People

Andrew Allen Senior Associate

Houston

Andrew concentrates his practice on corporate governance, securities law compliance and various capital markets transactions, including initial public offerings, notes offerings, preferred and follow-on offerings, exchange offers, tender offers, redemptions and consent solicitations. He also has significant experience in transactions involving special purpose acquisition companies including initial public offerings and de-SPAC transactions.

Matthew Archer Partner

Houston

Matt's practice is centered on project development and mergers and acquisitions (“M&A”) in the energy industry, with a particular focus on electric power and midstream projects. He regularly advises clients on the development, construction, operation, purchase and disposition of conventional power, renewable and midstream projects. His experience includes each stage, from early development, construction, offtake agreements, through commercial operation, financing, repowering and disposition. Matt also regularly represents clients in the development, structuring and construction of large natural gas pipeline, renewable and gas-fired power projects in Mexico.

Matt’s experience encompasses all manner of revenue and construction contracts; equipment supply and warranty agreements, long-term parts and services agreements; operating and maintenance agreements; electric interconnection and transmission agreements; fuel supply and transportation agreements; and ownership, joint venture and equity participation agreements.

Chase Armbrust Partner

Houston

Specializing in debt finance with a strong understanding of tax-driven strategies, Chase works with developers, sponsors, lenders and utilities across the renewable energy sector. He has extensive experience guiding clients on debt transactions to finance renewable energy infrastructure, including utility-scale solar and wind, distributed solar, fuel cell and biomass projects.

His broad debt experience includes negotiating credit facilities, structuring intercreditor arrangements and ISDA documentation and advising on financial restructuring strategies.

Reflecting his excellent client relationships and strong commitment to successful outcomes, Chase was recognized as a 2022 Client Service All-Star by BTI Consulting Group.

Jonathan Ayre Partner

Houston

Jonathan represents companies driving the energy transition, including representing project developers in connection with engineering, procurement and construction agreements, solar module purchase agreements, transformer purchase agreements, and operation and maintenance agreements. He co-leads Orrick's nuclear power practice and has represented the purchaser in the first high-assay low-enriched uranium purchase agreement, as well as in numerous joint venture, engineering, procurement, and construction, and commercial agreements in the nuclear power industry. Chambers Global has reported, "He knows the industry very well and takes a commercial approach to help resolve differences with the counterparty. He has a good bedside manner and cooperates well with others,” and ”he's very resourceful and he approaches the energy and corporate sector with a true business sense." Jonathan was recognized in 2020 by Law 360 as an Energy Rising Star.

Jonathan is a recognized leader in cutting-edge transactions in oil and gas securitizations, representing the investors in the first oil and gas securitization, in the first operated property transaction, in the first transaction involving properties owned by the Bureau of Land Management, and in the first transaction using a master trust structure. He has worked on over $20 billion of oil and gas securitizations.

Jonathan is an active supporter of the Houston Symphony, serving as Chairman of the Houston Symphony's Finance Committee, as a Governing Director on the Houston Symphony Society's Board of Trustees, and as chair of the 2021 Houston Symphony's Wine Dinner and Collector's Auction. He serves as a member of the Steering Committee of the Houston Men of Distinction Annual Awards Luncheon, an organization that recognizes Houston men who have distinguished themselves through excellence in community achievement, thereby providing support in superior biomedical research, education, and patient care in the Texas Medical Center.

Catalina Bravo Associate

Houston

Catalina advises borrowers and lenders in debt financings for M&A, PE and direct lending transactions.

Prior to joining Orrick, Catalina was a Debt Finance Associate at Kirkland & Ellis, where she primarily advised borrowers on private equity, financing transactions and debt restructurings in the Energy Sector.

David Chamberlin Managing Director of Strategic Communications Advisory Team

Houston

David collaborates with Orrick’s legal advisory teams, including the litigation, regulatory and transactional practices to provide strategic business guidance to clients facing critical situations. He helps clients address reputational challenges and maximize the opportunities affecting their organizations and stakeholders. He serves as a trusted advisor to the C-suite and Boards across numerous industries around the world. He develops strategies for Congressional hearings, corporate layoffs, federal investigations, mergers and divestitures, multi-country recalls, executive transitions, organizational change management initiatives, cybersecurity and privacy incidents and legal and financial crises.

Prior to joining Orrick, David served as the Chief Marketing Officer at SonicWall, a global cybersecurity leader, where he revamped the marketing, communications and government relations functions. He also served as PNC Financial Services Group’s Chief Communications Officer where he modernized the function and led internal and external communications, corporate social responsibility/ESG messaging, social media strategies, sponsorships and employee recognition. He also led public relations and communications for the credit card business at JPMorgan Chase and served as the Head of Global Communications for Nortel.

As a consultant, he helped launch and lead the  global Data Security & Privacy Group at Edelman. He served as the general manager of Edelman’s Dallas, Texas and Shanghai, China offices and led the firm’s global Financial Comms & Special Circumstances and Crisis & Risk practices. He also served as the North American head of MSL Group’s Issues & Crisis Management Practice. David has appeared on CNN, ABC, PBS and several other broadcast outlets. He has been published in The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, USA Today, The Los Angeles Times, Newsweek and Forbes.com. His work has earned several awards, including being named to PRWeek’s Global Power Book and 40 Under 40, as well as earning their inaugural Corporate Public Relations Team of the Year award. He is a regular speaker at conferences and universities around the country

A native of Springfield, Ohio, David has three children and lives with his wife in the Dallas, Texas area. Away from the office, he enjoys spending time with his family, listening to music and cycling.

Cathleen Chang Senior Associate

Houston; Austin

In public finance matters, Cathleen has served as bond counsel and special tax counsel for a variety of transactions, including health care facilities, multifamily housing, airport, ports, transit authorities, non-profit organizations, public utilities, hospitality projects, as well as tobacco revenue securitizations. In addition to tax-exempt financings, Cathleen also represents clients in IRS audits and non-profit corporation tax matters.

Emajae' Clements Associate

Houston

Emajae's practice includes a diverse range of complex litigation and employment litgation matters from across the country. She effectively drafts briefs, works with experts, and provides developed insights to advance her team's trial strategies.

Emajae' received her J.D. from the Howard University School of Law in Washington, D.C. While in law school, Emajae' served as the Captain of the Huver I. Brown Trial Advocacy team becoming the Texas Young Lawyers Association's National Trial Competition Regional Champion and National Semi-Finalist. Emajae' was also a student attorney in the Movement Lawyering Clinic.

Tyler Conte Senior Associate

Houston

Tyler structures and negotiates a broad range of strategic transactions on behalf of sponsors, investors and lenders, including tax equity, cash equity, and debt financings, tax credit transfers, mergers and acquisitions, and joint ventures at both the company and project levels. He also negotiates project contracts for renewable energy projects and transactions with respect to the financing and development of satellites, data centers and other digital infrastructure assets.

Tyler Davis Senior Associate

Houston

Tyler advises energy industry sponsors, developers, issuers and investors in a broad range of financing matters, including construction financings, bridge loans, back leverage financings, and tax equity. Tyler's experience includes project financings and related corporate matters involving utility-scale solar, distributed solar, wind, hydroelectric power, and upstream and midstream oil and gas projects.

Marcus Deitz Partner

Houston

Marcus’ experience includes the representation of school districts, municipalities, counties, junior colleges, universities, special authorities and other political subdivisions in a variety of roles, including bond counsel, disclosure counsel and issuer’s counsel. In addition, he regularly represents underwriters and purchasers of both public and privately placed debt, regularly serving as underwriters’ counsel and bank counsel.

Complementary to his core practice, Marcus is also able to provide his clients guidance on derivative transactions and liquidity facilities, election law matters, and municipal and school law issues.

Before joining Orrick, Marcus clerked for the Colorado Court of Appeals and subsequently practiced as an associate and then a partner with several international law firms.

Arden Dion Associate

Houston

Arden focuses her practice on mergers and acquisitions, project development and general corporate matters for clients primarily in the oil & gas, renewables and conventional power sectors.