People

Monica Molina Managing Associate

San Francisco

Monica advises renewable energy developers in site acquisition, interconnection, and power purchase agreement negotiations, as well as on the environmental aspects of their transactions. In addition, Monica represents major corporate purchasers in the negotiation of renewable energy and sustainability related agreements to help them meet their global carbon reduction goals.

Drawing on past roles at an independent power producer and in climate policy, Monica helps clients navigate the energy sector’s dynamic business and legal landscape. Prior to joining Orrick, Monica was an energy and environment associate at a global law firm.

Sally Gorrin Counsel

Washington, D.C.

Prior to joining Orrick, Sally served as counsel at Buckley LLP and on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) at the United States Senate. During law school, she served as a summer law clerk to the Honorable Robert H. Hodges, Jr. at the United States Court of Federal Claims and interned at the Office of the Solicitor General at the United States Department of Justice.

Jean-Paule Castagno Partner

Milan

Jean-Paule has more than 20 years of proven experience in white collar and corporate investigation, managing all phases of crisis management, such as internal investigations – including those of a cross-border nature –, the court defence in the context of criminal proceedings and the sanction proceedings before the Supervisory Authorities, in the interests of both individuals and legal entities (according to the D. Legislative Decree no. 231/2001). Jean-Paule advises clients in high-profile and complex cases with specific reference to anti-money laundering, financial crimes, false accounting, bankruptcy offenses, tax crimes, corruption and bribery in both the public and private sector, environmental crimes, occupational health and safety offenses, intellectual property crimes, data protection and privacy crimes/cybercrime, and import/export sanctions.

Thanks to her broad experience in conducting internal investigation and assisting individuals and legal entities in criminal and sanctions proceedings, she has been involved in advising Italian and foreign companies to address potential compliance risks, in performing due diligence focused on risk management and compliance risk in the context of extraordinary transactions and IPOs as well as in preparing and updating compliance programs (adopted under Law No. 231/2001) and in leading relative training to the board and to the employees.

She has also been appointed as member and chairwoman of the surveillance committees (Organismo di Vigilanza) of many Italian and foreign companies.

Michael Ruiz Partner

Silicon Valley; Seattle

Michael advises his clients on a broad range of legal needs, including corporate formation and structure, venture capital financings, board and stockholder relationships and exit transactions. His current and former clients are concentrated in interactive media industries including game development, Esports, AR/VR tech, 3D animation, and artificial intelligence. Michael also advises companies in the cleantech and life sciences sectors.

His favorite video game is Final Fantasy (VII), favorite board game is Twilight Imperium (IV) and favorite science fiction book is Ender’s Game.

Deena O. Dulgerian Senior Associate

Los Angeles

Deena works on matters for a diverse range of clients, from international tech and utility construction companies, and pharmaceutical companies to the National Collegiate Athletic Association. From day one, she was an integral member of the winning trial team for the first collegiate football concussion and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy case to reach a jury trial for the NCAA, as well as managing the discovery process for several other of the NCAA’s football concussion cases. She is also active in multi-language international arbitration matters, working with clients and experts across the globe.

Recently, Deena has represented a number of technology companies, working on matters involving cryptocurrency investments and international service issues, the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and other copyright and data access issues, and disputes related to disgruntled employees and stock options.

Deena has consistently maintained an active pro bono case load, having secured asylum for six individuals in the last three years. She currently represents an inmate through the the United States District Court for the Central District of California’s Pro Bono Civil Rights Panel and represented a tenant in an eviction action alongside Public Counsel.

Deena is a respected leader at Orrick. Since joining the firm, she has served as Co-Chair of the Middle Eastern and North African inclusion network and Co-Chair of the Los Angeles Office’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee for several years, currently sits on the firmwide Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, and was a featured speaker for Kōrero, Orrick’s Women’s Initiative’s monthly firmwide community conversations. In 2022, Deena received the firm’s Community Responsibility Award for her humanitarian work with the Armenian Bar Association in connection with the war by Azerbaijan against Nagorno-Karabagh.

Deena is an active member of the Armenian community, serving as Co-Vice Chair of the Armenian Woman’s Bar Association. While in law school, Deena was the Co-Founder and President of the Armenian Law Students Association. She was also a member of Georgetown’s Barrister’s Council’s Alternate Dispute Resolution division, winning Georgetown’s Bellamy Negotiation Competition and securing an honorable mention for Georgetown’s brief at the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot in Hong Kong, a student attorney with Georgetown's Juvenile Justice Clinic, the Executive Editor for the Georgetown Journal on Poverty Law and Policy, and wrote for the Georgetown Law Technology Review.

Alexandre Desroches Managing Associate

Paris

Alexandre intervient dans le cadre de financements de projets et de financements d'acquisitions dans les secteurs de l'énergie et des infrastructures. Il conseille des sponsors (industriels et fonds), des institutions financières et des gouvernements.

Il travaille sur des opérations de premier plan sur le marché français, ainsi que sur des transactions internationales. Son champ d’intervention couvre une large gamme d'opérations de financement (senior, junior, mezzanine, crédits et émissions obligataires).

Son expérience inclut des financements de projets publics-privés, de télécommunications, de transport et d’énergie renouvelable (notamment dans le secteur photovoltaïque).

Avant de rejoindre Orrick, Alexandre a passé cinq ans au sein d'un cabinet anglo-saxon de premier plan, où il a développé une expertise significative en financement.

Ali Abugheida Partner

San Francisco

Prior to joining Orrick, Ali was a partner at Buckley LLP. He began his career at WilmerHale, where his practice included litigation and government enforcement matters.

Tyler Dorf Managing Associate

New York

Tyler's practice has a focus on warehouse lending, secured credit facilities, and publicly registered and privately placed asset securitization transactions. His experience extends to various asset classes, encompassing marketplace consumer loans, solar loans, residential mortgages, student loans, credit card and charge card receivables, auto loans, and esoteric assets, including proved developed producing (PDP) oil and gas wellbores.

Before joining Orrick, Tyler was an associate in Chapman and Cutler LLP's Asset Securitization Department.

Daniel Jones Partner

Londres

Dan has experience across the full spectrum and life cycle of financial services firms: from determining whether the firm's products or services are the subject of financial services regulation, assistance in obtaining a regulatory license, interpretation of applicable regulations and implementation guidance through to M&A regulatory due diligence and skilled person's reports in the event of regulatory investigation.

His clients include global retail and investment banks, asset managers, e-money issuers and payments services providers, crypto-asset issuers, wallets and exchanges.

Dan's notable work includes advice to the UK Open Banking implementation body, the development of a digital only retail bank for a U.S. headquartered global bank and preparing the regulatory license application for a leading global payment services provider.

Before joining Orrick, Dan spent more than a decade working in UK ‘magic circle’ law and ‘Big 4’ consulting firms, advising leading fintech's on regulatory issues across the UK, Europe and the Middle East.

Betsy Lee Partner

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).

Fredrick Levin Partner

Santa Monica; Chicago; San Francisco

In addition, Fredrick has represented corporate and individual clients in a wide array of national and transnational commercial disputes involving contract enforcement, corporate governance, debt collection, intellectual property, mergers and acquisitions, real estate and securities. He also has an active appellate practice and has briefed and argued numerous cases in federal and state courts throughout the U.S.

Fredrick is a frequent author and lecturer on litigation and compliance issues regarding the consumer financial services industry, including on topics such as federal preemption under the Dodd-Frank Act, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's (CFPB) mortgage servicing rules, the CFPB’s proposed arbitration rule, residential mortgage backed securities litigation, management of multi-jurisdictional litigation, enforcement of jury trial waivers and the use of American discovery in support of foreign litigation and damages measurement.

Prior to joining Orrick, Fredrick was a partner at Buckley LLP. He is co-located in the firm’s Chicago office and practices regularly in Illinois and Michigan.

Caroline Simons Partner

Boston; New York

Tech and consumer-facing clients – from early-stage startups to some of the most recognizable online companies – turn to Caroline to protect their IP, brand, and reputation in litigation. Her expertise includes the fast-evolving areas of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act and online safety, cybersecurity & data privacy litigation. In the past year, she has litigated more than 60 cases related to platform immunity and she is currently lead counsel in dozens of cases for one of the world's largest tech companies on claims challenging myriad aspects of its online services, including content moderation and product design.

A partner to her clients in crisis management, Caroline also advises them in cyber incident response, government and internal investigations and enforcement actions. Her experience at the intersection of online safety, IP and white-collar litigation gives her breadth of perspective and allows her to work with her clients to problem-solve and effectively manage enterprise risk. Clients appreciate Caroline's ability to collaborate with witnesses, company stakeholders and factfinders – both inside and outside the courtroom – to achieve meaningful results.

Caroline maintains an active pro bono practice, representing clients in Hague proceedings as well as children and refugees in asylum proceedings in conjunction with the Political Asylum / Immigration Representation (PAIR) Project. She has drafted amicus briefs in cases pending before the U.S. Supreme Court and U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeals in the areas of technology, criminal justice, and reproductive rights.