People

Scott Cohn Senior Counsel

New York

Scott's work involving regulatory compliance includes: 

• Product Recalls
• Product Safety Evaluations
• Compliance Manuals
• Made in USA claims
• California Proposition 65 Warnings and defense of Notices of Violation
• Due Diligence regulatory reviews
• Civil and Criminal Investigations and Penalties
• FDA Import Alerts
• FPLA (Fair Packaging and Labeling Act) requirements
• Textile, Wool, Fur, and Care Labeling requirements
• U.S. Customs Country of Origin Labeling requirements
• U.S. Customs tariff classification and valuation for imported products
• Autonomous Vehicle regulation
• U.S. Fish& Wildlife Service and CITES compliance

Maria Theresa Coladonato Associate

Wheeling, W.V. (GOIC)

She advises high-growth technology companies on general incorporation matters, venture capital financings and everyday corporate governance. Maria also represents venture capital firms in connection with their investments in private companies.

Abigail Colella Senior Associate

Washington, D.C.

Abby has authored briefs in the U.S. Supreme Court, federal courts of appeals, and federal and state trial courts. She specializes in communicating complex technological concepts to judges of all backgrounds, and her work spans a wide range of topics and industries—from cutting-edge patent issues to the intricacies of the DMCA.

Abby also represents internet and digital media companies in litigation related to online speech, with a particular focus on Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. Her recent successes include arguing and winning a Ninth Circuit appeal raising novel state action issues.

Prior to joining Orrick, Abby served as a law clerk to Judge Timothy B. Dyk of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

John Coleman Partner

Washington, D.C.

Prior to joining Orrick, John was a partner at Buckley LLP, which he joined after 15 years in federal government service as a litigator and advisor to senior policymakers, most recently as Deputy General Counsel for Litigation and Oversight at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. He joined the CFPB soon after its creation in 2010 and was one of a core group of attorneys tasked with interpreting the authorities granted to the agency by the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 and establishing the procedures by which the agency exercises those authorities. He was the first person to appear in court on behalf of the CFPB and was involved in every significant litigation matter in the agency’s history prior to his departure. As Deputy General Counsel, he managed the team of attorneys responsible for representing the Bureau in litigation, including appellate matters, and before congressional oversight bodies.

John served every director or acting director in the CFPB's history during his tenure at the CFPB, advising them and senior officials in the Division of Supervision, Enforcement, and Fair Lending on a range of complex legal and policy matters, including those arising in the course of examinations, investigations and enforcement actions. He also advised the Director and senior officials in the Division of Research, Markets, and Regulations with respect to rulemakings, and represented the agency in all rulemaking challenges.

Prior to joining the CFPB, John was a trial attorney in the Federal Programs Branch of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division, representing federal agencies and officials in high-profile civil litigation, including cases brought under the U.S. Constitution, the Administrative Procedure Act and federal antidiscrimination laws.

Following law school, he served as a law clerk for the Honorable T.S. Ellis III, of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.

Thomas Coleman Senior Counsel

San Francisco

Before his retirement as a partner, he was also the Partner-in-Charge of Lawyer Development for a number of years. While still practicing, he served at times as the firm’s General Counsel, Executive Director, Peer Review Committee Chair and member of the Partner Compensation Committee. He still acts as an advisor to the firm on matters affecting lawyer development.

Tom concentrated his practice in banking and commercial transactions. He represented banks and other financial institutions in a variety of transactions, including syndicated and single-lender credit agreements (both secured and unsecured), project financings, public finance transactions, and “synthetic” and other lease arrangements. As a lecturer and panelist, Tom frequently spoke at seminars on a range of topics related to his practice.

He served for several years as co-counsel of the International Bankers Association in California. He has been a member of the State Bar of California’s Business Law Section’s Financial Institutions Committee and Uniform Commercial Code Committee. In addition, he has been a member of the San Francisco Symphony’s Business Gifts Committee.

Before joining Orrick, Tom was Vice President and Counsel at California First Bank (now Union Bank of California) in San Francisco. He was a visiting attorney at Clifford-Turner (now Clifford Chance), Solicitors, in London.

Matthew E.S. Coleman Partner

New York; Boston

Matthew helps clients comply with the Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography And Marketing Act (CAN-SPAM), the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (CCPA), the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA), the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), and state breach notification, biometric privacy, and cybersecurity laws. He counsels on self-regulatory privacy programs, including Binding Corporate Rules, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Cross-Border Privacy Rules (APEC CBPRs); programs covering online behavioral advertising, including the Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA), the European Interactive Digital Advertising Alliance (EDAA), the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), and the Network Advertising Initiative (NAI); and programs covering payment card processing. Matthew also provides compliance solutions for emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence and blockchain.

Matthew’s federal regulatory experience helps clients stay compliant and avoid regulatory scrutiny. His comprehensive data management knowledge helps him counsel beyond the letter of the law and facilitates worldwide expansion, interoperable business processes, and innovative uses of consumer data while maintaining user trust. His all-encompassing, risk-based approach involves developing and executing internal and external policies for the collection, use, disclosure, sharing, retaining, transferring, and destruction of personal information. This includes managing contractual relationships with vendors, employees, acquired entities, and creditors as well as building privacy into companies’ product development life cycle and change management strategies.

Prior to joining Orrick, Matthew was an Enterprise Privacy Solutions Manager for TrustArc (formerly TRUSTe), a San Francisco-based privacy consulting and certification firm, and an adjunct law professor of Privacy Law at Santa Clara University. Matthew is a Certified Information Privacy Manager and a Certified Information Privacy Professional with a specialization in United States privacy law.

Luigi Colombo Senior Counsel

Milan

He has assisted some of the most important Italian groups in a judicial and extra-judicial advisory capacity, including general corporate and corporate governance.

Prior to joining Orrick, Luigi was a partner at Studio Legale Tributario in Milan, a law firm associated with Ernst & Young International.

Daniel P. Colonna Project Attorney

Wheeling, W.V. (GOIC)

Mr. Colonna works with litigation attorneys and third party vendors to manage the review and production of documents relevant to investigations and litigation. This work includes using early case assessment technology to analyze, categorize, and cull data. He also manages teams of skilled professionals performing document review, redaction, analysis, production, and drafting privilege logs. Daniel assists the litigation team to prepare for trial, including drafting deposition summaries, factual memoranda, and exhibit charts. He also works with practice office attorneys on transactional tasks, including contract review and due diligence.

Daniel has dedicated significant time to pro bono matters, including assisting trial counsel representing abused and neglected children.

Angela Colt Senior Associate

New York

Angela’s multi-dimensional approach originates from her years as a broker and investment banker. During that time, she identified the ways in which business events affect consumer confidence and corporate earnings. Now as an IP litigator, she analyzes those variables in copyright, trademark, trade secret, false advertising, and consumer class actions.

She has handled high-profile disputes including:

• Desktop Metal, Inc. in a trade secret trial against Markforged related to 3D printing technology in federal court in Massachusetts;
• Christie’s, Inc. in securing the dismissal of a putative nationwide class action in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, which declared the California Resale Royalties Act unconstitutional and preempted by the Copyright Act;
• An international recording artist in obtaining a judgment in her favor on all counts and a dismissal with prejudice of all cross-claims in a dispute over the ownership of the rights to her music;
• The National Football League in obtaining a dismissal with prejudice of a complaint alleging fraudulent use of the plaintiff’s identity;
• Red Bull as a defendant in multiple putative class actions across the country challenging the nature and content of advertising statements regarding the benefits of Red Bull energy drinks;
• Estée Lauder in obtaining dismissals of national and state consumer class actions relating to the marketing and packaging statements on cosmetic products; and
• Hampton Creek in obtaining a dismissal of a nationwide consumer class action related to the marketing and packaging statements on Just Mayo products.

In addition to helping her corporate clients, Angela also devotes her time to various pro bono matters. She offers advice to the ACLU of Northern California, has drafted and argued an appeal in the Appellate Division (2d Dep’t) in a child abuse matter; and has taken and defended depositions for the City through the New York City Law Department’s Public Service Program.

Ignacio Concha Managing Associate

New York

Ignacio's work focuses on project finance and development, general corporate matters and miscellaneous investor arrangements in all phases of the development, financing, construction and operation of primarily renewable energy and infrastructure projects. He also extensive experience advising in acquisitions and sales of these types of assets, often involving a cross-border component.

Before joining Orrick, Ignacio worked at prestigious law firms in New York, California, and Chile, successfully guiding clients through cross-border and domestic transactions. Known for his collaborative approach and strong negotiating skills, he excels at working closely with stakeholders to achieve impactful outcomes.

Michelle Conde Senior Counsel

New York

Her work includes the structuring and negotiation of project development arrangements, early development oversight, BOP and EPC agreements, including for solar, wind, battery energy storage and high voltage facilities, equipment supply agreements (including warranty packages) for solar, wind and battery energy storage facilities, project financing, and project sale and acquisition agreements.

Over the past twenty years, Michelle has been active in renewable energy development, encompassing wind energy projects in the United States, Mexico, Europe, South America and Asia, solar energy projects in the United States, Mexico, Asia and South America and the formation and investment activities of energy investment funds. Michelle has also represented a wide range of clients in general corporate law, private equity, restructuring, share and asset purchases, structured financing, bank finance and leasing.

Erin M. Connell Partner

San Francisco

Erin's practice covers all aspects of employment law. She defends employers in class actions and other complex cases, as well as in systemic investigations and audits by the EEOC, DOJ, and the California CRD. Erin has led dozens of internal pay equity analyses and is a trusted advisor for several of the nation's most prominent employers on developing areas of employment law, including pay equity and pay transparency, DEI best practices, and the use of AI in employment decision making.

Erin also is an accomplished first chair trial lawyer. She has tried several cases before juries and in arbitration, and has obtained numerous defense summary judgment rulings and other favorable resolutions in state and federal court. Erin led the trial team that obtained a complete dismissal for Oracle in OFCCP v. Oracle, the largest pay equity case ever brought by the US Department of Labor, which garnered national media attention and earned Erin recognition as a "Litigator of the Week" by the American Lawyer and a 2021 Employment MVP by Law360. As lead counsel, Erin also successfully obtained decertification in a statewide California pay equity class action, Jewett v. Oracle.

Erin's clients include leading technology and Fortune 500 companies, including: Oracle, Meta, Microsoft, Netflix, Pinterest, Workday, PayPal, Sony Interactive Entertainment, NVIDIA, Airbnb, SiriusXM, Dropbox, Zendesk, Splunk and Goldman Sachs. 

Erin frequently speaks on California and national employment law issues. She is currently a Council Member with the American Bar Association’s Labor and Employment Law Section (LEL) and is the Conference Chair for the American Employment Legal Council (AELC). She is also a faculty member with the Institute for Workplace Equality (IWE), and formerly served as the management chair of the ABA Equal Employment Opportunity Committee. Erin also previously served on the Board of Directors for the Bar Association of San Francisco (BASF), as well as BASF’s Justice & Diversity Center (JDC). She has published numerous articles and papers on employment law issues in publications around the country. She also provides employment law training and conducts internal investigations on employment-related matters.