Benjamin Cichostepski-Lesage Partner, Technology Companies Group, Mergers & Acquisitions
Parigi; Paris Tech Studio
Parigi; Paris Tech Studio
Parigi; Paris Tech Studio
Ben is the founding partner of Orrick's French Tech Companies Group. For more than 15 years, he has been advising high-potential innovative companies as well as venture and tech growth investors on all their corporate private equity and M&A transactions in France and globally.
As such, he is involved in every stage of their development, from incubation and fundraising to external growth and industrial exits as well as public offerings (IPO, secondary).
Ben has significant experience advising French companies expanding into the United States, and assists them over the full lifecycle of their overseas growth. He also counts a number of American investors and buyers among his clients.
From his first venture deal in 2006, where he represented Lightspeed Venture Partners in Wikio’s Series A, which became Teads, a company he then accompanied for 11 years until its sale to Altice, Ben has led more than 330 corporate tech transactions. He has been involved in the main exit transactions in recent years, particularly those with a franco-american element such as Neolane/Adobe, La Fourchette/TripAdvisor, Stupeflix/GoPro, eNovance/Red Hat, Regaind/Apple, Zenly/Snap, Teads/Altice, Getaround/Drivy, Glose/Medium, Sqreen/Datadog, Lalilo/Renaissance Learning, Tempow/Google, Context/Integral Ad Science, Monk/ACV Auctions, Cajoo/Flink, Shipfix/Veson Nautical, Bereal/Voodoo.
Ben's leadership has contributed to placing Orrick as the #1 Venture Capital and Tech Growth practice in France (ranked #1 by Pitchbook in 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021 - CF News in 2024, 2023, 2022).
Recognized as a key lawyer in the market in venture capital and tech growth, Ben was ranked No. 1 in the "Top 10 Influential French Venture Capital Lawyers in Private Equity 2023" by Business Today. He was named "Lawyer of the Year" in the 2026 and 2023 editions of Best Lawyers France in the Venture Capital category. He is also ranked as a Leading Individual by The Legal 500 EMEA in Private Equity - Venture Capital/Growth Capital since 2020 and was voted as the most active tech lawyer in France in 2019 by transaction volume in CF News’ ranking.
Ben is the founder of Orrick Paris Tech Studio, a one of a kind office and working space created in June 2022 and located in the heart of the Paris Tech scene, which is the headquarters of Orrick's French Tech practice.
Parigi
She has significant experience in both French and international tax matters and regularly advises on complex mergers and acquisitions, reorganizations, capital markets, and financing transactions.
Cécile works with French and international corporate groups across various sectors, both public and private, as well as financial institutions and investment funds. She also represents clients in their dealings with tax authorities, including ruling requests and tax litigation. Additionally, she assists in the structuring and implementation of employee stock offerings and management packages.
Cécile teaches a seminar on the tax aspects of LBOs as part of the Master in International Taxation program jointly offered by Paris II Panthéon-Assas University and HEC. She is a member of the International Fiscal Association (IFA) and the Institut des Avocats Conseils Fiscaux (IACF), where she served on the Corporate Tax Committee until October 2020. She is also a member of the Tax Committee of France Invest and has been appointed as a rapporteur for France at the IFA Congress in Lisbon in 2025.
In addition, Cécile serves on the board of the Alliance for the Financing of Femtech in France. She maintains an active pro bono practice in the tech sector and is strongly committed to initiatives and networks that support the long-term success of women leaders in business. Notably, she served as co-leader of the Women Enriching Business Committee in Paris at Latham & Watkins.
Before joining Orrick, Cécile spent four years in the tax team at Latham & Watkins, following seven years in the tax team at Cleary Gottlieb, working in both the Paris and New York offices.
Parigi; Paris Tech Studio
Parigi; Paris Tech Studio
Johann advises startups and tech companies as well as VC funds in on their fundraising, external growth operations, and exits. He has been involved in more than 40 transactions with companies such as Mistral AI, Alan, BeReal, amo, Dust or Nabla, or investors such as Cathay Innovation, Highland Europe, RA Capital Management and Sequoia Capital.
Throughout the growth lifecycle of startups, Johann assists management teams in setting up employee incentive plans and providing practical advice on corporate governance.
As a dual-qualified lawyer admitted to the Paris and New-York bars, Johann supports companies in their cross-border operations and their establishment in the United States.
Prior to joining Orrick, Johann was an associate in the Paris office of an American law firm.
Parigi; Paris Tech Studio
Parigi; Paris Tech Studio
From Orrick Paris Tech Studio, Baptiste blends a strategic legal mindset with deep enthusiasm for technology, empowering startups and investors to navigate complex legal landscapes.
Baptiste advises founders, tech companies and venture capital investors on various aspects of their growth journey, including fundraisings, corporate governance matters, employee incentive plans and M&A transactions.
Parigi; Paris Tech Studio
Parigi; Paris Tech Studio
From Orrick Paris Tech Studio, Jean Gabriel advises startups, tech companies as well as VC funds on fundraisings, helping them navigate complex legal challenges.
Jean Gabriel supports founders, tech companies, and venture capital investors throughout their growth journey, covering areas such as corporate governance, incentive schemes, and M&A transactions.
Parigi; Paris Tech Studio
Parigi; Paris Tech Studio
Mayeul advises startups and high growth technology companies in raising capital and building their businesses from formation through exit. He assists founders developing and implementing effective corporate governance strategies throughout the life of their startup and issuing customized equity instruments.
Tokyo; Washington, D.C.
Tokyo; Washington, D.C.
Anri brings a combination of unique skills and attributes which, collectively, make him essential to both maintaining and growing Orrick's longstanding successful practice representing Japanese clients in high-value IP litigation matters as well as serving Orrick's clients worldwide who have needs in Japan. Unlike the limited role of most lawyers in Japan who focus on U.S. IP litigation to client relationship management, Anri is adept at both client relationship and substantive litigation work including briefing and taking witness at trials.
In addition to many patent cases at district courts, USITC and before the US Patent and Trademark Office, Anri is also an experienced practitioner in international arbitration practice. Most recently, he played a huge role in a massive international arbitration matter, which resulted in a complete victory for his client.
New York
No other group in the United States - whether at a law firm, public affairs firm, or inside the Beltway - can match Jeremy and Orrick's record of success in the state legislatures. Unlike others, who specialize in tracking bills, identifying contract lobbyists (and taking a % of their fee), or developing expensive media and PR campaigns, Jeremy and his team don't specialize in any one area of state government affairs; they specialize in EVERYTHING. They learn your business, work with you on your objectives--both overall and in the state legislatures, identify threats/opportunities, develop a budget, hire contract lobbyists, draft legislation, prepare advocacy pieces, attend legislative conferences, travel to state capitols and educate members about your issue, testify before committees, develop and implement grassroots and PR campaigns, coordinate roll calls, and coordinate every aspect of both the state and overall campaign to add the most possible value to your business.
Just listen to what the media and our clients have to say – The New York Times profiled our efforts in passing online sports betting and daily fantasy sports legislation in an extensive above-the-fold report and in an episode of their podcast, “The Daily.” And from an interview with TechCruch, DraftKings CEO Jason Robins said Jeremy and Orrick’s Public Policy team have “helped us go from a tech company that didn’t know a whole lot about legislative affairs and regulation to really being sophisticated there” and praised that “For anyone who’s in a disruptive industry and might be regulated, they really did a fantastic job.”
Washington, D.C.
Rachel regularly advises clients on the applicability of federal and state laws governing internet gambling, sports-betting, fantasy sports and other forms of gambling and non-gambling gaming. She has experience preparing gaming license applications in over a dozen states for individuals and entities involved in sports wagering, internet gaming and advance deposit wagering industries. She also has represented non-gambling gaming companies in consumer class action litigations and arbitrations implicating gambling considerations. She counsels clients on the “gamification” of their non-gaming products and services, including NFTs and other blockchain technologies, and advises with respect to the laws governing contests, sweepstakes, and other types of promotions.
Before joining Orrick, Rachel was an associate at another global law firm. She also has experience counseling clients on trade controls, including CFIUS, sanctions and export controls, and responding to congressional investigations.
New York
Before joining Orrick, Brad worked as U.S. regulatory counsel for a major on-line gaming company, during which he facilitated expansion of the U.S. operations, negotiated multiple market-access agreements and oversaw licensing and compliance functions across multiple jurisdictions.
Prior to his private sector experience, Brad was a regulator with the New York State Gaming Commission, Deputy County Executive for Albany (N.Y.) County and Legislative Counsel to the Hon. Eric Adams and other elected officials in the New York State Senate. During his time at the New York State Gaming Commission, Brad was director of interactive fantasy sports and legal counsel on commercial gaming issues, after having served a key role in the selection and vetting of applicants for multiple “Las Vegas” style resort casinos licenses. While in the New York State Senate, Brad served as Counsel to the Senate Committee on Racing, Gaming and Wagering and developed a depth of experience with legislative issues facing the gaming, equine industries and state-run lotteries.
Brad is a graduate of Indiana University-Bloomington School of Law and Union College, where he received a B.A. in Political Science.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Sarah advises on legal, legislative, and regulatory matters for a coalition of major online gaming operators. She helps clients structure products and business operations to comply with evolving gaming laws and regulations, and conducts diligence on gaming issues in relation to mergers and acquisitions.
Before joining Orrick, Sarah led the team responsible for providing legal analysis of gaming regulatory matters and products in development at one of the largest online gaming operators in the country. She worked across business units to respond to regulatory inquiries and operational incidents.
Prior to that role Sarah worked on the government affairs team of the operator, advocating for reasonable legal frameworks to govern sports betting, fantasy sports and igaming at a time of unprecedented industry change and growth. She drafted proposed legislation and regulations, testified to legislators, and met with regulators and policymakers as they considered and implemented these frameworks.
Sarah also has previous private practice experience advising online gaming and e-commerce clients in regulatory, transactional and litigation matters.
Washington, D.C.; Boston; New York
Washington, D.C.; Boston; New York
Tony regularly advises on mergers and acquisitions (M&A), private equity, growth equity, and venture capital transactions, as well as on corporate governance, joint ventures and corporate finance matters.
Tony has been recognized for his life sciences and M&A work by a number of notable publications, including The Legal 500 US, Law360, IFLR1000 and Legal Media Group. In particular, Law360 highlighted his work in navigating the complex life sciences industry and key partnership negotiations between biotechnology and drug companies.
In addition, Tony sustains an active pro bono practice, serving as counsel to nonprofit organizations such as Aequitas, APAI Vote, Chefs Stopping Asian American Hate, Rebuilding Together Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Film Society, and the Harvard Asian American Alumni Alliance. Tony also serves as an adjunct professor at Georgetown Law School where he has taught Takeovers, Mergers and Acquisitions since 2015.