
Washington, D.C.
Ignacio engages with the SEC and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) on behalf of clients on critical matters related to their business by seeking regulatory relief, interpretive guidance, exemptions and as a subject matter expert in enforcement and examination matters. He advises major U.S. broker-dealers in their clearing, retail, trading and institutional businesses, and on their financial responsibility and operational obligations.
Ignacio has counseled numerous broker-dealers on their obligations under the net capital rule (Rule 15c3-1), the customer protection rule (Rule 15c3-3), margin (Regulation T, Regulation U, Regulation X, FINRA Rule 4210, etc.), recordkeeping and reporting rules (Rule 17a-3, Rule 17a-4, Rule 17a-5, Rule 17a-8, Rule 17a-11, Rule 17a-13, etc.) and other middle office and back-office requirements. He has drafted market standard clearing and custody agreements for broker-dealers and has experience working on various types of agreements affecting market intermediaries and participants, including trading agreements, customer agreements, distribution agreements and platform agreements.
Ignacio regularly registers and provides support to alternative trading systems (ATS) and counsels market participants regarding their obligations to register as such. In addition, he has helped broker-dealers develop management platforms for clients involving money market funds and other cash equivalent instruments. He also has experience with cash sweep programs involving money market funds and bank deposit programs insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).
Ignacio’s experience also includes matters relating to domestic and foreign broker-dealer registrations, customer account statement and confirmation requirements, mergers and acquisition brokers, anti-money laundering obligations for buy-side and sell-side participants, transaction confirmations and outsourcing broker-dealer technology and platforms. He counsels foreign exchanges and foreign clearing organizations regarding U.S. regulatory obligations on the access of U.S. person to foreign options markets and security-futures products.
Washington, D.C.
Her practice focuses on project finance and development, mergers and acquisitions and general corporate matters with a particular focus on renewable energy. Lauren advises clients in debt and tax equity financings, development of solar and wind projects, and infrastructure projects.
Tokyo
Ben works with innovative technology companies and the investors who back them, focusing on those that operate in the blockchain, web3, NFT, and cryptocurrency sectors or have a relationship to Japan.
Drawing from his in-house experience at a global cryptocurrency exchange, Ben has a keen understanding of the challenges faced by high-growth companies developing transformative technologies and products in a regulated industry. He has also gained insight into both the Silicon Valley and Japanese tech and venture ecosystems, having previously worked in the Palo Alto office of another major law firm before practicing in Japan.
Not admitted in Japan.
Paris
Aurélie advises French and international financial institutions, corporates, sponsors, investors and asset managers on French and cross border transactions. She advises on banking, structured finance and securitization transactions.
Prior to joining Orrick, Aurélie was an associate for five years in the Securitization and Structured Finance teams of two leading international law firms in Paris.
Paris
Chimène advises French and international clients on all aspects of antitrust & competition law.
She has extensive experience in competition investigations, litigation concerning anti-competitive practices (cartels and abuse of dominant position), merger control, state aid law and foreign subsidy control.
Chimène specializes in the energy, infrastructure, industry, regulated professions, transport, agri-food and distribution sectors.
Prior to joining Orrick, Chimène worked for a leading French law firm, and before that for a prestigious Magic Circle firm.
Chimène is recognized as a “Rising Star” and “Leading associate” for EU, Competition and Distribution in Legal 500 EMEA, as “One to Watch” for Competition/Antitrust in Best Lawyers, and as a “Future Leader” in Competition in Lexology Index’s Who’s Who Legal.
Washington, D.C.
Romina represents investors, issuers and other market participants in connection with asset-backed securities transactions. Romina has experience with a variety of esoteric assets, including proved developed producing (PDP) oil and gas wellbores, musical composition and sound recording copyrights, legal fees receivables and cell site assets, as well as consumer receivables, including credit card and charge card receivables and auto loans and leases.
Houston
Michelle focuses her practice on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, project development and general corporate matters for clients in the oil and gas and renewable energy industries.
Düsseldorf
Christian helps clients consider the privacy and artificial intelligence implications of new technology, supports their compliance programs, and helps them stay ahead of enforcement trends. One particular focus of his work deals with internal data transfer agreements, external data transfers with external providers, and product launches that comply with international data protection standards, as well as privacy requirements for connected cars. Furthermore, Christian provides guidance on privacy and data protection considerations for developing, acquiring, using, licensing and selling technology, data and intellectual property, including M&A transactions and IP focused joint ventures. He supports companies on the set-up of webshops, outsourcings, license agreements, in cases of trademark or unfair and deceptive trade practice issues, as well as on hard and software license and information technology (IT) project agreements.
Christian maintains strong working relationships with German data protection authorities and EU regulatory authorities with jurisdiction over privacy and data security matters. He effectively defends companies in cybersecurity and privacy-related investigations initiated by EU regulatory authorities. He also engages with authorities on behalf of clients and helps clients avoid proceedings and possible litigation. When litigation can't be avoided, Christian vigorously defends his clients.
For companies facing global cybersecurity incidents, Christian helps with crisis mitigation, including counseling on notification requirements, coordinating media strategies, and representing clients before data protection authorities in related regulatory investigations.
Christian regularly contributes practical thought leadership to global privacy industry publications and German privacy books and journals. Christian authors the Chapter V (international data transfers) of Germany’s leading GDPR commentary Kühling/Buchner (4th ed.) and is co-author to the Corporate Privacy Handbook (Betrieblicher Datenschutz). As an active member of the Sedona Conference, Christian drives the development and understanding of cross border privacy. He also participates in, hosts and moderates speaking programs with fellow private practitioners, EU data protection authorities, and academics focused on privacy and data security. Legal 500 Germany named Christian one of the top 15 practitioners in 2023 and noted that he is "a pioneer in the legal field, a data protection guru." They also recognized Christian and Orrick as "truly global" and how that it is "vital as they require the various leaders of each region to participate and bring issues to the table as a forum".
Prior to working in private practice, Christian interned with the German Federal Data Protection Commissioner and www.epic.org.
Munich
Having focused on privacy law for over a decade, Daniel provides comprehensive privacy and cybersecurity advisory support to clients. He further focuses on AI, data, and other technology-related matters. Daniel also possesses significant experience regarding legal disputes including litigation matters and authority proceedings.
He is a Co-Chair of the International Association of Privacy Professionals’ (IAPP) KnowledgeNet Chapter in Munich and has obtained the certifications / designations Artificial Intelligence Governance Professional (AIGP), Certified Information Privacy Professional / Europe (CIPP/E), Certified Information Privacy Professional / United States (CIPP/US), Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM), and Fellow of Information Privacy (FIP) from the IAPP.
Daniel is recommended in the 2025 Legal 500 Data protection rankings as a key lawyer of Orrick’s related German practice. Testimonials gathered by Legal 500 state: “Daniel Ashkar is an outstanding lawyer with outstanding knowledge of current developments in the field of data protection law. His passion for data protection law and precision in his advice is unmatched. It is a pleasure to work with him.”; “Daniel Ashkar: Partner material, binding, creative, and practice-oriented.” He has further been recognized by the leading German business journal Handelsblatt / Best Lawyers in the category Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch - Attorneys of the Future under the practice area Data Security and Privacy Law.
Daniel wrote his doctoral thesis on data privacy law and regularly publishes and speaks on privacy and AI related topics.
Prior to joining Orrick, Daniel was an in-house counsel for a German automotive manufacturer and for one of the largest reinsurance corporations in the world. Due to his in-house experience at these large German multinationals, he has a particular understanding of globally operating clients’ needs and requirements. Daniel started his career at another global law firm where he worked for several years with a main focus on data privacy as well as dispute resolution and litigation matters.
Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley
SeoJung brings experience advising U.S. and International private equity funds in all phases of their operations, including formation, acquisition, financing, restructuring and exiting portfolio investments. She also counsels private and public companies, banks, and financial institutions on the U.S. tax aspects of various financings, capital markets and other transactions.
San Francisco
San Francisco
Eric counsels private and public companies, including private equity funds, on the tax aspects of their most important business transactions, including domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions, investments, joint ventures, and restructurings. In particular, Eric has significant experience with the tax matters most critical to clients in the technology and life science sectors. Eric also has significant experience advising clients on equity and other compensation tax matters, real estate tax matters and tax controversy matters.
Eric began his career at the firm as a summer associate in 2001.
Santa Monica
Santa Monica
He regularly assists in the tax planning and structuring of emerging companies and other transactions relevant to their formation and sale, including founder loan share purchases and secondary sales, “Up-C” IPO transactions, obtaining and optimizing “qualified small business stock” tax benefits, conversions of limited liability companies, structuring and documenting “profits interests” and other favorable equity to founders, as well as M&A, joint ventures, equity and debt financings, buyouts, divestitures, and restructurings. He has significant experience in real estate and related transactions, including structuring and tax planning for private equity investment funds, joint ventures, and like kind exchanges and other tax-advantaged exit strategies, including:
Pete has spoken and written extensively in areas involving private equity, venture capital, hedge and real estate funds, real estate joint ventures and distressed debt, and private equity transactions.
Pete also is an adjunct professor at the U.C. Irvine School of Law, having created and taught classes focused on Tax Planning for Real Estate Transactions, for both JD and LLM (taxation) students.