Our Team

The risks founders take to solve problems and effect change.

There's no better area of corporate law to practice in my opinion - the clients are all working on exciting things, and you get to see the whole journey from incorporation to exit!

A book, a hike and a beach!

Invisibility.

The ability to support founders in their journeys from the onset. Founder paths aren't all identical and, in fact, the individualistic nature of each gives us, as counsel, the chance to learn more about the goals of the company by way of gaining a personal relationship with those that created it.

Before coming to Orrick, I had little knowledge of what an "emerging companies and venture capital lawyer" was, other than that it was fast paced, with lots of client contact. While both those facts are true, I've come to appreciate the greater picture of the field—we're supporting our clients as they create technology that advances progression across sectors, creates jobs and inspires others to do the same in their space.

In the little things of the present moment, particularly when those moments are outdoors in nature.

Mixed bag, either go full ski bum, or work on creating my own startup.

Taking our camper to the ski slopes with my wife and daughter, skiing some early morning laps, and then catching après with friends and family.

It is extremely inspiring to work with visionaries who are looking to augment people's day to day through cutting edge technology. Collaborating with tech company clients allows me to connect with innovation at a deeper level.

San Francisco in itself is an inspiration to me. It is a unique environment that evokes new ideas every day and catapults innovators to the next level. It is a city with history, grid and vision.

I would love to buy "fixer-uppers" in urban environments and bring them back to life and give them new purpose.

Ragnar Kjartansson's "The Visitors" at the MoMA in San Francisco is an art work that touched me deeply recently.

I love guiding founders and investors through the complexities of the legal world to help them create the future.

I would be an economics professor.

I worked at a family ice cream store every summer from age 8 to 19.

Attending a concert of one of my favorite bands.

Best mentor I ever had is a leading M&A/private equity lawyer who, not surprisingly, was a very successful equity investor in his own right and could have run any number of investment banks. In addition to being one of the most analytical, numerate negotiators I have ever seen, he had a gift for “dumbing” things down into actionable plans: the goal on every deal was to develop unexpected alternatives for the client. After one particularly difficult deal where he found a compromise no one else saw, we joked that his tombstone should read: Here lies X. He ran out of alternatives.” He is a practiced listener who continues to outperform expectations by generating options. When things seem difficult, his uncommon pursuit of Plan Bs inspires me.

I like to read history and biographies, especially stories where the protagonists are expected to fail and then don’t.

I have dual citizenship (US and UK).

Immunotherapy where the body’s immune system is leveraged to fight disease.

In today's world, there are many problems for which tech companies can be part of the solution. Many tech companies have a global reach and can have a significant impact on society. Whether it's creating products that improve people's lives or addressing pressing global issues. They are also often at the forefront of innovation, constantly pushing the boundaries of what is possible with technology.

I am drawn to the world of emerging companies and startups because I am passionate about entrepreneurship and innovation. I find it inspiring to work with early stage companies and help them navigate their legal complexities. I enjoy the intellectual challenge of the field, as it often involves complex legal structures. It's also a lot of fun because the founders are often personally involved and we can solve complex issues directly and quickly.

I have been a soccer referee (for both men's and women's soccer games) for a very long time.

Time Manipulation (the ability to slow time down or speed it up, allowing more time to be spent supporting and helping those in need).

You can sleep when you're dead.

It’s inspiring to help entrepreneurs and investors navigate legal challenges and find creative solutions as they build, grow and scale innovative and world-changing ideas.

I would start my own company (likely in the consumer, edtech or maternal health space).

I played mallet percussion (4 mallets at the same time) in high school and marched cymbals at UCLA. Go Bruins!

AI; legaltech; space technologies; and advances technologies improving maternal healthcare.

Sunny days, good eats and adventuring with my daughters.

Be yourself. Never stop learning and growing. Take risks. Give back and pay it forward.

Exciting founders pushing the boundaries in cutting edge sectors.

A ski instructor (albeit not a very good one!)

Google Maps and Uber. I use both on a daily basis.

It involves a hike, a pub lunch and the seaside - simple pleasures.

Orrick provides the perfect platform to work together with the most innovative and disruptive companies in the global tech market. Working together with these companies provides the opportunity to work together with extremely inspiring, intelligent, and hard-working people.

I am passionate about advising emerging companies through all stages of growth as it allows me to not only advise on corporate law aspects or on M&A or financing projects but it requires a more “holistic” approach helping clients with respect to all kinds of legal matters, almost serving as an “outside general counsel”.

As I have already spent my early youth reading John Grisham novels and always wanted to become a lawyer, I would probably still be in the legal industry in another position if I wasn’t a tech lawyer.

Spending some “offline time” with my family, ideally in combination with my other two passions which are travelling and any kind of sports (hoping I will be successful in getting my young kids enthusiastic about playing golf as well).

I started my career with an anorak as a software engineer, so when I shifted to law, I was always going to leverage off my passion for technology and innovation.

It was a real career highlight to support the Currency Cloud from Series A financing in 2011 through 10 years of legal services including four further funding rounds and ultimately its £700m sale to VISA. The connection to the exceptional Currency Cloud team was the cherry on top.

I am Zimbabwean born and bred, and qualified to represent my country in table tennis at the junior Olympics.

Family, friends, good food, good music and a game of padel (which I win).

To clone myself: I would love to be able to dedicate an extra bit of time to each of the activities taking up my day - there never seems enough time to do each one fully.