Our Team

Our tech-focused advisors help founders and funders alike navigate legal complexities with a commercial-first mindset.

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Kristy Hart

I represent early and growth stage companies as well as investors and venture capital funds on a wide range of corporate transactions throughout their life cycle. I am passionate about helping founders and investors at the forefront of technology drive innovation, and to support them by providing Read More

Clients I've worked with: Butternut Box | Connexin | Vitruvian Partners | Sonantic | 9fin

Contact me Managing Associate, London khart@orrick.com +44 20 7862 4637

LinkedIn Full Bio

What inspires you about working with tech companies?

Working with some of the most driven founders who are relentlessly pushing the boundaries and shaping our future is incredibly inspiring and exciting. At the same time, playing a pivotal part in that journey and guiding a founding team through many of their key milestones (from incorporation, through hiring their first employees, closing their first round and beyond) is one of the most rewarding parts of what I do.
If you weren't a tech lawyer, what would you do?

I would probably be a pilot. The closest I came to "piloting" an in-flight experience was running the first in-flight hackathon (a rapid and collaborative prototyping sprint), Hack Horizon, looking to revolutionise the TravelTech industry while at 40,000 feet above sea level and going at 564 miles per hour on a commercial flight from Hong Kong to London.
Tell us something we'd be surprised to know about you.

I was a competitive figure skater in a past lifetime. As a longstanding heavy metal fan, my greatest memory was convincing my coach to let me skate my short program to my favourite heavy metal track (admittedly the acoustic version). These days I prefer to glide around on the back of a motorbike.
What's the best advice you've ever received?

There are no traffic jams on the extra mile.

Mike Heath

I'm a tech lawyer that works with startups, growth companies and venture capital funds. I help with formation, financings (equity, convertible, debt) and liquidity (M&A and IPO). I also help quarterback legal more generally for my clients – many of my clients think of me as their outside general Read More

Clients I've worked with: Mashgin | FloQast | Loop | Red 6 | Susa Ventures

Contact me Partner, Los Angeles mheath@orrick.com +1 310 633 2817

LinkedIn Full Bio

What inspires you about working with tech companies?

I'm a tinkerer. As a kid I'd disassemble our family PC and put it back together because it was fun. I'd rig up little electronic systems using random left-over parts from Radio Shack. I'd play around in the Windows Registry to find out how much I could break before I'd have to reinstall Windows 95. As an adult I still enjoy building and maintaining my own Linux home servers and home automation systems. Working with tech companies feels like I've found my people. Our clients are people who have found the world as it is, and think to themselves, "I wonder why things are that way. The status quo doesn't make a lot of sense. What if we tried to do it differently?" That outlook resonates a lot with me.
Where do you find inspiration in life?

The mountains in winter. Snowboarding and skiing is my happy place.
If you weren't a tech lawyer, what would you do?

Astronaut. Please ignore that I'm likely too tall and wholly unqualified for NASA.
Tell us about a favorite book, work of art or piece of music?

My favorite piece of literature is Catch-22. I love the non-chronological storytelling, the Rashomon-like reveals of additional information in scenes you thought you knew, and the general absurdity of the plot. But the most impactful book I've read was "Breath" by James Nestor. It was recommended to me by Ron Rofe at Rainfall Ventures and it completely changed the trajectory of my life. Sometimes the right book at the right time can have a profound impact on your life.

Gregory Heibel

I've spent my career working for and with startups of all stages beginning with my time selling solid state electric meters in the APAC region, and my role as an associate at a Swiss-based venture fund, before practicing law in the Silicon Valley. My representation of high growth companies and their investors leans on this experience to apply market context to sophisticated financing, acquisition and commercial transactions globally. I also work with some of the world's most important technology companies to help guide their early stage investment processes.

Clients I've worked with: Go1 | Logikcull (acquired by Reveal) | Syllable | Microsoft | Workday

Contact me Partner, Silicon Valley gheibel@orrick.com +1 650 614 7394

Full Bio

What inspired you to become an emerging companies and venture capital lawyer?

As the son of a serial entrepreneur, I early on learned the intense highs and lows of starting companies, and I always knew that I needed to be a part of energy. There is a special thrill and pride that comes from being an advisor to a company from their formation to their exit, living with and guiding the founders through the trials and tribulations that come from taking a raw startup to success. I never forget that a startup is deeply personal for its founders, and I'm honored to share that.
If you weren't a tech lawyer, what would you do?

I would have gone to medical school and become an emergency medicine physician. There is something raw and important about being a physician who doesn't know what emergency will arrive at their doorstep next, but who also knows that they will be ready to take care of that emergency because they've prepared for years for each of those encounters.
Tell us something we'd be surprised to know about you.

I have a pair of first class seats from a 757 in my office. It even still has the Airfone in the armrest (remember those?).
What technology are you most excited to see develop?

I believe that the application of AI to healthcare will fundamentally change how humans live and thrive, and it will do so in ways that we can't yet imagine. I think the benefits will most prominently be seen in parts of the world where putting access to AI's clinical insights in the hands of caregivers to diagnose early and treat patients effectively without the need for expensive equipment like MRI's and CT's.
What is your ideal weekend?

A long overnight flight with my wife to an exotic city for a fantastic dinner before waking up at a luxury hotel with a really great breakfast buffet.
What's the best advice you've ever received?

Never threaten, just do.

Dolph Hellman

Having practiced transactional law for almost 35 years, I've developed 2 different areas of expertise in the tech and life sciences ecosystem - (i) venture debt and (ii) VC fund formation. In terms of venture debt, I've been assisting tech and life sciences companies at all different stages of growth with venture debt transactions since the late 1990's when venture debt first become available to start-up companies. Over the years, I worked on hundreds (if not thousands) of such financing transactions. In terms of VC fund formation, I've been assisting sponsors of VC funds - and in particular emerging managers - in connection with VC fund formation for over 15 years. I really enjoy working with founders and venture capitalists because it allows me to be more than just a technical lawyer. Instead, it allows me be also be a trusted advisor which is very rewarding. If you're looking for a trusted advisor to assist you with either venture debt or VC fund formation, then I'm your guy!

Contact me Partner, San Francisco dolphhellman@orrick.com +1 415 773 5678

LinkedIn Full Bio

What inspires you about working with tech companies?

I really enjoy working with founders and emerging managers in the tech and life sciences space since I know that I am really adding value to their companies/VC funds. Often the advice and guidance I provide can mean the difference between success and failure, so I take on this responsibility very seriously. I also think it's cool to watch many of our clients evolve from being a team of just a few people to multi-national entities with thousands of employees.
If you weren't a tech lawyer, what would you do?

Maybe a lawyer in the entertainment industry. In particular, I find the music industry (and in particular the area of music law) to be very fascinating.
What technology are you most excited to see develop?

Autonomous vehicles. Once that technology is perfected it will be a real game changer in terms of mobility.
What's the best advice you've ever received?

Don't put off to tomorrow what you can accomplish today. Procrastination is a terrible habit - particularly for a lawyer to have - so I try to stay on top of my work projects as much as is humanly possible.

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