People

Patrick Tardivy Partner

Paris

An M&A and private equity lawyer, Patrick advises French and international companies and investors on all aspects of corporate law in the context of acquisitions, disposals, mergers, reorganizations, including business carveouts and strategic alliances.

Patrick is particularly active in the energy and infrastructure fields as well as the tech sectors, working alongside investment funds, French and foreign groups, on both domestic and cross border transactions. Patrick also has significant experience in M&A projects with a focus in the real estate sector where he acts as lead counsel on high-profile transactions.

Recognized by the major international ranking guides, Patrick is described by his clients as as "[ ] very smart and has a constructive approach and a deep knowledge of the law", "highly business-oriented with strong commercial awareness" and “always able to find solutions.”  (Chambers Global 2025 – Corporate/M&A: High-end Capability).

Patrick formerly served as co-chair of Orrick's global M&A and Private Equity practice.

Prior to joining Orrick in 2016, Patrick was a partner in a Magic Circle law firm.

Maria Teodorescu Associate

Munich

She acts on corporate transactions including leveraged buy-outs, management buy-outs, minority participations and expansion or growth financings as well as M&A transactions, often with cross-border aspects.

Before joining Orrick, she had been an associate in the private equity group of a U.S. headquartered law firm. As part of her legal clerkship, Maria worked for another U.S. law firm and a leading German law firm, among others.

Guido Testa Partner

Milan

As a partner resident in Orrick’s Milan office and a senior member of the M&A and Private Equity Group, Guido is acclaimed for his broad expertise and comprehensive knowledge in the field.

In the area of M&A, he regularly assists leading corporations, investment holding companies, and family offices in structuring and negotiating domestic and cross-border mergers, acquisitions, and strategic alliances. His experience extends across a range of industries, with a particular focus on the industrial and healthcare sectors, where he is known for his ability to manage sophisticated transactions and deliver practical solutions.

Guido’s private equity practice is distinguished by his work with both investment funds and, above all, entrepreneurs. Guido is a key legal partner to Italian entrepreneurs, advising on all aspects of corporate law and governance. He is valued for his ability to act as a business partner, providing ongoing counsel on day-to-day operations as well as long-term planning and extraordinary transactions. Clients rely on his deep sector knowledge, commercial acumen, and pragmatic approach to navigate complex legal and business challenges. Moreover, he advises investment funds on the structuring and execution of acquisitions and disposals, helping them identify opportunities, manage legal risks, and achieve their strategic objectives in the Italian market.

In the area of joint ventures, Guido has significant experience advising on the formation and management of strategic partnerships and alliances, enabling clients to pursue growth opportunities and innovation in highly competitive markets.

Guido also has extensive cross-border experience, regularly assisting international corporate and funds investing in Italy as well as Italian corporate and funds pursuing opportunities abroad, ensuring seamless execution and effective cross-border coordination.

Guido is recognized as a Leading Partner in Private Equity by Legal 500. He is ranked in Chambers Europe for Private Equity and for Corporate/M&A: Mid-Market, reflecting his strong reputation and expertise in the Italian legal market.

Dahl Thompson Partner

Houston

Dahl represents project sponsors/developers, private equity investors, utilities and strategic investors in all stages of structuring, financing, acquiring and disposing of energy projects and companies, including the negotiation and drafting of purchase and sale, joint development, shareholder, partnership and LLC operating, debt and equity financing, security and credit agreements. Over the last decade, Dahl has successfully closed transactions relating to projects totaling many thousands of megawatts and many billions of dollars in asset value.

Gerard Walsh Partner

Los Angeles

Jerry is particularly recognized for his work in connection with the acquisition, restructuring and realization of distressed debt in the real estate and hospitality markets. Clients seek him out for the most complex distressed debt transactions, including securitized and mezzanine debt intercreditor workouts and the establishment of mezzanine debt lending platforms. Jerry led a multidisciplinary Orrick team in one of the most sophisticated real estate debt transactions that was restructured in 2013, involving a series of complex transactions and multi-state litigation. Recognized as a key lawyer in the 2022 Real Estate category, a client told The Legal 500 US that Jerry is “smart, responsive and extraordinarily helpful and collaborative.”

In addition, Jerry leads Orrick’s hospitality practice and advises global opportunity, hotel and pension funds and advisors in connection with the acquisition, repositioning and disposing of hotel portfolios throughout the United States. He advises on acquisitions, joint ventures, financing, rebranding, disposition and negotiation of hotel management agreements, shared services and amenities agreements, and franchise agreements, including termination of hotel management and franchise agreements involving brands such as Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton, Marriott, St. Regis, Renaissance, Luxury Collection, Westin, Kimpton and other Sheraton/Starwood brands.

Jerry's representative clients include Cisco Systems, Inc., Cornerstone Advisers LLC, JMA Ventures, LACERA, The Newhall Land and Farming Company, Walton Street Capital, and Westbrook Partners.

Before joining Orrick, Jerry was a partner with a magic circle firm and chairman of the real estate group of a prominent national law firm.

Ashley Walter Partner & Chief Sustainability Officer

Seattle

As Orrick’s Chief Sustainability Officer, he also oversees Orrick's strategic sustainability initiatives. Ashley focuses on developing innovative methods of supporting clients in achieving ESG objectives, including designing novel systems to manage supply chain risk; forming and guiding management-level ESG Steering Committees; and helping clients address the ESG requirements of major customers by engaging with those customers on our clients’ behalf.

Ashley is a co-founder and past chair of the Corporate Social Responsibility Law Committee of the ABA Business Law Section, has co-chaired the Practising Law Institute's annual ESG program for the last four years, and is heavily involved in ESG initiatives at Stanford Law School, where has served as a moderator at the Stanford Directors' College, has lectured on ESG at business law courses, has taught the course “Corporate Social Responsibility,” and will be teaching the course “Law and Governance in ESG Strategy” in the spring of 2025. Prior to Orrick, Ashley founded the corporate social responsibility practice at a Silicon Valley-based law firm.

How I help clients:

• Customer ESG Engagement: Engaging with clients’ major customers in response to ESG inquiries or requirements
• Supply Chain Risk: Developing responsible sourcing systems for high-risk supply chains
• ESG Goal Management: Advice regarding retaining, modifying or withdrawing ESG goals
• ESG Steering Committees: Forming and guiding management-level ESG Steering Committees
• ESG Due Diligence: Conducting ESG due diligence with a focus on post-closing program building
• Quarterbacking Compliance: Creating and advancing a project plan for regulatory compliance, including working with third-party consultants

Rob Warfield Partner

New York

He has experience representing financial institutions, sponsors, investors, and lenders in energy and infrastructure financings, acquisitions, joint ventures and other transactions.

Prior to joining Orrick, Rob was a member of the legal investments team at a global investment firm in New York, where he supported private equity and credit investments across infrastructure and other asset classes. He also worked in private practice at leading international law firms.

Justin Yi Partner

Santa Monica

Justin focuses his practice on complex business transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, reorganizations, recapitalizations and minority investments, as well as general corporate and securities law matters. Justin represents corporations, private equity firms and investors across a wide range of industries, including technology, media, entertainment, healthcare, food and beverage and apparel.

Jeff Zhang Partner

Beijing; New York

Being recognized by Legal 500 Asia Pacific, Jeff has received clients’ praises as “an experienced lawyer, who understands the client’s business, both internally and externally", and his "understanding of the client’s business model, industry, customers and strategic objectives enables him to advise and guide clients on highly complex and sensitive matters”. Other clients comment that Jeff “develops the best strategies and solutions for clients” and “works very hard and is recognised by clients for his ability.” In addition, he is “dedicated to serving his clients and is able to leverage off the firm’s global network to provide services in specialized areas.” (Legal 500 Asia-Pacific, 2019 - 2023)

Jeff’s practice focuses on China-related inbound and outbound mergers and acquisitions and private equity transactions. He has extensive experience with share and asset acquisitions, growth capital and buyout transactions as well as tender offers, privatizations, restructurings, spin-offs, strategic alliances and joint ventures.

In addition, Jeff advises multinationals, financial institutions and private equity funds on their general corporate, capital markets and regulatory compliance matters.

Prior to joining Orrick, Jeff was a partner at the New York office of an international law firm. Earlier in his career, Jeff practiced in New York, Hong Kong, and mainland China with two major international law firms, and also served as the Head of Legal and Compliance of the U.S. operations of a leading Chinese investment bank, where he gained tremendous experience in helping Chinese clients navigate regulatory and compliance issues in the U.S.

Jeff serves on the International Advisory Board of Duke Law School, where he was also appointed as a Senior Lecturing Fellow. In his leisure time, Jeff serves on a volunteer basis as the Chief Legal Officer of The Chinese Finance Association (TCFA), a non-profit professional organization headquartered in New York with more than 7,000 members globally.

Kyle Zhu Senior Associate

New York

Kyle represents public and private companies and private equity funds in various domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions transactions on both the buy-side and sell-side. Kyle is also experienced in advising clients on representation and warranty insurance and venture financings. As part of Orrick’s fintech and artificial intelligence working group, Kyle analyzes and creates thought leadership on novel legal issues related to crypto, web 3.0 and artificial intelligence.

Kyle is passionate about Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. He serves as a leader on Orrick’s New York Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee and Orrick’s Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Inclusion Network. He is also a Vice Chair of the Corporate Law Committee of the Asian American Bar Association of New York.