People

Richard Krebs Partner

Orange County

As a co-lead of the Life Settlements group at Orrick, Rich has soared to the company of top attorneys in the space, bringing a wealth of experience to the table. From federal and state courts to private arbitration rooms, Rich has represented policyholders, investors, funds, trusts, asset managers, banks, and brokers and agents in a myriad of arenas, including cost of insurance (COI) disputes, carrier and estate challenges, ownership and coverage disputes, and fraud cases.

Rich’s extensive experience in the life settlements space goes far beyond litigation and dispute resolution. Rich is a trusted advisor to clients transacting in the space, guiding clients through complex portfolio transactions, due diligence, and restructurings. He also works closely with Orrick’s Public Policy group to pursue legislative solutions on behalf of his clients. Rich’s relentless pursuit of victory and record of success directly lends to his ingenuity and innovative strategies, setting him apart from competitors in the life settlements space.

Lana Le Hir Partner

Orange County

She focuses on innovating creative solutions for all types of utility scale renewable power purchase agreements and carbon offset and removal agreements. This work includes virtual, physical, master-confirm portfolios, block delivery, aggregation, 24/7 hourly delivery, load following, battery storage, REC agreements, on-site solar, and green tariff direct agreements. Lana leverages her deep sell-side experience as Senior Counsel to one of the largest renewable energy developers in the world, with her extensive corporate buy-side knowledge, and background in electrical engineering, to advise effectively and close deals swiftly. Lana and her team at Orrick are at the forefront of corporate renewable energy procurement and are setting the industry standards for implementation of energy justice and Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) considerations.

Prior to joining Orrick, Lana was a Senior Associate at an international law firm where she managed portfolio growth for leading corporate purchasers and developers representing over 3.5 GWs of renewable transactions. She also served as Senior Counsel to Avangrid Renewables, a subsidiary of Iberdrola Renewables, for 8 years, where she was responsible for its entire US portfolio of power purchase agreements (7.5 GWs). Before her legal career, Lana managed a product engineering team in the development of a new cutting-edge wireless technology for consumer electronics.

Janista Lee Managing Associate

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.

Khai LeQuang Partner

Orange County

Most recently, Khai was lead trial counsel for EFG Bank and Erste Abwicklungsanstalt (which acquired the assets of former WestLB) in their lawsuit against AXA Equitable Life Insurance Company in the Southern District of New York, arising out of Equitable’s cost of insurance rate increase in 2016. EFG and EAA sought close to $100 million in damages. After several years of litigation, the case settled over the weekend before jury selection on very favorable terms. The settlement continued a string of recoveries Khai has achieved for clients pursuing claims against carriers that raised their cost of insurance rates.

Khai was lead trial counsel for EFG, EAA, and Obra Capital in their lawsuit against John Hancock Life Insurance Company in the Southern District of New York, arising out of John Hancock’s cost of insurance rate increase in 2018. EFG, EAA, and Obra sought over $100 million in damages. The case settled the evening before jury selection on very favorable terms.

Last year, Khai was lead trial counsel for a life insurance agent sued for fraud in connection with a life settlement transaction. The plaintiff sought over $10 million in damages. Following a one-week trial, the jury returned a complete defense verdict, and the case settled before judgment was entered.

Khai was lead trial counsel in a two-week bench trial in an action against a school district arising out of its allocation of $417 million in bond funds. The plaintiffs, led by a taxpayer association, sought $90 million for construction of a new school. After navigating a year-long political imbroglio and defeating plaintiffs’ summary judgment motions following a defense that Judge Pressman described as “brilliantly argued,” the case proceeded to a trial that resulted in a decision in favor of the district on all claims. Khai also defended and argued the appeal, in which the trial court’s judgment was affirmed.

Shalani Maline Managing Associate

Orange County

Catherine Malone Senior Associate

Orange County

Catherine represents individuals and companies across a broad range of industries in criminal, civil, and regulatory matters in federal and state court, and in investigations brought by the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. She also maintains a robust pro bono practice.

Prior to joining Orrick, Catherine served as a law clerk to the Honorable Joel M. Carson of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit and the Honorable James A. Parker of the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico. Before law school, she worked in business advisory services at a public accounting firm in New York City.

Scott Morrison Senior Associate

Orange County

Scott's professional passion is to defend employers in complex wage and hour class actions and representative lawsuits filed under California's Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) statute, and he has extensive experience doing so. He has represented clients in the tech, insurance, airline, airline service, retail, healthcare, and grocery industries, among others, at all litigation phases. 

Scott recognizes that industry nuances means there is no one-size-fits-all approach to wage-and-hour defense. His broad experience has enabled him to identify opportunities to use industry idiosyncrasies to his clients' advantage. Scott's litigation experience includes leading fact investigations, discovery management, drafting dispositive motions, brief writing, and pre-trial dispute resolution. 

In addition to his wage-and-hour experience, Scott has defended clients against claims of wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, and retaliation under state and federal laws. He also frequently counsels employers on various employment issues including complex federal and California laws regarding the proper calculation of the regular rate of pay, leave protections and entitlement, wage and hour compliance, exempt vs. non-exempt classifications, and others. 

Before practicing law, Scott clerked in Las Vegas for The Honorable Jennifer Dorsey of the District of Nevada. Scott earned his Juris Doctor degree from the Pepperdine University School of Law, where he was an Associate Editor of the Pepperdine Law Review, teaching assistant for Advanced Legal Writing, and member of the Trial Advocacy Team.

Scott is an avid snowboarder and enjoys spending time with his husband and their three dogs, Apollo, Atlas, and Ares.

Kenneth Rasamny Of Counsel

Orange County; Santa Monica

Ken guides asset managers and investors on a variety of formation, operational and regulatory matters regarding private funds, including venture capital funds, private equity and debt funds, hedge funds, co-investments and other alternative businesses in the United States and internationally.

Nicole Ries Fox Counsel

Orange County

Nicole is an experienced trial attorney and appellate advocate who has represented private and public entities on appeal and in high impact litigation in federal and state courts. She has a track record of providing clients with thoughtful guidance, effective writing, and strategic representation on complex and high profile matters at all stages of litigation, including in the United States Supreme Court. 

Prior to joining Orrick, Nicole served as a Bristow Fellow in the United States Office of the Solicitor General, and worked as a trial and appellate litigator for several leading national law firms, She has also served as a Deputy Attorney General in the California Department of Justice and as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of California, where she represented the United States as the lead attorney in over 70 criminal appeals.  

Nicole received her J.D. from U.C. Berkeley School of Law, where she received the Thelen Marin Prize for Academic Achievement. She clerked for Judge William A. Fletcher of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. 

Haley Ritter Associate

Orange County

Eric Rivas Senior Associate

Orange County

Eric draws on significant experience in a broad range of matters across the artificial intelligence, pharmaceutical, retail and hospitality spaces to help clients resolve disputes in high-exposure, complex antitrust and unfair competition litigation and class actions.

His experience spans claims involving:

• Price fixing (including claims involving algorithmic pricing software)
• Information exchanges
• Monopolization
• Exclusive dealing
• Vertical distribution
• Noncompetes
• Resale price maintenance
• Group boycotts
• Mergers & acquisitions

Eric regularly resolves litigation at the motion to dismiss and summary judgment phases. His advocacy spans matters in both the class action and business-to-business contexts. Eric also helps clients navigate civil and criminal investigations brought by the DOJ, the FTC and state attorneys general.

Eric is an active member of the American Bar Association’s Antitrust Law Section and the California Lawyer’s Association’s Antitrust and Unfair Competition Law Section. He maintains an active pro bono practice, including representing clients in section 1983 matters and immigration removal petitions.

Before joining Orrick, Eric served as a law clerk to Judge Michael M. Anello of the US District Court for the Southern District of Southern California. During law school, he was a judicial extern to Magistrate Judge Jan M. Adler of the Southern District of California, a law clerk in the Criminal Division of the California Attorney General’s Office, and a law clerk for the US DOJ’s Civil Division.

Aaron M. Rubin Partner

Orange County

An accomplished litigator, Aaron advises leading investment banks, financial institutions, mortgage servicers, non-bank lenders, and alternative asset managers on the unique issues impacting the finance sector, from major commercial disputes to securities litigation and enforcement actions. Leveraging his dispute resolution expereince, Aaron serves as a trusted partner to clients, advising on best practices for mitigating risk long before there is the threat of litigation.

In 2018, Aaron moved to the firm’s Orange County office from New York. The move served his New York-based traditional financial institution clients needing counsel on the West Coast, while also expanding his practice.