1984 with Orrick. Bill has served as bond counsel, disclosure counsel and underwriter's counsel in numerous tax-exempt financings. He has a broad range of expertise, which includes substantial experience in both traditional enterprise and general fund financings for various types of public entities, including cities, counties and districts, as well as private activity financings for housing and non-profit corporations. In addition, he has devoted substantial time to structuring and analyzing the tax aspects of such financings.    

Bill also frequently speaks and writes on matters related to public finance, develops new financial products and drafts legislation which has been enacted in several states to facilitate borrowing by public entities for a wide variety of projects and programs. 

In addition to being admitted in California, Bill is also admitted in Colorado (inactive).

Valeria Camilli Attorney Trainee Banking & Finance

Riccardo Valle Associate M&A and Private Equity, Renewable Energy

Rome

Riccardo Valle is a lawyer with our corporate team, focusing (in regards to transactional/litigation matters before Civil and Administrative Courts) in providing legal assistance to clients active in highly regulated markets, with specific focus on energy (including generation, infrastructures, incentives, PPA/EFET, and IPEX), environment (including waste, and EIA/IPPC), and pharmaceuticals (including AIFA regulations and wholesale distribution).  

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Dr. Nicholas Kessler, LL.M., EMBA Partner International Arbitration & Dispute Resolution, Complex Litigation & Dispute Resolution

Düsseldorf

Dr. Nicholas Kessler, Partner in the Düsseldorf Office, is a member of the International Arbitration Group. Nicholas' practice focuses on national and international arbitration and complex litigation, predominantly with regard to post-M&A, restructuring and corporate law and particularly to construction disputes.

Nicholas has extensive experience with arbitral proceedings under the auspices of all of the major arbitral institutions and rules (e.g., ICC, DIS, SCC, LCIA, UNCITRAL, ICSID, ad hoc).

Nicholas graduated from law school in 2003 (University of Munster), earned a PhD in law and an Executive Master of Business Administration (M&A) in 2005 and was allowed to the German bar in 2007. In 2008 he received a Master of Laws diploma from the University of Cambridge (UK) and was entered on the roll as Solicitor of England & Wales in 2010.

Dr. Kessler is a visiting lecturer at the University of Münster and teaches the international arbitration and mediation in the university's post graduate program on mergers and acquisitions. He frequently publishes and holds speeches on arbitration and litigation-related topics.

Alexander M. Porcaro Senior Associate White Collar, Investigations, Securities Litigation & Compliance, Government Investigations and Enforcement Actions

San Francisco

Alex Porcaro is a senior associate in Orrick's San Francisco office, where he focuses on regulatory enforcement actions, white collar criminal defense, securities litigation, and internal investigations.

His clients have included early stage technology companies, accounting firms, public entities, multinational consumer companies, an automaker, and a professional football team.

Before becoming a lawyer, Alex worked at several tech startups and was senior online editor for KQED Public Radio.

Alessandra Fani Associate Public Finance, Complex Litigation & Dispute Resolution

Rome

Alessandra Fani is an associate in the Rome office and and a member of the firm’s Complex Litigation and Dispute Resolution group.

Chris Civil Associate Intellectual Property, Copyright, Trademark & False Advertising

San Francisco

Chris Civil is an associate in Orrick's San Francisco office and a member of the Intellectual Property Group. Chris' practice focuses on U.S. and international trademark counseling and prosecution, advising on branding strategies, and resolving trademark related disputes and litigation.

Before joining Orrick, Chris was an associate at an intellectual property law firm in Silicon Valley. His practice focused on U.S. and international trademark and copyright prosecution and litigation. During this time, Chris was recognized by the World Trademark Review as a top trademark application filing attorney. 

During law school, Chris was an editor for the Berkeley Technology Law Journal and completed legal internships with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the Center for Democracy & Technology, and the Wikimedia Foundation.