People

Maria Costa Managing Associate

Milan

Maria advises financial institutions, funds and corporates on syndicated lending, leveraged and acquisition finance, also in the context of private placement transactions.

Before joining Orrick, Maria was an associate in a leading Italian law firm, where she was also involved in M&A and real estate transactions, and she gained some experience in assisting Italian and foreign companies and private equity funds both in the corporate and in the financial aspects of acquisition and investment transactions.

Katie Cotton Partner

London

She represents clients in the technology, Internet, digital media and marketing, artificial intelligence, fintech, e-commerce and hardware and software industries, and also represents clients in the energy & infrastructure, consumer products, hospitality and financial services sectors.

Katie's experience includes public and private mergers and acquisitions, earn-outs, carve-outs, asset acquisitions and disposals, recapitalisations, management buy-outs and take-private transactions, joint ventures, strategic alliances and minority investments. She has extensive experience with cross-border transactions and is particularly well-known for acting on sales of venture-backed companies to major international trade and financial buyers.

Richard Coup Cyber & Privacy Career Assoc

Wheeling, W.V. (GOIC)

Richard works with cyber and data privacy attorneys and third party vendors to manage the review of documents and identification of notifiable individuals stemming from cyber incidents. This work includes using early case assessment technology to analyze, categorize and cull data. He also manages teams of skilled professionals performing document review, analysis and creation of breach notification deliverables. Richard develops and implements custom processes, procedures and technologies to better assist clients who are victims of cyber attacks and creates response plans to efficiently execute notification to individuals and regulators within demanding timeframes.

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

Dean Criddle Of Counsel

San Francisco

His broad experience ranges from “stranded cost” securitization financings for investor-owned electric utilities to tax-exempt financings for utilities owned by investor-owned companies, nonprofit corporations, states, local governments and federal power marketing agencies.

Dean has advised Bonneville Power Administration in connection with its efforts to refinance and extend the maturities of a portfolio of approximately $6 billion of tax-exempt and taxable notes and bonds issued for its benefit by Energy Northwest (formerly known as Washington Public Power Supply System).

In addition to working on transaction-specific capital markets matters, Mr. Criddle provides ongoing tax, regulatory and general business law advice to a variety of clients, including:

• Bonneville Power Administration
• Pacific Gas and Electric Company
• California Independent System Operator Corporation
• Public Utility District No. 1 of Snohomish County, Washington
• Public Utility District No. 1 of Chelan County, Washington
• Florida Public Service Commission

Jennifer Criss Of Counsel

Washington, D.C.

Jennifer's practice focuses on negotiating the intellectual property and information technology aspects of complex commercial and corporate transactions, from mergers and acquisitions to financing transactions to corporate divestitures and spin-offs. She also works with technology companies to more mature entities on complex commercial transactions.

Jennifer routinely advises clients on strategic partnerships and guides companies at every stage of corporate acquisitions where intellectual property and technology are key assets. She drafts, negotiates, and advises clients on various software commercial and IP licenses, software as a service (SaaS) and cloud services agreements, software and product development agreements, joint development agreements, software and hardware contracts, and related consulting agreements. Jennifer works with cross-border clients across numerous technology-driven sectors, including entertainment, media, clean energy, biotechnology, and retail.

Additionally, Jennifer has extensive knowledge of copyright law and counsels clients on all aspects of copyright protection.

Jennifer has been an active member of the American Bar Association's Section of Intellectual Property Law and involved in its leadership for over 10 years. In August 2023, she began a 4-year position as one of 16 members of the Section's Council, helping to establish policy and resolutions on behalf of the IP Section. Jennifer has also been a member of its Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Board since 2016. She previously served on the Section's Nominating Committee. She previously served as vice chair of the ABA's Copyright Division (2020-2021) and was chair of the Committee on Copyright & Social Media. 

Jennifer is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation. Her speaking engagements and publications have addressed topics such as asset sales involving intellectual property, ownership matters, copyright permissions, fair use, online harassment, and data privacy and cybersecurity.

Before her legal career, Jennifer earned her Ph.D. in the History of Art from the University of Pennsylvania. She taught art history at The George Washington University and American University. She received fellowships from the French Ministry of Education (Chateaubriand Fellowship), the Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Phillips Collection, and the University of Pennsylvania.

Filippo Cristaldi Special Counsel

Milan

Filippo Cristaldi has extensive experience in M&A transactions, both at national and transnational level, mainly in favour of private equity funds and industrial companies. 

Filippo Cristaldi also advises on corporate law and has extensive experience in the field of international contracts.
Before joining Orrick, Filippo Cristaldi has provided consultancy at the Vita Samory, Fabbrini e Associati and, previously, at the Rucellai e Raffaelli, Italian law firms based in Milan.

Katharine Crost Senior Counsel

New York

Kathy's practice involves advising issuers, underwriters, servicers and institutional purchasers on complex financial transactions. She has extensive experience with the securitization of a variety of assets, including mortgages, tax liens, tobacco litigation settlement funds, utility stranded costs and student loans.

Kathy's mortgage-backed experience has involved all types of mortgages including fixed and adjustable rate first lien mortgage loans, closed end seconds, revolving home equity lines of credit, seasoned mortgage loans, reverse mortgage loans and manufactured housing contracts. She has represented many types of financial institutions, including private companies, governmental agencies and municipalities.

She has been involved in the development of a number of novel securitization structures and programs designed to achieve the client's goals. In addition to securitizations, she has been involved in establishing joint ventures, financing of assets, acquisitions of assets and litigation support and advice.

Recently, Kathy has been involved in advising clients on a number of innovative transactions that address issues arising from the financial crisis and housing and financial regulatory reform. Representative transactions include representing the sponsor and issuer of the first public offerings of private label residential mortgage-backed securities since the advent of the financial crisis, advising a federal agency on the securitization of seasoned assets, and advising the largest issuer of tax lien securitizations. She has also been involved in various initiatives to address regulatory reform proposals.

Kathy is former Chair of the Structured Finance Group. She has also served on the Firm's Executive Committee and as Chair of the Firm's Women's Initiative.

Raphael Crouan Mng Dir Sales & Client Growth

London

Uniquely positioned as a business advisor within Orrick, Raph drives opportunities for clients throughout the technology sector across Europe and Great Britain.

Raph supports existing clients & assisting in identifying new opportunities, drive execution on expanding client relationships. He is also tasked with raising the firm’s profile in key markets, sectors and practices. Prior to joining Orrick, Raph served as Business Development Partner with C4 Ventures, in charge of Fundraising and LP relationships. He also founded & managed the Startupbootcamp IoT Program, which invested in more than 30 early-stage companies. Until 2011, Raph occupied various responsibilities at a leading tech company (U.S.) , closing with the role of Head for iPhone & iPad in Business for Europe based out of London.

An international keynote speaker with a background in sales, marketing & strategic business development, Raph also serves in advisory roles for various companies:

• Founding Board Member & President, French Tech London, the largest French Government backed community of French Entrepreneurs, Investors & Corporate leaders outside of France (2000+ members).
• Advisor to Greentech Alliance, whose mission is to Connect the Greentech community putting our sustainable future first and support them with advice about funding, impact, visibility and strategy with the help of top VCs, journalists, advisors and entrepreneurs.
• CEO & Founder, DisruptVenture, which supports early-stage companies with advisory in investment strategies & growth.

Allie Crowe Associate

Chicago

Prior to joining Orrick, Allie was an Associate at Buckley LLP.

William Cullen Partner

New York

In the 2022 Capital Markets: Securitization: CMBS – Nationwide category of Chambers USA, a client said, “William is an experienced attorney in the CMBS space. He is meticulous and thoughtful, yet commercial, adding value where needed.”

Prior to joining Orrick, Butch was a partner in the New York offices of Kaye Scholer LLP, Thacher Proffitt & Wood LLP and Sidley Austin LLP.

Róisín Culligan Managing Associate

London

Róisín works with fast-growing startups and established technology companies to navigate complex legal frameworks.

She has a particular focus on AI governance, complex outsourcings, technology contracts and digital platform compliance with the EU’s new technology regulations.

Prior to joining Orrick, Róisín held roles at a top-tier Irish law firm where she developed a deep understanding of the intersection between law, technology and business strategy.

Jake Cunningham Managing Associate

Washington, D.C.

Jake focuses on the development of natural gas infrastructure, including liquefied natural gas terminals and natural gas pipelines, and advises companies on securing permits and authorizations for major energy projects from FERC and DOE.

Jake's experience before FERC encompasses natural gas rate and tariff proceedings, enforcement and compliance matters, and applications for certificates and authorizations under the Natural Gas Act.