Janista Lee Managing Associate
Orange County
Orange County
Orange County
Prior to starting at Orrick, Janista spent a year as an Orrick Fellow at Community Legal SoCal in the Complex Litigation Unit, where she worked with community members to advocate for systemic change in Orange County. She earned her JD at the UC Irvine School of Law in 2020. While in law school, she externed for the Honorable Fernando M. Olguin in the Central District Court. She also participated in the Domestic Violence Clinic and committed over 200 hours to pro bono work. Janista served on the Executive Board of the UC Irvine Law Review as the Senior Articles Editor.
San Francisco
Previously, Betsy served as a Law Clerk at the National Center For Youth Law (Oakland). Prior to law school, she also worked as an Investigator with the New York City Department of Education and as a Legal Assistant at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP (New York).
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Julie focuses her practice on business litigation, and she represents clients across the financial, technology, and energy sectors. She has extensive experience in successfully litigating complex commercial cases, both at the trial and appellate levels. Julie also tailors her experience to our clients' specific needs to achieve favorable results through mediation, arbitration, regulatory proceedings, and strategic business negotiations.
Prior to joining Orrick, Julie was a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Dana M. Sabraw of the United States District Court for the Southern District of California.
New York
Young is recognized as a Leading Lawyer by Chambers USA and Chambers Global (2010-2025), where clients state, “Young is a spectacular lawyer. She is smart, creative and commercial - a stand out person to work with,” she “provides expert representation in the development and financing of high-value and sophisticated infrastructure projects,” and is “very insightful and bringing a lot of practical experience to deals.”
Young represents sponsors, lenders and investors in the development, construction, financing and operation and maintenance of complex infrastructure projects and the acquisition and sale of projects and companies in the infrastructure sector. She has been involved in many of the largest U.S. PPP transactions that have achieved financial close in the past several years.
Young has acted as lead counsel in numerous project financings, acquisitions and other strategic arrangements in the United States and abroad. These transactions have involved, among other assets, toll roads, airports, port facilities, generation assets, telecommunications infrastructure, water and waste facilities, and companies owning portfolios of infrastructure assets.
Young also serves as Lead Director of Orrick's Board.
San Francisco
Aaron advises sponsors, lenders and financial institutions in debt and equity financings across the renewable energy, conventional energy and infrastructure sectors.
As a law student, Aaron worked as a legal intern at the International Finance Corporation. Prior to law school, Aaron worked as a credit ratings analyst for public finance transactions in the water and wastewater sectors. Aaron is also a licensed civil engineer in the State of California.
Seattle
He represents corporate buyers, project sponsors, developers, and financial institutions in the negotiation of a broad variety of agreements:
In addition to project development, Daniel has assisted energy clients in environmental, energy regulatory, restructuring, and financing matters.
Prior to joining Orrick, Daniel was a Senior Counsel at Vestas Development and a Senior Associate in an international law firm’s energy practice group. In these roles, he negotiated transactions involving over 3.5 GWs of renewable energy projects in matters ranging from utility scale to community solar.
Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley
Michelle focuses on capital markets transactions, including representing issuers in initial public offerings, follow-on offerings and tender offers and advising clients on corporate governance and securities law compliance matters.
San Francisco
Jennifer defends her clients in federal and state litigation across the country that allege fraud, breach of contract, or securities law violations. She is a key member of an Orrick trial team that has shaped the legal landscape of RMBS litigation after the 2009 financial crisis, delivering out-of-the box arguments and innovative solutions for her clients, from initial receipt of pre-litigation demands through expert work, summary judgment and trial.
Jennifer's mortgage-backed securities litigation experience, which spans the last decade, includes:
Jennifer also has significant mortgage servicing expertise, including the following matters:
Jennifer also represents financial services companies related to commercial disputes, including:
Jennifer is dedicated to pro bono work, including asylum claims, a cause close to her heart as a child of immigrants. Prior to joining Orrick, she held a fellowship position in the Law Reform Unit at the Legal Aid Society of New York, litigating both individual cases as well as class actions.
Jennifer was recently recognized as a Rising Star by Law360, one of four top attorneys under 40 in banking. She was also recognized by the Minority Corporate Counsel Association as a Rising Star this year.
Jennifer is a leader and advocate for inclusion and belonging initiatives in the legal profession. She leads Orrick's Inclusion & Belonging Committee in San Francisco. She has served as a fellow for the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, and is active in the California Minority Counsel Program.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
She brings a deep understanding of what drives innovative companies and a market reputation for efficiently and effectively getting intellectual property transactions and other complex commercial deals done.
Colleen counsels companies at all stages, from startups to Fortune 100, on the technology license and development agreements that drive their businesses, the strategic alliances that grow their industry relationships, and any other technology- and IP-driven agreements that are needed so companies can meet their business goals.
Colleen has extensive experience drafting and negotiating a wide variety of complex commercial agreements, including: intellectual property and data licenses; software development and license agreements; IT-focused services agreements, including consulting, development, hosting, and various “as-a-service” agreements; manufacturing and distribution agreements; joint venture and joint development agreements; and technology and intellectual property acquisition and disposition agreements. She also provides advice in connection with intellectual property and technology matters attendant to M&A and other corporate transactions.
She brings deep experience in the mobility technologies space, from connected vehicles and their supporting IT platforms to clean fuel technologies. She also has extensive experience in semiconductor design and fabrication, satellites and space technologies, telecommunications, and adtech.
Colleen has been involved in numerous pro bono activities, including: volunteering with voting rights and voter protection organizations; advising Georgetown’s Halcyon House social entrepreneurship fellows on intellectual property matters; hosting a start-up IP licensing webinar; and drafting and negotiating agreements for a PSA supporting equal wages for women.
Before becoming an attorney, Colleen spent several years working as a computer hardware and software engineer and performing research at a scientific think tank.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Named as one of the Most Innovative Intrapreneurs by Financial Times in 2022, Kate leads efforts with clients and our lawyers to transform the way legal services are delivered through the trifecta of people, process, and technology. Her work has contributed to Orrick being ranked among the top 10 firms for innovation by Financial Times for nine consecutive years - eight of them in the top three.
Kate also leads CaseStream, Orrick's homegrown litigation and transaction management system, which was recognized by Financial Times as a #1 most innovative New Product and Service.
Kate is a former litigator and represented commercial clients in complex litigation throughout the United States at Orrick. She remains active in numerous pro bono matters and was awarded the first annual Orrick Pro Bono Award. Kate also served as an adjunct professor of Legal Writing and Oral Advocacy at the University Maryland School of Law.
Houston; Austin
Houston; Austin
In public finance matters, Cathleen has served as bond counsel and special tax counsel for a variety of transactions, including health care facilities, multifamily housing, airport, ports, transit authorities, non-profit organizations, public utilities, hospitality projects, as well as tobacco revenue securitizations. In addition to tax-exempt financings, Cathleen also represents clients in IRS audits and non-profit corporation tax matters.
San Francisco
Alex draws on her experience representing clients at all stages of development on a variety of matters, including litigating employment and contract disputes; conducting internal investigations; guiding clients through complex executive terminations and large-scale reductions-in-force; defending clients before state agencies in wage-and-hour, discrimination, and labor-related disputes; drafting internal policies; conducting due diligence for mergers and acquisitions and other corporate transactions; and advising clients on compliance with the complex web of federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations.