Carsten Bernauer Partner, Technology Companies Group, Mergers & Acquisitions
Dusseldorf; Munich
Dusseldorf; Munich
Dusseldorf; Munich
A special focus is on the comprehensive support of start-up technology companies and their investors. In this context, he accompanies his clients through all stages of growth with the aim of providing fast and efficient support in the implementation of their growth plans and investment strategies.
His clients benefit from his extensive experience in structuring, managing and coordinating complex transactions, including all other advisors involved in the transaction. In international transactions, he has access to Orrick's comprehensive technology, private equity and venture capital platform.
Carsten Bernauer also advises on national and international corporate transactions, in particular in the field of technology, as well as on corporate restructurings.
After many years working for an American and an English commercial law firm, Carsten Bernauer joined Orrick's Düsseldorf office in 2019.
San Francisco
She advises clients on a variety of matters such as power purchase agreements, project financing agreements, real estate agreements, and energy regulatory issues.
As a law student, Renee served as a law clerk for the California Public Utilities Commission and the San Francisco City Attorney's Office.
Washington, D.C.
Maria's previous experience as a member of the Mergers and Acquisitions group is instrumental in her reviews of the trade aspects of various M&A and other cross-border transactions.
Maria draws upon her experience in Washington, D.C., Moscow (Russia) and Almaty (Kazakhstan) to approach her work with a broad perspective on international trade-related and other matters. Prior to joining Orrick, Maria worked at the Office of the General Counsel of a multilateral development bank, handled tax and legal matters at one of the Big Four accounting firms, and oversaw the design and implementation of an export compliance program for an international development firm and a U.S. government contractor.
New York
With more than 30 years of experience, Richard is widely recognized as one of the nation’s foremost authorities, having broad experience with tax exempt financings and related transactions involving governmental and not-for-profit entities. His skill and stature in the public finance community was recognized by the National Association of Bond Lawyers’ highest award for his career of distinguished service in public finance.
Richard focuses on new products, including the development of new and creative financing techniques for governments, non-profits and investment bankers. He regularly works on transactions throughout the country. However, in his home office in New York City, he leads the relationship with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, serving as counsel on well over 100 transactions over a period of more than 20 years and has headed the tax work in connection with every financing of a cultural facility relating to museums and performing arts in New York City over this same period. Richard has worked on the tax aspects of several of the largest and most complex public private partnership (P3) transactions in recent years. He frequently acts as special tax counsel to issuers and underwriters of municipal finance issues.
Boston
Reilly focuses on representing high growth technology and life sciences companies through their business life cycle. He advises on a broad range of corporate and transactional matters from formation to exit, including incorporation, governance, financing, and M&A matters. Reilly regularly counsels clients on both venture capital transactions as well as day-to-day governance and equity compensation matters.
Prior to joining Orrick, Reilly worked with Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati in its Boston office and served in the United States Marine Corps.
Seattle
As the U.S. Attorney in Seattle, Brian led the first U.S. attorney’s office in the country to confront the challenges of the Covid-19 crisis. He led the office’s response to unprecedented civil unrest, and prosecuted an array of crimes ranging from hate crimes perpetrated by neo-Nazis to sophisticated data breaches by cyber criminals, and he pursued drug and human traffickers. He served on the Native American Issues (subcommittee), and the Border States and marijuana enforcement U.S. Attorney Work Groups. Brian earned wide bipartisan support for his leadership and was recently selected to serve on the Western District of Washington’s federal judicial selection committee.
During his 15 years serving in the office of the Washington State Attorney General, including as the Chief Deputy Attorney General, Brian was the top legal advisor to the Attorney General and had a significant role in the office’s legal strategy and policy initiatives, including matters related to consumer protection, data breaches, unfair competition, and public records. He frequently worked with the state legislature and state agencies to draft, implement, or amend state law in important areas such as consumer protection, the powers and duties of the Attorney General, public records, tort liability, public safety, and criminal law.
Brian has conducted numerous high-profile investigations for government agencies. In private practice, he has represented Fortune 100 companies, financial institutions, and tech innovators under investigation by state Attorneys General and other regulatory bodies.
Prior to his Chief Deputy appointment, Brian served as the Attorney General’s chief criminal prosecutor and as a Senior Deputy Prosecutor with the Office of the Kitsap County Prosecuting Attorney. His extensive trial and litigation experience includes white collar fraud, public corruption, environmental, and criminal and civil matters. Brian has tried over 100 cases through verdict, including 35 homicides and three death penalty cases.
Londres
She works with founders, high-growth technology companies, private-equity backed businesses and institutional investors across the full investment lifecycle – from seed funding to strategic exits and reorganisations.
Qualified in both England & Wales and Ireland (non-practising), she trained at a top-tier Irish law firm and has experience with leading firms in London and Dublin. Saoirse’s cross-border background equips her to deliver strategic, commercially focused advice that helps clients close complex transactions and achieve their business goals.
Londres
Her expertise includes the creation of both equity-based and cash-based incentive plans, including the full range of HMRC tax-advantaged plans such as EMI plans and CSOPs, working on the incentives aspects of corporate transactions, including both venture capital and private equity investment, public company takeovers, IPOs, and company reorganizations. She considers the impact of the transaction on the share plans for employees and implements new incentive arrangements following investment into companies and businesses. She also guides listed companies on how to reward their executive directors in accordance with market practice and best corporate governance.
Rebecca is a member of the Share Plan Lawyers Organisation and a contributor to various publications (such as the Practical Law Company). She received a band 5 ranking in Employee Share Schemes & Incentives by Chambers UK 2025, is a “Leading Individual” under The Legal 500’s legal directory and has been recognized by MergerLinks as one of the top 30 most active up-and-coming tax lawyers in EMEA.
Wheeling, W.V. (GOIC)
Erin has experience with all aspects of litigation, from filing the complaint up to serving as trial counsel, and everything in between. Erin has first-chaired 5 federal trials to verdict, and participated in an additional 10 federal and state trials in an advisory, strategic, or supporting role. In addition to trial work, she has substantial experience taking and defending both fact and expert depositions, drafting and arguing complex dispositive briefing, managing the preservation, collection, analysis, and production of paper and electronic documents, conducting custodian and witness interviews, and briefing complex and technical discovery and privilege issues.
Erin is part of a national counsel team for a luxury consumer goods company, defending cases pending across the country, including some of the most plaintiff-friendly jurisdictions. Erin serves as regional counsel, where she shares responsibility in developing and coordinating trial defense strategy on a daily basis. She collaborates with local, regional, and national counsel throughout the country to develop strategic decisions in all phases of litigation.
In addition to this role, Erin’s practice has been focused on responding to government regulatory, civil, and criminal investigations, as well as government litigation. Erin advises clients on strategy for responding to government subpoenas and information requests, and provides strategic guidance on complex legal and privilege issues. Her practice also involves conducting internal investigations of companies around the world, including interviewing corporate executives and employees, defending those same witnesses in front of federal agencies, and analyzing complex documents, data, and other information. Erin also advises clients on strategy in general commercial litigation matters relating to complex discovery issues and beyond.
Also while at Orrick, Erin served an extended secondment with The Dow Chemical Company as a Case Manager in Dow's Asbestos, Products Liability & Insurance Litigation Group. In this capacity, she managed the asbestos and premises litigation dockets for Union Carbide and Dow throughout the western and northeastern United States. This involved overseeing hundreds of ongoing product liability cases, including advising the litigation management team on case evaluation, resolution, and business strategies, as well as directing outside counsel and trial counsel teams.
Immediately prior to joining Orrick, Erin served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia in Wheeling, WV. At the United States Attorney's Office, Erin focused on both defensive and affirmative civil matters on behalf of the United States, its agencies, and employees. In this role, Erin practiced in a variety of areas of the law, including but not limited to, constitutional claims, torts, statutory and administrative claims, environmental matters, tax and bankruptcy matters, and fraud investigations and litigation. While at the United States Attorney's Office, Erin served as the e-discovery office coordinator for the District, and was the chair of the diversity committee. Prior to her government service, Erin was a member of the Trial Practice group at Duane Morris LLP, where she focused on commercial litigation and corporate internal investigations.
Genève; Paris
Hervé accompagne des institutions nationales comme internationales, des sociétés, des sponsors, des investisseurs, des compagnies d’assurance, des gérants de fonds et d’autres types d’investisseurs dans leurs transactions françaises et transfrontalières. Il intervient notamment sur des opérations bancaires, de financement structuré, de titrisation et de marchés de capitaux.
Hervé a travaillé sur de nombreuses transactions complexes, stratégiques et/ou innovantes (dont des opérations pionnières en France et en Europe) telles que des opérations de titrisation internationales, des émissions d’obligations sécurisées et d’obligations structurées émises par les entreprises ou lors de projets, des fonds de dette ainsi que la mise en place de plates-formes dédiées à la structuration et au refinancement. Il est également intervenu lors d’opérations de financement et de refinancement (y compris de liquidité), ainsi que pour des opérations visant le hors-bilan et toutes questions liées aux contraintes réglementaires de fonds propres. Il a ainsi développé une expertise particulière dans la gestion de dossiers multi juridictionnels et transverses.
Il dispose d’une solide expertise dans le domaine de l’énergie et de l’infrastructure dans le cadre d’opérations de financement et de refinancement, en recourant à des structures de prêts bancaires usuelles, mais également aux placements privés, aux émissions obligataires, aux institutions financières spécialisées et aux fonds de dettes spécialisés.
Hervé est considéré par ses clients comme une “personne incontournable” en financements structurés « sur qui on peut toujours compter ». Ces derniers le décrivent comme « un expert dédié et innovant dans son domaine » et le considèrent plus comme « un vrai partenaire stratégique de nos opérations, plutôt que comme notre avocat ».
Hervé participe activement à la rédaction de lois et de règlementations concernant la titrisation et le financement structuré en France.
Hervé publie et anime régulièrement des conférences sur les financements structurés.
Avant de rejoindre Orrick en 2016, Hervé était associé chez Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP pendant 18 ans.
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.
Londres