Paris
Laurent intervenes alongside his clients with legal and financial issues, both in terms of advice and litigation situations perspective.
Laurent deals with numerous issues in various fields: the tax consolidation system and, more generally, intra-group relations, the handling of bilateral tax treaties, the taxation of financial transactions, property taxation and local taxation, etc.
His recognized experience in the avoidance of abuse of rights enables corporate tax directors, financial investors and individuals to better secure their investment choices and structuring their transactions. In addition, his intimate knowledge of tax litigation is a major asset for clients.
Laurent has advised many ministries and public institutions on legislative and regulatory developments and their implementation, which gives him an extensive practical vision of both public and private law. His past experience has allowed him to manage and draft legislative bills, which makes him an authority on administrative and parliamentary machinery.
Before joining Orrick, Laurent was a judge of the Conseil d’État and assessor at the Court’s ninth Chamber of the litigation section of the Conseil d’État, worked as deputy Chief of staff of Marylise Lebranchu, the French Minister for the Civil Service, State Reform and Decentralisation and Chief of staff of Anne-Marie Escoffier, Deputy Minister of Decentralisation.
Santa Monica
She is primarily focused on space & defense transactions, venture capital financings and providing external general counsel guidance. Before joining Orrick, Laura led companies through transformational growth as general counsel and practiced ECVC law.
Laura was an early employee of rocket manufacturer Relativity Space and guided the company's legal strategy through the company's (and world's) first launch of a predominantly 3D-printed full-scale rocket. Throughout that period, Laura helped negotiate $1.3 billion in private funding. She helped secure millions of square feet of physical infrastructure, including a former Boeing C-17 factory and facilities at NASA's Stennis Space Center. She also negotiated customer contracts of over $1 billion with major global satellite operators, and laid the foundation for complying within a national security framework and developing an innovative IP portfolio.
Prior to Relativity Space, Laura was general counsel at Virgin Hyperloop. Before that, Laura was as a corporate attorney with Gunderson Dettmer in New York and worked on innovative deals (venture financings, M&A, IPO) throughout the city's tech boom of 2011-2016. She also applied her fluency in 5 languages to work on a wide array of international deals.
Laura is a founding member of the L Suite, formerly TechGC, a platform of over 2,000 in-house legal leaders at leading tech companies and venture capital funds. She previously served on its Executive Board and Steering Committee and co-led the Los Angeles chapter. She is also on the Steering Committee of Space Beach Law Lab, the leading platform for legal leaders and policymakers to shape the future of the space industry.
Boston
Laura’s litigation experience spans the gamut from initial pleadings through trial and everything in between. She represents numerous clients in the technology, automotive, retail, consumer products, and real estate industries. Her clients appreciate her diligence, effective communication, and excellent strategic judgment. At Orrick, Laura leads the Women’s Initiative for the Boston office and co-chairs the firm’s Middle East & North African inclusion network. She also co-chairs the Boston Bar Association’s Intellectual Property section.
Laura served as a Special District Attorney for Middlesex County in 2014. In that capacity, she prosecuted felony and misdemeanor criminal cases, trying jury and bench trials to final verdict and arguing dispositive and evidentiary motions. In 2010–2011, Laura completed a yearlong fellowship at the Political Asylum/Immigration Representation (PAIR) Project in Boston, where she assisted individuals who were affirmatively seeking asylum as well as defended individuals who were in removal proceedings in front of the Immigration Court. Through her pro bono practice, Laura continues to be committed to working to help individuals with various immigration matters.
New York
She regularly represents financial institutions, direct lenders, funds, and investors involved in bankruptcies, out-of-court restructurings, foreclosures, distressed sales and acquisitions, loan and claims trading, bankruptcy litigation and refinancing involving syndicated loan facilities, debtor-in-possession financing and exit financing. She also represents start-up and later stage venture companies (with a focus on technology, blockchain and crypto) and venture capital investors in connection with liquidity crunches, rescue financing, wind-downs and negotiated resolutions with key stakeholders and investments or claims against insolvent counterparties.
Recognized as “outstanding” by The Legal 500 US, Laura was also named a Recognized Practitioner by Chambers USA, which praised her “very commercial and solution oriented” approach. She is “a very capable lawyer who gives great advice,” according to clients. Her clients include Royal Bank of Canada, UBS O’Connor, Red Rock Biofuels, Jade Mountain Partners, ECN Capital Corporation, Equinor, Portigon AG, Macquarie, PwC,Transurban, the Bank of Nova Scotia, and Erste Abwicklungsanstalt among others.
Laura has been involved in many prominent bankruptcy and out-of-court restructuring cases, including FTX, Talen Energy, Celsius Networks, Three Arrows Capital, restructurings related to the collapse of Tera and Luna, Mt. Gox, Legacy Reserves, White Eagle, Cobalt, Chesapeake Energy, Shopko, The Weinstein Company, Lily Robotics, Seadrill, Chaparral, CHC Helicopters, Erickson, GT Advanced Technologies, Hostess, Pocahontas Parkway, Indiana Toll Road, Eagle Bulk, Fresh & Easy, American Airlines, Chemtura Corporation, Lazare Kaplan, Hawker Beechcraft, Metro Fuel, Claim Jumper Restaurants, Abitibibowater, Nortel, Fabrikant, Scotia Pacific, VICORP, Sea Containers, Lyondell, Foxwoods, Delta, US Air, Northwest, Star Diamond, and Ritchie Risk-Linked Strategies Trading (Ireland) Limited. She handles cross-border restructuring matters in major international jurisdictions such as Canada, Europe, Cayman Islands and B.V.I.
Laura also has expertise in the esoteric asset class, life settlements. She represents clients in the life settlement and premium finance markets, acting for buyers, sellers and owners of life settlements and premium finance loans, and has extensive experience with the various legal issues impacting such assets.
Los Angeles
Laura has significant trial experience as lead counsel and excels in presenting complex technology to judges and juries. In addition to her trial skills, she is well respected for her talents at the appellate level. Laura has principally authored dozens of appeal briefs in federal and state courts and argued nine appeals in the Ninth and Federal Circuits and the California Court of Appeal.
Laura began her career in the U.S. Justice Department's (DOJ) Honor Program, where she represented the government in criminal and civil deportation proceedings, advised the U.S. Attorney's Office on immigration issues, and ultimately provided legal guidance to field offices at Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) headquarters.
After leaving the DOJ's Honors Program for civil practice, Laura began working on her first patent case in 1999. The matter, which lasted almost a decade and ultimately reached the U.S. Supreme Court, greatly influenced her decision to become a patent litigator at a time when few non-technical lawyers and women practiced in the field. Since her initial patent case, Laura has represented clients from around the world in over 50 patent cases in California, DC, Delaware, Illinois, New York, and Texas. One of her prized possessions is the “trial victory bat” Louisville Slugger custom made for Laura after she secured a finding of non-infringement and defended the victory in the Federal Circuit.
Deeply committed to pro bono work, Laura has represented dozens of asylum seekers from around the world. And as an active participant in organizations supporting this work, she has been a recipient of pro bono and community service awards throughout her career.
San Francisco
San Francisco
As a partner, he represented public and private high growth technology companies, and venture capital funds in a broad range of industries including, energy, semiconductors, Internet, software and consumer products. He has extensive experience in start-up enterprises, venture financings, public offerings, mergers and acquisitions, and has advised companies and investors in cross border transactions involving Asia.
Larry was appointed in 1995 by President Clinton as one of four U.S. representatives to serve on the panel of arbitrators of the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes. He has served as an officer and board member for numerous non-profit organizations. From 2021 to 2023, he served as the Chief Operating Officer of Ascend, the largest network of Asian professionals.
Larry has published articles that have appeared in publications of the California Continuing Education of the Bar and the Practicing Law Institute. He has made presentations to the Practicing Law Institute, Law Journal Seminars, Silicon Valley Association of Start up Entrepreneurs, University of California College of the Law, San Francisco, University of California at Berkeley, Haas Business School, UC Berkeley Law and the California State Bar among others. He was a lecturer at Stanford Law School during the Fall of 2024.
Los Angeles; Houston
Los Angeles; Houston
As both bond counsel and underwriter’s counsel, he has been responsible for
structuring and analyzing the tax aspects of many tax-exempt financings
throughout the country.
Larry has extensive experience in handling IRS
audits of bond transactions. He has represented issuers in dozens of audits all
of which have ended favorably either with the IRS issuing a “no change” letter
or by negotiating a reasonable settlement when needed. Larry also has handled a
number of submissions under the IRS’ Voluntary Closing Agreement Program (or
VCAP). The two most recent VCAP submissions represented cases of first
impression for the IRS; one involving an issue of qualified energy conservation
bonds relating to determining the amount of those bonds eligible for the federal
subsidy; the other involved the plan to convert a “new money” bond issue into an
advance refunding (which did not meet all of the requirements for a tax-exempt
advance refunding). Both cases ultimately were resolved on the original terms
proposed to the IRS.
Larry has also been instrumental in developing new
financing techniques and structures. He first devised the tax structure and
analysis for, and has served as tax counsel on, Orrick’s tax exempt tobacco
revenue securitizations. He has developed the tax structure on numerous
tax-exempt prepayments for natural gas for municipal utilities both within and
outside of California.
New York
Laurie advises companies on overall strategies, from pre-litigation assessments to the final resolution of matters, which often involve novel scientific issues. Her clients frequently enlist her to strategically address the scientific claims asserted by non-governmental organizations, the plaintiffs' bar and consumer advocacy groups which affect the reputation of their products both before and during litigation.
Laurie is a frequent lecturer, author and media source on topics concerning mass tort/class actions, complex scientific issues and expert witnesses.
Prior to joining Orrick, Laurie was an associate at Donovan Leisure Newton & Irvine LLP, where she gained extensive experience in complex litigation including class actions based on product liability, securities RICO and fraud claims.
Seattle
Laura co-leads Orrick's Artificial Intelligence initiative and is a founding member of Orrick’s technology companies practice in the Pacific Northwest. She is passionate about working with women founders, other underrepresented entrepreneurs, and double bottom line companies. People who think differently, and set out to create impact, inspire her.
She represents companies and their investors in a variety of verticals, including AI & Machine Learning (Anthropic), consumer applications (AppSheet, Life360, Mylio), education technology (Go1), financial technology (SoFi), information security (Stairwell) and life sciences (Cortexyme, Inmedix), among others.
Prior to joining Orrick, Laura worked in New York as a leveraged finance attorney at Milbank, and in-house at Goldman Sachs and the New York Stock Exchange. In addition to start-up representation, she regularly provides pro bono legal advice to charitable organizations regarding non-profit incorporation and tax exemption applications.
San Francisco
Larry's typical representations range from formation and early stage corporate counseling, angel and venture capital financing, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and partnerships to angel and venture fund formations and lending and other commercial transactions. Larry's practice focus on a range of technology companies focused on education technology and education services, software and SAAS based businesses, consumer products to semiconductor businesses.
New York
Laura’s practice focuses on the executive compensation and employee benefits aspects of domestic and cross-border public and private mergers and acquisitions, spin-offs, divestitures, IPOs, minority investments and other corporate transactions. She also regularly advises on the design, taxation, disclosure, negotiation, implementation and ongoing administration of equity and cash incentive programs, deferred compensation plans, severance and other change in control and retention arrangements for both public and private companies, including private equity backed companies. In addition, Laura routinely represents companies and executives in the negotiation of employment, consulting, separation, and other compensation arrangements.
Before joining the firm, Laura practiced at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP.
New York
Her practice is unique in the market. In addition to leading Orrick’s Global Employment & Equity Compensation practice; she is also integrated into the firm’s top-tier employment practice and compensation and benefits practice, enabling her to offer comprehensive solutions for the modern workplace.
Her strategies extend beyond regulations and compliance, into the company’s overall culture and societal nuances of their local workforce. By blending these elements, her targeted plans address a wide range of issues, including hiring, performance management, terminations, discrimination, reclassification, HR data privacy compliance, employee handbooks and policies. She also helps implement employee equity and other compensation and benefits arrangements outside the United States, and covers all aspects of securities, foreign exchange and tax filings triggered by such rollouts. Whether working with a pre-IPO start-up or an international corporation, Laura remains focused on her client’s human capital.
Laura’s distinctive approach places her in high demand for corporate transactions, in particular IPOs and acquisitions. She advised on the employment and/or equity compensation aspects of a leading global technology company and a multinational digital communications technology conglomerate’s global acquisitions; various global transactions for GoPro, Sabre, and a U.S. social media company; the pre- and post-merger integration for DigiCert’s acquisition of Symantec’s Website Security Business; as well as the global acquisitions and global tender offers for a large number of pre-IPO clients. She has also advised companies such as Alcon, Pinterest, Elasticsearch, GitHub, Nvidia, Optimizely, Scale, Twist, Viasat, and Vice on global employment and equity compensation matters and transactions.
Laura serves as co-leader of Orrick’s Women’s Initiative.