People

Leonardo Pinta Of Counsel

Rome

Leonardo practices in the areas of M&A, corporate and commercial law, corporate governance, and more in general, in structuring and negotiating extraordinary transactions such as share deals, assets deals, mergers, demergers and spin offs, with specific focus on the private equity sector. Clients represented are PE funds, multinational players, listed and private companies, entrepreneurs and managers. He gained solid expertise assisting purchasers and sellers in the context of one-to-one sales and competitive auctions as well as in the management of the relevant negotiation procedures.

He received a PhD in Business Law from Luiss Guido Carli in Rome and a Master’s Degree (LLM) in Corporate Law from New York University in New York and is admitted to practice in Italy.

Wolfram Pohl Partner

San Francisco

Wolf represents many of the country’s most prominent developers and financing parties in structuring transactions to take advantage of tax credits, Treasury cash grants, depreciation benefits, and other available tax benefits. He has represented developers and tax equity investors in financings of both wind and solar projects, as well as on tax planning for energy storage, carbon capture, and carbon sequestration projects. 

Nolwenn Poisson Managing Associate

Paris

Nolwenn’s practice focuses on debt financing transactions, including leveraged acquisition financings, for private credit funds, private equity sponsors, corporates and special situations funds.

Prior to joining Orrick, she was an associate at another leading US law firm.

Nicholas Poli Partner

New York

Nick is an experienced bankruptcy litigator, representing financial institutions, pharmaceutical companies, and trustees in all stages of the bankruptcy process. Most recently, Nick served as co-lead trial counsel to the private credit arm of a global financial company and secured a $100 million trial victory in connection with multiple defaulted loans.

Nicholas also has extensive experience in issues arising out of the financial crisis, including a range of issues relating to residential mortgage backed securities (“RMBS”) and lending practices. He has represented issuers and sponsors of RMBS in fraud and breach of contract cases, as well as federal and state securities actions. Nicholas has defended a global financial institution in connection with two separate trials in the New York Supreme Court.

Nicholas is a key member of the Orrick team that represents Goldman Sachs and Credit Suisse, multinational investment banks and financial services companies, in connection with more than a dozen cases. This includes defending the clients against claims brought by investors, trustees, and monoline insurance companies in connection with the purchase and sale of RMBS. Nicholas also completed a secondment at Credit Suisse, where he was in the litigation and investigations group. During this time, he worked on regulatory matters involving FINRA, the SEC, the DOJ, the CFTC, and the NY Department of Financial Services. Additionally, he handled internal investigations addressing issues such as insider trading.

Nicholas has also represented one of the nation’s largest mortgage loan servicers, including in a class action lawsuit involving allegations of improper loan servicing practices.

Ryan Pollard Partner

Washington, D.C.

Ryan focuses on representing borrowers and lenders in loan origination financing (in mortgage, auto, consumer and other loans, including warehouse and repurchase facilities) and servicing advance financing, acquisition financing (including mortgage servicing rights), syndicated financing, fund financing, working capital financing, litigation financing and asset based financing. He also assists clients with obtaining required applicable agency approvals in connection with these transactions.

Prior to joining Orrick, Ryan was a partner at Buckley LLP. He also was a corporate and securities associate in private practice, where he represented clients in a broad range of local, national and international corporate transactions.

Josh Pollick Partner

Santa Monica

Josh represents high-growth technology companies and venture capital firms in many areas, including corporate and securities law, corporate formations, venture capital financings, mergers and acquisitions, public offerings, secondary offerings and SPAC transactions.

Josh was recognized as a Fintech Rising Star by Law360 for his work representing innovative companies such as Accrue, Crexi, Dave, Deel, Dub, Get Covered, Trullion and Stripe. He has been nationally recognized by Chambers and Partners USA and Legal500 for his work representing startups and venture capital funds.

Josh’s company-side representations also include high-growth AI and SaaS companies, such as Speak and Supabase, energy tech companies such as Radiant Nuclear and Zeno Power, and healthtech companies such as Grow Therapy, Pearl and Saferide Health.  

In addition to his company-side representations, Josh has represented leading venture capital firms and other strategic investors, including Bonfire, Coatue, Darsana Capital, D1 Capital, Ground Up Ventures, Pathbreaker Ventures, Upfront Ventures and Wonder Ventures.

Josh has significant buy-side and sell-side M&A experience, including representing Deel in its acquisitions of CapBase, Legalpad, Hofy, Payspace, Roots, Zavvy and Zeitgold.

Brianna Pomatico Senior Associate

New York

Brianna's practice focuses on cross-border comparative employment law, including global business immigration. She works with clients to address critical questions related to the evolution and growth of their global workforce, including international employment contracts, employee handbooks and policies, contingent worker considerations, performance management, benefits, HR data privacy compliance, and equity compensation. Brianna also advises on the global employment aspects of corporate transactions.

Prior to joining Orrick, Brianna practiced corporate immigration law, gaining years of experience facilitating global mobility for large corporations, startups, and individuals alike. 

Josh Pond Partner

Washington, D.C.

Josh is a Global and U.S. Chambers-ranked Section 337 advocate before the U.S. International Trade Commission. He is also a D.C. Super Lawyer in IP litigation, and Patexia has consistently ranked him as a “most-active” and "best performing" ITC practitioner for each of the past five years.

Josh’s practice centers on blocking and defending imports before the ITC. He regularly serves as lead ITC counsel for domestic and international companies – particularly those from Asia and Europe – in Section 337 investigations. Over the past decade, Josh has been to ITC trial for over a dozen Fortune Global 500 companies. He focuses on matters involving brand protection, patent, trademark, and copyright infringement, international trade secret theft and unfair competition claims.

In addition to the ITC, Josh is active before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, U.S. District Courts and the Federal Circuit. Recent patent-validity challenge highlights at the USPTO’s Patent Trial and Appeal Board include a complete five-patent Inter Partes Review defense victory, as well as a two-patent invalidating IPR win, affirmed at the Federal Circuit, as well as a key patent defense through Ex Parte Reexamination. Josh’s most recent District Court win was a jury verdict in favor of his client ScentAir in Delaware. Abroad, China has featured prominently among recent global forums for Josh’s matters, as well as Canada and Germany.

Josh’s IP portfolio strategies are catered to meeting enforcement challenges. His clients include companies ranging from startups to multinationals in electronics, consumer products, telecommunications, mechanical and medical devices, and biochemicals.

A founding member of the Advisory Council to Georgetown's Institute for Technology Law & Policy, Josh also has been a fellow in the Hispanic National Bar Association’s IP Law Institute. He was a founding editor of the ITC Trial Lawyers Association’s 337 Reporter Round-Up.

Josh served in the U.S. Marine Corps as a field artillery captain. He was deployed to the Persian Gulf and awarded the Defense Meritorious Service Medal. As part of his pro bono service, Josh advocates for fellow veterans with the “Lawyers Serving Warriors” team of the National Veterans Legal Services Program.

Prior to joining Orrick, Josh co-led a global law firm’s ITC Section 337 litigation practice.

Bianca Ponziani Managing Associate

New York

She has partnered with start-ups and Fortune 500 companies to develop comprehensive privacy and cybersecurity policies and procedures that comply with U.S., EU and UK law and self-regulatory frameworks, including U.S. state privacy laws; the EU and UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR); the CAN-SPAM Act; the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA); the Federal Trade Commission Act (FTC Act); and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Bianca helps clients prepare for and respond to crisis security incidents, including by advising on personal data breach notification obligations, working closely with cyber forensics experts, engaging with law enforcement, and responding to regulatory inquiries.

She also provides clients with practical guidance in complex and multijurisdictional corporate transactions to help navigate attendant privacy and cybersecurity risks.

Ekaterina Popoff Senior Associate

New York

Ekaterina (Katya) Popoff is experienced in closing complex deals, acting for issuers and underwriters both in the U.S. and abroad in structured securities offerings across a broad range of asset classes including residential mortgages, credit cards, oil and gas assets and commercial loans, and structures, including public and private offerings, repos, CLOs and cost recovery bonds. Drawing on her background as an entrepreneur, she approaches her work with a pragmatic and solution-focused mindset, ensuring that clients receive efficient and practical solutions.

Katya is a passionate and dedicated mentor to junior associates, ensuring that her colleagues receive support and guidance to help them advance their skills and gain confidence. Her other areas of interest include designing, creating and refining deal management systems on complex deals, including learning new strategies, implementing workflows for the associate team to follow and refining approaches from prior deals.

Before joining Orrick, Katya practiced in structured finance at a leading national firm in Canada. Prior to that she founded a specialty tea producer and wholesaler that sold packaged tea blends into the U.S., Canadian and international markets. Under her leadership, the business won numerous awards for taste, packaging design and marketing. She is an avid reader and has recently rekindled her interest in cycling as a means to explore the outdoors and discover new places.

Scott Porter Senior Corporate Counsel

San Francisco

Scott was an associate at the firm from 1998 until 2006 and has experience in mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, securities law and general corporate matters.

Prior to joining Orrick, he was an associate at Pillsbury Madison & Sutro LLP from 1997 to 1998.

Gerald Porter Senior Associate

Los Angeles; Santa Monica

Jerry specializes in high-stakes patent disputes, excelling at distilling complex technical issues into clear, persuasive arguments. He is experienced across all stages of litigation, including pre-suit investigations, motion practice, fact and expert discovery, taking and defending depositions, arguing in federal court, pre-trial filings, trial, post-trial briefing, and appeals. He also has significant experience in patent prosecution before the Patent Office and in inter partes review proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board.

Using his engineering background, Jerry engages effectively with technical professionals and swiftly grasps new technologies. He provides tailored solutions for clients in diverse industries, including semiconductors, medical devices, biotechnology, cryptocurrency, cybersecurity, and audio and telecommunications.

Jerry also advises clients on managing and protecting their intellectual property portfolios, helping them navigate current challenges while anticipating future risks in a rapidly evolving tech landscape.

Leveraging both his technical and legal expertise, Jerry crafts innovative strategies to protect intellectual property and resolve disputes efficiently, always with a focus on achieving favorable outcomes.