People

Frederic Demeulenaere Partner

Milan

He advises both domestic and international companies, investors and stakeholders—including lenders and sponsors—on a wide array of finance transactions. His expertise encompasses project finance (infrastructure and energy), leveraged and acquisition finance (including private and public bid financings for targets in Italy and abroad), private debt transactions, real estate finance, ECA-backed financings, restructuring transactions, and investment-grade loans.

Most of the transactions he handles are cross-border, providing clients with comprehensive legal support across jurisdictions. He has significant experience advising on transactions involving emerging markets.

Karen Dempsey Senior Advisor

San Francisco

Karen is involved in a full range of corporate legal projects for high growth technology companies including venture financings, public offerings, public company securities law compliance matters and mergers and acquisitions. She also regularly advises public companies and board of directors on corporate governance issues. Karen's clients include private and public companies in the biotechnology, real estate, finance and Internet related industries. She also represents underwriters in initial public offerings and follow-on offerings and venture capital firms in investment transactions.

Karen is a frequent speaker on corporate and securities law topics including Initial Public Offerings, Corporate Governance and Sarbanes-Oxley matters. She is also Co-Editor of Part III of Venture Capital & Public Offering Negotiation, published by Aspen Law & Business.

Before joining Orrick, Karen was a shareholder at Heller Ehrman LLP and was chair of their firmwide corporate governance practice group.

Adrian Dengler Counsel

Munich

Adrian represents clients in domestic and cross-border transactions, in particular local and international companies, private equity/venture funds and growth companies.

In addition Adrian acts as a business angel for several venture capital start-up companies.

Alexandre Desroches Managing Associate

Paris

Alexandre is involved in project financing and acquisition financing in the energy and infrastructure sectors. He advises sponsors (industrial and funds), financial institutions and governments.

He works on high-profile transactions in the French market, as well as on cross-border transactions. His area of expertise covers a wide range of financing operations (senior, junior, mezzanine, loans, and bond issues).

His experience includes public-private partnership financings, telecommunications, transportation, and renewable energy projects (in particular in the photovoltaic sector).

Before joining Orrick, Alexandre spent five years at a leading American law firm, where he developed significant expertise in financing.

Blake Dewveall Associate

Los Angeles

He advises lenders and corporate borrowers in a wide range of secured lending facilities and commercial financing transactions.

Blake was a summer associate in the firm's Los Angeles office in 2022.

Mariangela Di Giandomenico Partner

Rome

As expert in Italian Administrative and Public Law, she has focused her career on advising private and public Italian and foreign companies, corporations and public administrations on public law regulatory and litigation matters, providing particular assistance in M&A transactions.

Mariangela has extensive experience working in all the areas of administrative law, especially in public contracts, urban planning and real estate, electronic communications, energy, aerospace and defense, life sciences, transportation and infrastructure, regulated services and also in litigation before Administrative Judge, Constitutional and European Court.

In 2025, she was appointed by the European Commission as member of the Stakeholder Expert Group on Public Procurement (SEGPP),” which supports the Commission in the reform of EU public procurement directives.

With an extensive background litigating before administrative law judges, Mariangela is a recognized leader in shaping public law policy in Italy. She has collaborated with the Italian Chamber of Deputies, the president of the Commission for Administrative Reform, overseeing the drafting of bills, parliamentary reports and regulatory proposals.

During her career, she has worked in both international and Italian law firms, as well as in boutiques specialized in administrative law.

She is a member of the Scientific Committee of the Italiadecide Association and oversee the Observatory on Public Contracts of the Association. She teaches at Master’s degree courses in administrative law as well as courses in public institutions

She is also an author of numerous publications in the field, rapporteur at conferences and public seminars and a researcher for private and public associations.

She is authorized to practice in the higher courts.

In 2021 Mariangela has been included by Top Legal among the best lawyers specialized in public procurement and concessions. In 2022 she was named infrastructure and PPP lawyer of the year by Legalcommunity.

Alessandra Di Lorito Associate

Rome

Alessandra's activity focuses on advising Italian and foreign clients in the areas of public procurement, project financing and concessions, infrastructure, energy and environment, both in and out of court.

She is the author of articles on administrative law published in legal journals of the sector.

Prior to joining Orrick, she gained experience in the same practice, working for a leading international firm.

Alessandra graduated with honors with a master's degree in law. She has also earned a LL.M. in Administrative Law (MIDA) from LUISS School of Law in 2023.

She is qualified as a lawyer in 2023 and has been a member of the Rome Bar Association since 2024.

Marc Diab Maalouf Senior Associate

Paris

Marc advises investment funds, industrial groups, listed companies, and startups, both French and international, on all aspects of business law, particularly in the context of acquisitions, disposals, mergers, reorganizations, and strategic partnerships. 

He is particularly active in the infrastructure, renewable energy, and new technology sectors, both in France and internationally.

In 2025, the international guide Legal 500 EMEA named him in the Key Lawyer category in Private equity: LBO and commented "high-quality deliverables; clear, didactic communication; strong proposals; proactive" and "serious while being relaxed in interactions, appreciable in the execution phase under pressure".

Brandon Dias Partner

Sacramento

California Local Government Finance. Brandon focuses on California local government financing structures including general fund lease revenue bonds and certificates of participation; pension obligation bonds; tax and revenue anticipation notes; mello-roos bonds, assessment district bonds and other land secured financing structures; redevelopment financing; water and wastewater revenue bonds; airport revenue bonds; and public power revenue bonds.

Tax-Exempt Healthcare Finance. Brandon also focuses on tax-exempt healthcare finance for 501(c)(3) organizations. His experience includes financings for standalone hospitals, hospital systems and continuing care retirement communities. He has served as bond counsel or underwriters' counsel on tax-exempt healthcare financings in various states throughout the nation.

Leon Diederichs Associate

Düsseldorf

He focuses in particular on disputes in antitrust law. His work includes representing a client from the petrochemical industry in the enforcement of antitrust claims for damages against companies involved in cartels.

Already as a trainee lawyer at Orrick, he contributed to the successful action for annulment of an investment control prohibition decision before the Berlin Administrative Court.

Before becoming a lawyer, Leon Diederichs completed a stage at the German Federal Cartel Office and worked for several international law firms including Orrick.

Roberta Dimaggio Managing Associate

Milan

She focuses her practice on private equity transactions and corporate matters, advising clients on national and cross-border mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, and commercial law issues.

Roberta's expertise extends to assisting both Italian and international companies on M&A transactions for domestic and international growth as well as private equity funds on their investments. She also provides counsel to Italian families in strategic operations involving private equity funds and transactions aimed at expanding their businesses. In addition to her transactional work, Roberta offers general corporate expertise, guiding clients through various corporate governance and commercial law matters.

Roberta has advised on acquisitions in the healthcare sector, including the purchase of medical centers and diagnostic facilities, as well as transactions in the industrial sector. Her experience includes assisting clients in the acquisition of companies specializing in energy efficiency and decarbonization solutions, as well as advising on the sale and purchase of manufacturing and industrial assets.

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.