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Practice:

  • Technology Companies Group
  • Mergers & Acquisitions

Christopher Sprado, LL.M. (University of Virginia) Partner

Düsseldorf

Christopher Sprado greift auf eine langjährige Erfahrung bei der Beratung von multinationalen Unternehmen und internationalen Investoren bei ihren wichtigsten Transaktionen und strategischen Herausforderungen zurück. Seine Mandanten schätzen dabei insbesondere seinen Pragmatismus und seine Fähigkeit, komplexe Fragestellungen auf das Wesentliche zu reduzieren und einer effizienten Lösung zuzuführen.

Bevor er sich im Jahr 2021 Orrick angeschlossen hat, war Christopher Sprado rund zehn Jahre als Rechtsanwalt bei Linklaters LLP tätig und hat in dieser Zeit u.a. Secondments bei zwei großen deutschen börsennotierten Unternehmen absolviert.

Practice:

  • Technology Companies Group
  • Mergers & Acquisitions

Carsten Bernauer Partner

Düsseldorf; München

Ein besonderer Fokus liegt auf der umfassenden Begleitung junger Technologieunternehmen und ihrer Investoren. In diesem Zusammenhang begleitet er seine Mandanten durch sämtliche Wachstumsphasen mit dem Ziel einer schnellen und effizienten Unterstützung bei der Umsetzung ihrer Wachstumspläne und Investitionsstrategien.

Im Rahmen der Transaktionsberatung profitieren seine Mandanten auch von seiner umfassenden Erfahrung in der Strukturierung, Leitung und Koordinierung von komplexen Transaktionsprozessen, einschließlich der übrigen an der Transaktion beteiligten Berater; bei internationalen Transaktionen unter Zugriff auf Orricks umfassende und in den Bereichen Technologie, Private Equity & Venture Capital weltweit führende Plattform. 

Ein weiterer Beratungsschwerpunkt von Carsten Bernauer liegt in der Begleitung nationaler und internationaler Unternehmenstransaktionen, insbesondere im Technologiebereich, sowie von Konzernumstrukturierungen. 

Nach langjähriger Tätigkeit für eine amerikanische und eine englische Wirtschaftskanzlei hat sich Carsten Bernauer im Jahr 2019 dem Düsseldorfer Büro von Orrick angeschlossen.

740

Practice:

  • Technology & Innovation Sector

Karen G. Johnson-McKewan Senior Counsel

San Francisco

Karen focuses on litigation that crosses the boundaries between traditional legal practices, and therefore requires inventive and strategic approaches. These solutions, tucked in the creases between law and industry, are why leading technology and Fortune 500 companies hire Karen to resolve their most complex litigation matters.

Over the past 36 years, Karen has first-chaired state and federal trials, and arbitrated more than a dozen disputes. She has managed intellectual property and commercial disputes for companies such as Oracle, NVIDIA, Netflix and VMWare.

In addition to her legal background, Karen’s relationship management skills give her clients a significant advantage. She knows how to pull together and lead the best team, from multiple disciplines within Orrick, and often involving multiple law firms. Able to unite what were, and will be, competing firms into a single powerful unit takes a special type of leadership, one which Karen has demonstrated time and again.

Practice:

  • Mergers & Acquisitions
  • Private Equity
  • Energy & Infrastructure
  • Infrastructure

Marc Diab Maalouf Senior Associate

Paris

Marc advises investment funds, industrial groups, listed companies, and startups, both French and international, on all aspects of business law, particularly in the context of acquisitions, disposals, mergers, reorganizations, and strategic partnerships. 

He is particularly active in the infrastructure, renewable energy, and new technology sectors, both in France and internationally.

In 2025, the international guide Legal 500 EMEA named him in the Key Lawyer category in Private equity: LBO and commented "high-quality deliverables; clear, didactic communication; strong proposals; proactive" and "serious while being relaxed in interactions, appreciable in the execution phase under pressure".

449088

Practice:

  • Technology Companies Group
  • Technology & Innovation
  • Life Sciences & HealthTech
  • Mergers & Acquisitions

Josh Beser Partner

New York

As a partner in Orrick’s top 5 ranked Technology Companies Group, Josh Beser is the first call for high-growth company and venture investor clients. Focused on guiding startups from seed stage through late-stage financings and strategic exits, he brings the perspective of a former general counsel who has scaled e-commerce businesses from the inside. This includes helping Away, for whom he continues to serve as primary outside corporate counsel, raise over $200 million and achieve a $1.4 billion valuation.

Josh is particularly passionate about building high-growth companies in regulated environments, helping his clients synthesize a wide range of potential legal and regulatory issues to drive growth, product innovation, fundraising, expansion, and M&A, while navigating founder transitions and board dynamics.

In doing so, he draws on his Orrick colleagues' deep regulatory expertise across AI, digital health/healthtech, fintech, consumer and retail innovation, energy and infrastructure, gaming, space, life sciences and other verticals.

Josh works closely with founders, executives and boards in:

  • Digital Health and Health Tech – Partnering with Orrick’s healthtech regulatory team, Josh is primary outside counsel to digital health and healthtech startups at all stages, including telehealth platforms, AI/ML in diagnostics, and care delivery innovation.
  • Consumer Brands and Retail Innovation – As a former high-growth consumer brand General Counsel, Josh is uniquely positioned to understand and support high growth brands and the platforms supporting them across retail, logistics and fulfillment, such as Away, Studs, Skims, Blueland and Packsmith.
  • Fintech – Partnering with Orrick’s fintech and financial advisory team, Josh is primary outside counsel to high-growth fintech companies in areas such as consumer finance and embedded payments.

Josh also regularly advises leading VCs and strategic investors active in these markets.


“Working with Josh is different because it really feels like he has my back. I know I’m getting great, practical advice from someone who’s been there.”

— General Counsel, Late-stage consumer brand


Operator Insight. Founder-Focused.

Before joining Orrick, Josh served as General Counsel at two high-growth, late-stage startups where he built and led legal, compliance, people and operations functions. This hands-on experience gives him a deep understanding of startup dynamics and what it takes to scale responsibly.

He has served as a key leadership voice during periods of hypergrowth, board transitions, crisis response, and internal investigations — bringing valuable market-wide perspective and judgment to fast-moving situations.

  • Advised 25m Health on incubations, investments and strategic projects, including a joint venture in the consumer wellness/medical aesthetics space.
  • Advised Ataraxis AI, an AI-powered personalized medicine startup,since inception, including on its Series Seed and Series A financings and commercial and regulatory matters.
  • Provided product and corporate counsel to Alan Meds, a scaling telehealth company, including equity and debt financing matters.
  • Provided corporate counsel to SimpliFed, a scaling digital health company focused on virtual lactation consulting and women’s health.
  • Advised Misfits Market in growth financing and M&A matters.
  • Supported Crossbeam in its Series C financing and its merger with Reveal to build a cross-border go-to-market data platform.
  • Represented a late-stage fintech company on its role in the largest prepaid card program in the United States, as well as corporate and financing matters.
  • Represented Meadow, an education fintech, since inception, including in its Series Seed and Series A financings and commercial and regulatory matters.
  • Represented Studs in growth equity and debt financings and strategic growth initiatives.

Leadership & Community

Josh is active in New York’s tech and venture ecosystem as a mentor, panelist and investor. He is a frequent speaker on topics ranging from digital health innovation to scaling the legal function as a business driver.

740

Practice:

  • Energy & Infrastructure Sector
  • Energy & Infrastructure
  • Energy
  • Infrastructure
  • Renewable Energy
  • Wind Energy
  • Solar Energy
  • Mergers & Acquisitions

Victoria Boyne Partner

New York

Vicki negotiates project financings, procurement, acquisition and sale of energy and infrastructure projects. She quarterbacks complex mergers and acquisitions as well as project developments that require coordination with a host of different parties and advises on debt and equity financings for renewable and conventional energy projects. Well versed in public-private partnerships (PPP/P3) and securities offerings, Vicki guides clients through the legal and business challenges of large infrastructure projects.

Vicki is recognized nationally by Chambers USA, where clients state that she “is terrific to work with,” and she “always makes herself available and is extremely knowledgeable, intelligent and able to get the best out of everyone she works with.”

A distinctive aspect of Vicki’s practice is her dual focus in both the infrastructure and renewables sectors. She leverages this unique perspective in her client relationships with project developers, sponsors, issuers, lenders and governmental authorities.

Passionate about strategizing to get a project to completion, Vicki helps clients build consensus and find creative solutions with achievable outcomes. Whether it’s for the development of a major airport expansion, the equity or debt financing of a wind farm, or the acquisition of a geothermal facility portfolio, Vicki counsels clients on challenging issues and the broader process, providing commercial advice that considers all stakeholders involved.

740

Practice:

  • Finance Sector
  • Steuern

Richard Chirls Partner

New York

With more than 30 years of experience, Richard is widely recognized as one of the nation’s foremost authorities, having broad experience with tax exempt financings and related transactions involving governmental and not-for-profit entities.  His skill and stature in the public finance community was recognized by the National Association of Bond Lawyers’ highest award for his career of distinguished service in public finance. 

Richard focuses on new products, including the development of new and creative financing techniques for governments, non-profits and investment bankers. He regularly works on transactions throughout the country.  However, in his home office in New York City, he leads the relationship with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, serving as counsel on well over 100 transactions over a period of more than 20 years and has headed the tax work in connection with every financing of a cultural facility relating to museums and performing arts in New York City over this same period.  Richard has worked on the tax aspects of several of the largest and most complex public private partnership (P3) transactions in recent years.  He frequently acts as special tax counsel to issuers and underwriters of municipal finance issues.

465979

Practice:

  • Technology & Innovation Sector
  • Technology Companies Group
  • Life Sciences & HealthTech

Mark Solakian Partner

Boston

With more than three decades of experience advising both private and public companies—and having served as a senior in-house executive across multiple pioneering biotech and life sciences companies—Mark brings a uniquely business minded perspective to his counsel and delivers a rare blend of legal acumen and executive experience that positions him as a trusted strategic partner to entrepreneurs, companies and investors.

Mark is a veteran of hundreds of successful venture capital financings, technology and licensing transactions, strategic alliances, corporate governance matters, mergers and acquisitions, and public and private equity and debt offerings on behalf of companies in every health and biotech related vertical.

Before joining Orrick, Mark was a partner and co-founder of the Wilson Sonsini Boston office. He previously held senior executive roles at Affymetrix (AFFX), Helicos Biosciences (HLCS) and Joule Global Holdings, where he oversaw legal strategy, led public offerings and financings, negotiated strategic partnerships and licensing transactions, and managed critical business functions including HR, finance, and government affairs.

Mark and his wife, Christine, have been married for more than 25 years and have two adult children.

351200

Practice:

  • Cyber, Privacy & Data Innovation
  • Internet of Things
  • Strategic Advisory & Government Enforcement (SAGE)

Sulina Gabale Partner

Washington, D.C.

As innovation pushes the limits of technology, those ideas challenge the boundaries of what is considered “personally identifiable information.” Sulina answers the question - how can we create tomorrow’s technology with yesterday’s privacy and consumer protection laws? Sulina works closely with innovators at all levels of a business – executives, engineers, marketing and product, HR and customer service teams – to gain a true understanding of their goals and the data they’re collecting, using and sharing. She places herself in her client’s shoes as well as in consumers’ mindset to devise creative privacy-by-design solutions, ensuring her client’s business and data innovation strategies withstand multi-national rules, government regulations, industry standards and consumer scrutiny.

With experience in both data privacy and consumer protection, Sulina utilizes a comprehensive approach to counsel clients on a myriad of issues affecting consumers and businesses. She routinely guides companies of all sizes through the existing patchwork of laws, self-regulatory standards and industry practice impacting data privacy and security. She advises clients subject to regulatory investigations and litigation involving a spectrum of federal and state laws, including:

  • California Online Privacy Protection Act (CalOPPA)
  • Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)
  • Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and related state student data privacy laws
  • Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)
  • Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA)
  • Illinois’ Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) and other biometric privacy laws
  • Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act (FTC Act)
  • U.S. state privacy laws in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, Virginia and other states

Sulina advises companies of all sizes on the development and deployment of cutting-edge technologies and services, including ad-tech, AI and machine learning, biometric tools, social media, robotics and IoT devices, marketing and promotions and more. Sulina began her legal career focusing on consumer protection. She continues to counsel clients on marketing and promotional issues, including interest-based ads; sweepstakes and promotions; automatic renewal and subscriptions; advertising substantiation; influencer programs and social media; SMS text messaging and telemarketing (including matters involving the Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR), the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA)); and other state and federal consumer protection laws.

Sulina’s practice is industry-agnostic. She has represented clients ranging from start-ups to Fortune 500s, non-profits, academic institutions and city governments across a range of industries from fashion and ecommerce, financial services, retail, food and beverage and technology services. Prior to law school, Sulina worked in the highly interactive fields of journalism, entertainment and digital media. This well-rounded background helps her connect with clients on a personal level, and ensure her advice integrates legal solutions with business practicality.

Before joining Orrick, Sulina was a member of the Privacy & Data Security Group; Entertainment & Media Group; and IP, Information & Innovation Group at Reed Smith, LLP in New York and Washington, D.C.

740

Practice:

  • Finance Sector
  • Technology & Innovation Sector
  • Cyber, Privacy & Data Innovation
  • Class Action Defense
  • White Collar, Investigations, Securities Litigation & Compliance
  • Behördliche Untersuchungen und Vollstreckungsmaßnahmen
  • (Schieds ) Gerichtsverfahren
  • Strategic Advisory & Government Enforcement (SAGE)

Aravind Swaminathan Partner

Seattle; Boston

A leading cybersecurity and online safety authority, Aravind is recognized by Chambers USA in Privacy and Data Security in both Litigation and Incident Response. Clients describe him as “a very talented lawyer experienced with incident responses” and “incredibly responsive and technically savvy.”

Aravind’s deep knowledge of his clients’ business objectives and technological capabilities distinguishes him as a strategic advisor and frontline crisis responder. He advises some of the world’s leading online platforms, public and private financial institutions, tech companies, higher education institutions, and critical infrastructure providers on cybersecurity, and their obligations to monitor and remove harmful or illegal content online and root out instances of child exploitation.

He is adept at guiding companies through cybersecurity incidents, having directed more than 500 data breach investigations, including enterprise-wide network intrusions to cyberattacks with national security implications. Aravind defends clients in an array of cybersecurity and privacy class actions and regulatory enforcement actions brought by the SEC, FTC, NY DFS and State AGs, and also represents individual C-level executives in criminal and civil regulatory enforcement matters.

As a former assistant United States attorney, he investigated and prosecuted a broad array of cybercrime, child exploitation cases, digital crimes, and white-collar crime cases. This first-hand knowledge of federal agencies allows him to navigate the system, partner with investigators and find creative solutions for clients.

Aravind is a member of Orrick’s Board of Directors, and he devotes much of his free time to advising independent schools on AI, online safety, and cybersecurity, and teaching and coaching.

465998

Practice:

  • Technology & Innovation Sector
  • Technology Companies Group
  • Life Sciences & HealthTech

Jake Gatof Partner

Boston

Jake counsels visionary founders and top-tier venture and growth equity funds on venture financings, complex M&A, corporate governance, strategic collaborations, and other mission-critical transactions. Known for his steady counsel and deep market knowledge, Jake helps emerging companies scale with confidence and investors deploy capital with clarity.

Jake’s experience also includes representation of top growth equity and venture capital funds in the execution of their deals and deployment of capital, including work with TPG Capital, 5AM Ventures, and Pillar VC, among others.

He is currently a member of the Board of Trustees for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (New England) and is an active member of the Boston venture and emerging company ecosystem, including frequent speaking engagements for founders and other stakeholders on entrepreneurship, capital formation, and strategic transaction matters.

Prior to joining Orrick, Jake worked with Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati in its Boston office upon its founding. He lives in Boston with his wife Emily, an oncologist here in Boston, and their daughter Mia.

467366

Practice:

  • Technology & Innovation Sector
  • Technology Companies Group

Reilly Clark Managing Associate

Boston

Reilly focuses on representing  high growth technology and life sciences companies through their business life cycle. He advises on a broad range of corporate and transactional matters from formation to exit, including incorporation, governance, financing, and M&A matters. Reilly regularly counsels clients on both venture capital transactions as well as day-to-day governance and equity compensation matters.

Prior to joining Orrick, Reilly worked with Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati in its Boston office and served in the United States Marine Corps.