Houston
Guy Topaz is a versatile litigator whose practice spans complex commercial and financial services disputes in federal and state courts, domestic arbitration, white-collar investigations, and regulatory enforcement actions.
Guy counsels and represents individual and corporate clients including technology companies, global asset managers, Fortune 500 corporations, and private-equity sponsors in high-stakes matters in courts throughout the country. Guy draws upon his federal and state clerkship experiences, and his diverse international background in China, Europe, and the Middle East, to provide practical solutions that safeguard client objectives and reputation. Prior to joining Orrick, Guy practiced in the New York and Washington, D.C. offices of an international law firm.
Paris
Julia counsels on compliance issues in relation to European and French tech and data regulations, including:
and other new and emerging legislation impacting online platforms, technology developers, and eCommerce businesses. She advises companies of all sizes on a wide range of compliance matters, ranging the drafting of internal policies, to assisting with regulatory investigations, product counseling and regulatory engagement.
In the context of strategic transactions covering significant and complex technological issues, she is involved in the drafting and negotiation of agreements relating to data transfer, IT, software, content and brand licensing.
Julia is deeply familiar with the commercial considerations’ clients face, having practiced in-house at Twitter, Financial Times and CBS for more than a decade prior to joining Orrick. Julia also teaches a course on AI contracts for the Master's program in AI Law at a leading French university and acts as a mentor for students.
Düsseldorf
Dr. Schröder berät Mandanten zu den Auswirkungen neuer Technologien im Recht der Daten. Dies betrifft Datenschutzrecht, Cyber, IP und die zahlreichen neuen EU-Vorgaben für den Umgang mit Daten sowie der künstlichen Intelligenz. Außerdem unterstützt er sie bei ihren Compliance-Programmen und hilft ihnen, in aufsichtsbehördlichen Verfahren oder vor Gericht. Ein besonderer Schwerpunkt seiner Arbeit liegt auf internen Datenübertragungsvereinbarungen, externen Datenübertragungen mit externen Anbietern und Produkteinführungen, die internationalen Datenschutzstandards entsprechen, sowie auf den Datenschutzanforderungen für vernetzte Autos. Darüber hinaus berät er Unternehmen in Fragen des Datenrechts bei der Entwicklung, dem Erwerb, der Nutzung, der Lizenzierung und dem Verkauf von Technologien, Daten und geistigem Eigentum, einschließlich M&A-Transaktionen und Joint Ventures mit Schwerpunkt auf geistigem Eigentum. Weiterhin unterstützt er bei Verträgen über Hard- und Softwarelizenzen und IT-Projekte (Informationstechnologie).
Dr. Schröder unterhält enge Arbeitsbeziehungen zu deutschen Datenschutzbehörden und EU-Aufsichtsbehörden, die für Fragen des Datenrechts zuständig sind. Er verteidigt Unternehmen effektiv bei Untersuchungen von Aufsichtsbehörden und auch bei Fragen zur Cybersicherheit und zum Datenschutz. Er verhandelt mit Behörden im Namen seiner Mandanten und hilft ihnen, Verfahren und mögliche Rechtsstreitigkeiten zu vermeiden. Wenn sich ein Rechtsstreit nicht vermeiden lässt, verteidigt Dr. Schröder seine Klienten mit Nachdruck.
Unternehmen, die mit globalen Cybersecurity-Vorfällen konfrontiert sind, hilft Dr. Schröder bei der Krisenbewältigung. Dies umfasst unter anderem die Beratung zu Datenpannenmeldungen, Koordination von Medienstrategien und die Vertretung vor Datenschutzbehörden bei entsprechenden regulatorischen Untersuchungen.
Dr. Schröder schreibt regelmäßig nützliche Beiträge für internationale Medien und deutsche Datenschutzbücher und -zeitschriften. Er ist Autor des Kapitels V (Internationale Datenübermittlung) des führenden deutschen GDPR-Kommentars Kühling/Buchner (4. Auflage) und Mitautor des Handbuchs Betrieblicher Datenschutz. Als aktives Mitglied der Sedona-Conference treibt Dr. Schröder die Entwicklung und das Verständnis von grenzüberschreitendem Datenschutz voran. Er ist regelmäßig Gastgeber oder Moderator von Vortragsreihen zum Daten- Cyber- oder AI-Recht, die er mit Kollegen aus anderen Kanzleien, Mitgliedern von Datenschutzbehörden und anderen Akademikern abhält.
Legal 500 Deutschland hat Dr. Schröder zu einem der 15 besten Anwälte im Jahr 2023 ernannt und bezeichnet ihn als einen „Pionier auf dem Gebiet des Datenschutzes“. Dr. Schröder und Orrick werden für den internationalen Beratungsansatz gelobt und für ihre Fähigkeit jederzeit Thought Leaders unterschiedlicher Regionen zur Diskussion herausfordernder Anforderungen an einen gemeinsamen Tisch zu bringen.
Vor seiner Tätigkeit als Wirtschaftsanwalt absolvierte Dr. Schröder ein Praktikum beim deutschen Bundesdatenschutzbeauftragten und bei www.epic.org.
Düsseldorf
Robert war schon immer fasziniert von neuen Technologien und der Digitalisierung. Seiner Faszination folgend spezialisierte er sich auf Medienrecht, Immaterialgüterrecht und Datenschutzrecht. Bevor er bei Orrick tätig wurde, sammelte er auch Erfahrungen bei der Gründung eines Unternehmens, das eine Software as a Platform Dienstleistung anbot und indem er für einen deutschen Venture-Capital-Investor tätig war. Seine Rechtsberatung zu Technologietransaktionen - insbesondere zu SaaS- und IP-Vereinbarungen, E-Commerce bezogenen Themen, der damit verbundenen Unterstützung bei Fusionen und Übernahmen oder dem Datenschutz - spiegelt nicht nur seine rechtliche Expertise wider, sondern auch seine Erfahrung und Faszination für neue Technologien. Als IT- und IP-Anwalt mit einer sehr wirtschaftlichen Mentalität entwirft und verhandelt Robert alle Arten von IT- und IP-Vereinbarungen für kleine und mittelständische Unternehmen ebenso für große multinationale Konzerne. Er berät bei Fragen der Compliance mit dem Datenschutz - insbesondere bei Entwürfen von Datenschutzerklärungen und nationalen sowie internationalen Auftragsverarbeitungsvereinbarungen - oder stellt seine Expertise bei der Beurteilung von IP/IT- und Datenschutzfragen bei M&A-Transaktionen zur Verfügung. Er berät auch bei GDPR-Compliance-Projekten und bei der allgemeinen Einhaltung des Datenschutzes.
Er kam 2017 zu Orrick, nachdem er als wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter auf dem Gebiet des Datenschutzes geforscht hat.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
He has experience supporting litigation involving a wide range of technologies, including software, consumer electronics, semiconductor technologies, and automotive and aerospace technologies.
Jacob graduated from The Ohio State University, Michael E. Moritz College of Law. He also graduated from The Ohio State University with a B.S. in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering.
San Francisco
San Francisco
Paris; Paris Tech Studio
Paris; Paris Tech Studio
Ben is the founding partner of Orrick's French Tech Companies Group. For more than 15 years, he has been advising high-potential innovative companies as well as venture and tech growth investors on all their corporate private equity and M&A transactions in France and globally.
As such, he is involved in every stage of their development, from incubation and fundraising to external growth and industrial exits as well as public offerings (IPO, secondary).
Ben has significant experience advising French companies expanding into the United States, and assists them over the full lifecycle of their overseas growth. He also counts a number of American investors and buyers among his clients.
From his first venture deal in 2006, where he represented Lightspeed Venture Partners in Wikio’s Series A, which became Teads, a company he then accompanied for 11 years until its sale to Altice, Ben has led more than 330 corporate tech transactions. He has been involved in the main exit transactions in recent years, particularly those with a franco-american element such as Neolane/Adobe, La Fourchette/TripAdvisor, Stupeflix/GoPro, eNovance/Red Hat, Regaind/Apple, Zenly/Snap, Teads/Altice, Getaround/Drivy, Glose/Medium, Sqreen/Datadog, Lalilo/Renaissance Learning, Tempow/Google, Context/Integral Ad Science, Monk/ACV Auctions, Cajoo/Flink, Shipfix/Veson Nautical, Bereal/Voodoo.
Ben's leadership has contributed to placing Orrick as the #1 Venture Capital and Tech Growth practice in France (ranked #1 by Pitchbook in 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021 - CF News in 2024, 2023, 2022).
Recognized as a key lawyer in the market in venture capital and tech growth, Ben was ranked No. 1 in the "Top 10 Influential French Venture Capital Lawyers in Private Equity 2023" by Business Today. He was named "Lawyer of the Year" in the 2026 and 2023 editions of Best Lawyers France in the Venture Capital category. He is also ranked as a Leading Individual by The Legal 500 EMEA in Private Equity - Venture Capital/Growth Capital since 2020 and was voted as the most active tech lawyer in France in 2019 by transaction volume in CF News’ ranking.
Ben is the founder of Orrick Paris Tech Studio, a one of a kind office and working space created in June 2022 and located in the heart of the Paris Tech scene, which is the headquarters of Orrick's French Tech practice.
Paris
She has significant experience in both French and international tax matters and regularly advises on complex mergers and acquisitions, reorganizations, capital markets, and financing transactions.
Cécile works with French and international corporate groups across various sectors, both public and private, as well as financial institutions and investment funds. She also represents clients in their dealings with tax authorities, including ruling requests and tax litigation. Additionally, she assists in the structuring and implementation of employee stock offerings and management packages.
Cécile teaches a seminar on the tax aspects of LBOs as part of the Master in International Taxation program jointly offered by Paris II Panthéon-Assas University and HEC. She is a member of the International Fiscal Association (IFA) and the Institut des Avocats Conseils Fiscaux (IACF), where she served on the Corporate Tax Committee until October 2020. She is also a member of the Tax Committee of France Invest and has been appointed as a rapporteur for France at the IFA Congress in Lisbon in 2025.
In addition, Cécile serves on the board of the Alliance for the Financing of Femtech in France. She maintains an active pro bono practice in the tech sector and is strongly committed to initiatives and networks that support the long-term success of women leaders in business. Notably, she served as co-leader of the Women Enriching Business Committee in Paris at Latham & Watkins.
Before joining Orrick, Cécile spent four years in the tax team at Latham & Watkins, following seven years in the tax team at Cleary Gottlieb, working in both the Paris and New York offices.
Tokio; Washington, D.C.
Tokio; Washington, D.C.
Anri brings a combination of unique skills and attributes which, collectively, make him essential to both maintaining and growing Orrick's longstanding successful practice representing Japanese clients in high-value IP litigation matters as well as serving Orrick's clients worldwide who have needs in Japan. Unlike the limited role of most lawyers in Japan who focus on U.S. IP litigation to client relationship management, Anri is adept at both client relationship and substantive litigation work including briefing and taking witness at trials.
In addition to many patent cases at district courts, USITC and before the US Patent and Trademark Office, Anri is also an experienced practitioner in international arbitration practice. Most recently, he played a huge role in a massive international arbitration matter, which resulted in a complete victory for his client.
Washington, D.C.; Boston; New York
Washington, D.C.; Boston; New York
Tony regularly advises on mergers and acquisitions (M&A), private equity, growth equity, and venture capital transactions, as well as on corporate governance, joint ventures and corporate finance matters.
Tony has been recognized for his life sciences and M&A work by a number of notable publications, including The Legal 500 US, Law360, IFLR1000 and Legal Media Group. In particular, Law360 highlighted his work in navigating the complex life sciences industry and key partnership negotiations between biotechnology and drug companies.
In addition, Tony sustains an active pro bono practice, serving as counsel to nonprofit organizations such as Aequitas, APAI Vote, Chefs Stopping Asian American Hate, Rebuilding Together Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Film Society, and the Harvard Asian American Alumni Alliance. Tony also serves as an adjunct professor at Georgetown Law School where he has taught Takeovers, Mergers and Acquisitions since 2015.
New York
She advises investment banks, broker-dealers, hedge funds and other financial institutions on legal issues related to the purchase and sale of domestic and international par and distressed assets, including bilateral and syndicated loans, loan participations and derivative structured products. Amy also works with clients to structure deals involving preference, administrative and unsecured trade claims and assists clients in enforcing their rights in the bankruptcy case after the claims are purchased. She represents buy side and sell side clients in connection with private transfers of debt and equity securities, special situations investments, and transactional matters relative to in-court and out-of-court restructurings. Amy also has experience representing lenders on secured and unsecured financing transactions across a wide array of industries, including shipping, airline, energy and infrastructure.
Amy is a consensus builder with industry knowledge and working relationships with all major market players. She has extensive experience in the preparation and negotiation of bespoke documents under the LSTA and LMA regimes, and is routinely involved with cross-border transactions throughout Europe, Asia, Latin America and the United States. A seasoned practitioner, she coordinates efforts and resources across the firm to ensure transactions are handled efficiently.
Amy is an active member of the industry’s loan associations and provides training for in house counsel and operations teams at financial institutions.
Wheeling, W.V. (GOIC)
Wheeling, W.V. (GOIC)
The Restructuring Group advises banks, broker-dealers, hedge funds, and other entities on legal issues relating to the purchase and sale of syndicated loans, bankruptcy claims, and other alternative investments. Matthew's practice focuses on distressed debt trading.
During law school Matthew completed internships with Alcoa's Corporate Tax Department and Neighborhood Legal Services Association.