American Lawyer’s California Legal Awards Recognize 4 Orrick Partners for AI and Tech Achievements

1 minute read | May.19.2025

The Recorder has named four Orrick partners on the shortlist for this year’s California Legal Awards:

Kristin Seeger was recognized as a Dealmaker of the Year finalist for her work for Intersect Power on a novel approach to co-locating data center load and clean power generation with Google.
Shannon Yavorsky, a co-leader of Orrick’s AI practice, landed on the Women Leaders in Tech Law, Regulatory honoree list for her leadership in responsible AI – for the second year in a row.
Annette Hurst, another co-leader of the firm’s AI practice, was named an Intellectual Property Lawyer of the Year finalist for her defense of groundbreaking AI copyright matters for Microsoft.
Libby Moulton earned a spot on the Lawyers on the Fast Track honoree list for her appellate work for Sonos in its long-running patent battle with Google and other tech wins.

Orrick was also named a finalist for Law Firm of the Year, Tech Industry Advisory Team of the Year and Tech Industry Litigation Department of the Year – one of only two firms recognized in all three categories. The winners will be announced on June 25.

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Kristin Seeger Partner, Energy & Infrastructure, Renewable Energy

San Francisco

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D:+1 415 773 5973
E: kseeger@orrick.com

Practice:

Energy & Infrastructure
Renewable Energy
Mergers & Acquisitions

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Kristin Seeger Partner

San Francisco

Her experience spans projects across the United States and Canada and includes award-winning transactions. She is recognized nationally as Chambers USA Band 2 for Projects: Power & Renewables: Transactional (2024) and as a Leading Lawyer: Energy-Renewable/Alternative Power by Legal 500. Clients describe her as "very knowledgeable" with a "great sense of being practical and understanding what the drivers are on either side of the table."

Kristin is a key member of Orrick's energy transition practice, which was recognized as Band 1 in Energy Transition by Chambers USA (2024). She also serves on Orrick's Board.

Shannon Yavorsky Partner, Cyber, Privacy & Data Innovation, Technology Transactions

San Francisco; London

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D:+1 415 773 5731
E: syavorsky@orrick.com

Practice:

Technology & Innovation Sector
Cyber, Privacy & Data Innovation
Technology Transactions
Global Compliance & Regulatory
Government Investigations and Enforcement Actions
Responsible Business
Strategic Advisory & Government Enforcement (SAGE)

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Shannon Yavorsky Partner

San Francisco; London

She advises public and private companies across several sectors, including life sciences and health technology, financial services, private equity, insurance, social media and technology on a range of EU and U.S. federal and state privacy laws. Shannon’s strategic counseling advice includes, but is not limited to:

Advertising and payment card processing self-regulatory frameworks
Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography And Marketing Act (CAN-SPAM)
Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA)
EU AI Act
EU e-Privacy Directive (EPD)
EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)
Gramm–Leach–Bliley Act (GLBA)
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) AI Risk Management Framework (AIRMF)
Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA)
U.S. state breach notification laws
U.S. state privacy laws in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, Virginia and other states

Shannon also helps clients undertake comprehensive privacy, cybersecurity and AI risk assessments, evaluates privacy, security and AI risks in corporate transactions and drafts and negotiates data-related contracts. She advises clients on cross-border data transfers, data breaches and developing global privacy and AI compliance programs.

Annette Hurst Partner, Intellectual Property, Trademark, Copyright & Media

San Francisco

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D:+1 415 773 4585
E: ahurst@orrick.com

Practice:

Technology & Innovation Sector
Intellectual Property
Trademark, Copyright & Media
Artificial Intelligence (AI)

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Annette Hurst Partner

San Francisco

Annette is an experienced trial lawyer who has tried copyright, trade secret, trademark, patent and business tort claims. As a risk analyst and problem solver with deep proficiency in the software industry, Annette is a go-to counselor and speaker regarding the legal issues surrounding access and use of datasets in the development of machine learning algorithms. She was named “Litigator of the Week” by The American Lawyer for her work as co-lead counsel on the Mattel/MGA case. Chambers USA ranks her in Band 1 for Trademark, Copyright & Trade Secrets, with clients reporting that she is “smart, creative and terrific at oral argument” and “a very well-known authority in copyright law, a great advocate and a great trial lawyer.” Chambers reports: “Clients agree that Annette Hurst is ‘a very powerful and experienced trial lawyer for copyright cases, and a good team leader who is reliable before judges,” and “Peers consider Annette Hurst a ‘remarkably intuitive’ lawyer who ‘brings unique perspectives to soft IP cases.” Since 2018, The Legal 500 has recognized Annette as a “Leading Lawyer” in copyright law, and she was named “Female Litigator of the Year West” by Benchmark Litigation in 2013. Annette has been repeatedly named one of the top 75 IP litigators in California by The Daily Journal.

Annette’s community and professional activities include past service on the Northern District of California Patent Local Rules Committee, President of the Lafayette Elementary School PTA, and past membership on the Board of Directors of the Volunteer Legal Services Program and Board of Directors of the Bar Association of San Francisco for which she was chair of the Finance and Investments Committee. She also is a past member of the Board of Directors of the Legal Aid Society of San Francisco and the Board of Governors of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers, Northern California Chapter, as well as a past president of the Barristers Club.

Libby Moulton Partner, Supreme Court & Appellate, Patent & Intellectual Property Rights Appeals

San Francisco; Silicon Valley

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D:+1 415 773 5673
E: emoulton@orrick.com

Practice:

Supreme Court & Appellate
Patent & Intellectual Property Rights Appeals

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Libby Moulton Partner

San Francisco; Silicon Valley

Libby joins trial teams – both within and outside of Orrick – and takes the role of legal strategist and brief writer. Before trial, Libby develops strategies for raising and preserving legal issues, especially Daubert issues and dispositive motions. At trial, Libby handles the charge conference, Rule 50(a) or directed verdict motions, and pocket briefing as needed. After trial, she manages the post-trial briefing and transitions the case to appeal.

More than half of Libby's cases involve co-counsel outside of Orrick, where she quickly develops productive and collaborative relationships with outside litigation teams. She has experience in trial courts in Delaware, Texas, California (state and federal), Massachusetts, and the ITC.

In addition to her trial work, Libby maintains a robust appellate practice. Libby leads appellate briefing and has presented oral arguments in the Federal Circuit, Ninth Circuit, and New York Appellate Division. She has also represented clients in appeals to the Sixth Circuit, DC Circuit, California Court of Appeal, and US Supreme Court.

Libby also has an active pro bono practice, including representing the Arizona Federal Public Defender’s Office in an ongoing administrative challenge to capital habeas proceedings.

Prior to joining Orrick, Libby served as a law clerk to Judge Raymond C. Clevenger III of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and to Judge Ronald M. Whyte of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. Before law school, Libby was a patent examiner in the medical device area at the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

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