Jennifer C. Lee

Partner

San Francisco

Jennifer Lee is a Partner in Orrick’s San Francisco office who focuses her practice on complex commercial litigation in the financial services industry. She defends investment banks, corporations and financial services companies and has deep knowledge of the structured finance and mortgage servicing industries, having spent nearly a decade representing financial institutions in million and billion-dollar cases arising from the fallout of the 2009 financial crisis.

Jennifer defends her clients in federal and state litigation across the country that allege fraud, breach of contract, or securities law violations. She is a key member of an Orrick trial team that has shaped the legal landscape of RMBS litigation after the 2009 financial crisis, delivering out-of-the box arguments and innovative solutions for her clients, from initial receipt of pre-litigation demands through expert work, summary judgment and trial.

Jennifer's mortgage-backed securities litigation experience, which spans the last decade, includes:

Representing Credit Suisse Securities in multiple million and billion-dollar actions across the country brought by monoline insurers, trustees, and regulators alleging breaches of representations and warranties, fraud, and securities violations. Recent highlights include conducting direct examination of an expert witness in a trial in February 2023, and securing partial dismissal of claims in December 2023 after arguing a motion to dismiss.
Representing Goldman Sachs in two RMBS putback actions pending in the Southern District of New York alleging that Goldman breached representations and warranties regarding the characteristics of the deal loans.

Jennifer also has significant mortgage servicing expertise, including the following matters:

Representing Nationstar in a breach of contract dispute alleging that Nationstar failed to properly service and made misrepresentations regarding thousands of early buy-out loans.
Representing Ocwen Mortgage Servicing in a consumer class action in the Eastern District of California alleging numerous claims including RICO, California consumer protection statutes and fraud.

Jennifer also represents financial services companies related to commercial disputes, including:

Representing Pipe Technologies, Inc. in multiple commercial disputes regarding payment of services.
Representing a large financial services platform in multiple subpoenas issued for production of documents.

Jennifer is dedicated to pro bono work, including asylum claims, a cause close to her heart as a child of immigrants. Prior to joining Orrick, she held a fellowship position in the Law Reform Unit at the Legal Aid Society of New York, litigating both individual cases as well as class actions.

Jennifer is a leader and advocate for inclusion and belonging initiatives in the legal profession. She leads Orrick's Inclusion & Belonging Committee in San Francisco. She has served as a fellow for the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, and is active in the California Minority Counsel Program.

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D: +1 415 773 4137
E:jclee@orrick.com

Address:

The Orrick Building
405 Howard Street
San Francisco, CA 94105-2669
United States

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Practices

Admitted In
- California
- New York
Education
- The George Washington University Law School, J.D., 2009, cum laude
- University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business, B.S., Business Administration, 2006, cum laude
Externships
- Hon. Marian Blank Horn, United States Court of Federal Claims
Honors
- Articles Editor, The Public Contract Law Journal
- Thurgood Marshall Scholar, The George Washington University Law School
Languages
- Mandarin
Publications
- Co-author, “U.S. Supreme Court Denies S&P Investors’ Petition for Certiorari,” Orrick’s Financial Industry Review Blog (November 10, 2015).
- Co-author, “Goldman Sachs Settles CDO Class Action,” Orrick’s Financial Industry Review Blog (November 10, 2015).
- Co-author, “Barclays and Wachovia Settle with NCUA,” Orrick’s Financial Industry Review Blog (October 27, 2015).
- Co-author, “New York Appellate Court Allows Repurchase Claims Against Nomura To Proceed,” Orrick’s Financial Industry Review Blog (October 19, 2015).
- Co-author, “D.C. Circuit Court “Tunes In” To SEC Administrative Court Debate,” Orrick’s Securities Litigation and Regulatory Enforcement Blog (October 6, 2015).
- Co-author, “Court Denies CIFG’s Attempt to Refile CDO Suit Against J.P. Morgan,” Orrick’s Financial Industry Review Blog (October 5, 2015).
- Co-author, “$600 Million RMBS Repurchase Suit Against J.P. Morgan Dismissed,” Orrick’s Financial Industry Review Blog (September 29, 2015).
- Co-author, “Claims Dismissed From RMBS Class Action Against Citibank,” Orrick’s Financial Industry Review Blog (September 14, 2015).
- Co-author, “Bank of America and Midland Settle RMBS Litigation,” Orrick’s Financial Industry Review Blog (September 14, 2015).
- Co-author, “Goldman Sachs Wins Summary Judgment In CDO Class Action,” Orrick’s Financial Industry Review Blog (September 14, 2015).
- Co-author, “Potential Damages in RMBS Suit Against WMC Mortgage Drastically Reduced,” Orrick’s Financial Industry Review Blog (September 8, 2015).
- Co-author, “FDIC Sues BNY Mellon For Alleged Failure As Trustee of RMBS,” Orrick’s Financial Industry Review Blog (August 21, 2015).
- Co-author, “Union Pension Fund Requests Approval of Settlement With Goldman Sachs in RMBS Litigation,” Orrick’s Financial Industry Review Blog (August 21, 2015).
- Co-author, “New York Appellate Court Upholds ACA’s Fraud Suit Against Goldman Sachs,” Orrick’s Financial Industry Review Blog (August 21, 2015).
- Co-author, “Goldman Sachs’s Motion to Dismiss Mostly Denied in $73M RMBS Suit,” Orrick’s Financial Industry Review Blog (July 6, 2015).
- Co-author, “The Boss Makes HOW much more than me? SEC Issues Final Pay Ratio Rule,” Orrick’s Securities Litigation and Regulatory Enforcement Blog (August 11, 2015).
- Co-author, “Judge Cote Grants Partial Summary Judgment in RMBS Suit,” Orrick’s Financial Industry Review Blog (July 20, 2015).
- Co-author, “RMBS Suit Against WMC Mortgage LLC Dismissed as Time-Barred,” Orrick’s Financial Industry Review Blog (July 20, 2015).
- Co-author, “U.S. Bank Sues Countrywide for $178M in RMBS Losses,” Orrick’s Financial Industry Review Blog (July 6, 2015).
- Co-author, “HSBC Motion to Dismiss Denied in Part in Trustee RMBS Suits by Blackrock, Royal Park Investments, and Phoenix Light,” Orrick’s Financial Industry Review Blog (June 8, 2015).
- Co-author, “Court Enters $806 Million Judgment in FHFA v. Nomura,” Orrick’s Financial Industry Review Blog (May 26, 2015).
- Co-author, “US Bank and Bank of America Prevail on Motions to Dismiss,” Orrick’s Financial Industry Review Blog (May 26, 2015).
- Co-author, “Morgan Stanley Mortgage Capital Holdings LLC Motion to Dismiss RMBS Claims Granted in Part,” Orrick’s Financial Industry Review Blog (April 10, 2015).
- Co-author, “Prudential Settles $2B RMBS Suit with Bank of America and Merrill Lynch & Co.,” Orrick’s Financial Industry Review Blog (April 27, 2015).
- Co-author, “Second Circuit Vacates Dismissal of $25M CDO Case Against Citi,” Orrick’s Financial Industry Review Blog (April 27, 2015).
- Co-author, “Better Keep Your Opinions to Yourselves for Now: Second Circuit Doubles Down in Deutsche Bank Ruling in Advance of Supreme Court Review of Omnicare,” Orrick’s Securities Litigation and Regulatory Enforcement Blog (July 22, 2014).
- Co-author, “If the SEC Misses the SOL, It’s SOL (Sorry, Out of Luck) – District Court Holds Statute of Limitations Is Jurisdictional and Applies to SEC Disgorgement and Injunctive Relief Requests,” Orrick’s Securities Litigation and Regulatory Enforcement Blog (May 27, 2014).
- Co-author,“District Judge Takes Jab at SEC’s Home-Court Advantage in Administrative Proceedings, But Defense Bar May Not Have a Slam Dunk,” Orrick’s Securities Litigation and Regulatory Enforcement Blog (June 16, 2015).
- Co-author, “Supreme Court Narrows the Scope of SLUSA Preemption, Green-Lighting State Law Class Action Claims Alleging Ponzi Scheme,” Orrick's Securities Litigation and Regulatory Enforcement Blog (March 4, 2014).
- Co-author, “Quid Pro Quo, yes or no? SEC Signs First Individual Deferred Prosecution Agreement,” Orrick’s Securities Litigation and Regulatory Enforcement Blog (November 19, 2013).
- Co-author, “‘Order up!’ FIRREA update,” Orrick’s Securities Litigation and Regulatory Enforcement Blog (July 18, 2013).
- Co-author, “Where There’s Smoke, There’s FIRREA (Part Two),” Orrick’s Securities Litigation and Regulatory Enforcement Blog (July 16, 2013).
- Co-author, “SEC and FBI Try to Ketchup to Heinz Insider Traders,” Orrick’s Securities Litigation and Regulatory Enforcement Blog (February 26, 2013).
- Co-author, “Sprint Offers Unlimited Data, But Not for Shareholders: KPMG Documents Prepared for the PCAOB Mostly Privileged Under SOX,” Orrick’s Securities Litigation and Regulatory Enforcement Blog (October 16, 2012).
- Co-author, "The Boss Makes HOW much more than me? SEC Issues Final Pay Ratio Rule," Orrick's Securities Litigation and Regulatory Enforcement Blog (August 11, 2015).
- Co-author,"District Judge Takes Jab at SEC's Home-Court Advantage in Administrative Proceedings, But Defense Bar May Not Have a Slam Dunk," Orrick's Securities Litigation and Regulatory Enforcement Blog (June 16, 2015).
- Co-author, "Better Keep Your Opinions to Yourselves for Now: Second Circuit Doubles Down in Deutsche Bank Ruling in Advance of Supreme Court Review of Omnicare," Orrick's Securities Litigation and Regulatory Enforcement Blog (July 22, 2014).
- Co-author, "If the SEC Misses the SOL, It's SOL (Sorry, Out of Luck) - District Court Holds Statute of Limitations Is Jurisdictional and Applies to SEC Disgorgement and Injunctive Relief Requests," Orrick's Securities Litigation and Regulatory Enforcement Blog (May 27, 2014).
- Co-author, “Madoff Fund Investors’ Exchange Act Claims Bite the Morrison Dust,” Orrick’s Securities Litigation and Regulatory Enforcement Blog (June 12, 2012).
- Co-author, "Quid Pro Quo, yes or no? SEC Signs First Individual Deferred Prosecution Agreement," Orrick's Securities Litigation and Regulatory Enforcement Blog (November 19, 2013).
- Co-author, "‘Order up!' FIRREA update," Orrick's Securities Litigation and Regulatory Enforcement Blog (July 18, 2013).
- Co-author, "Where There's Smoke, There's FIRREA (Part Two)," Orrick's Securities Litigation and Regulatory Enforcement Blog (July 16, 2013).
- Co-author, "SEC and FBI Try to Ketchup to Heinz Insider Traders," Orrick's Securities Litigation and Regulatory Enforcement Blog (February 26, 2013).
- Co-author, "Sprint Offers Unlimited Data, But Not for Shareholders: KPMG Documents Prepared for the PCAOB Mostly Privileged Under SOX," Orrick's Securities Litigation and Regulatory Enforcement Blog (October 16, 2012).
- Co-author, "Madoff Fund Investors' Exchange Act Claims Bite the Morrison Dust," Orrick's Securities Litigation and Regulatory Enforcement Blog (June 12, 2012).

Jennifer C. Lee

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