People

Daniel Yost Partner

San Francisco; Silicon Valley

Highly regarded for his expertise, Chambers USA has ranked Daniel for his expertise in Technology Transactions and noted that “His work is solution-driven and his positive personality helps both sides of a negotiation work towards the outcome.” Legal 500 describes his practice as “exceptional” and recommends the practice for its “high client service ethic and great commercial awareness." He is known for his ability to handle complex transactions for science-based technology companies, with work ranging from intellectual property and licensing to distribution agreements and cross-border collaborations, counseling clients on commercial law, copyright, licensing, marketing, patent, privacy, strategic alliances, trademark and trade secrets matters.

Daniel has represented companies in various industries, including biotechnology, cleantech, energy, consumer electronics, entertainment, hardware, internet, media, semiconductor, services, software, telecommunications and wireless. His energy clients include clients in the solar, biofuels, waste to energy and geothermal sectors.

Daniel has acted as key legal counsel in:

• Manufacturing, distribution and sale arrangements for makers of software, chips, security devices, batteries and solar technologies, among others.
• Technology transactions with universities, governments and non-profit entities.
• Copyright, privacy and online pitfalls applicable to Internet companies.
• Domestic and international collaborations for developers of pharmaceutical products, medical devices, semiconductors and software, among others.
• Mergers, acquisitions, spin-offs and asset divestitures in a wide range of industries, including biotechnology, health databases, semiconductors medical software, entertainment, Internet browsers and e-commerce.
• Open software source policy development and compliance.
• IT and business process services agreements.
• Venture capital investments in technology-based enterprises.

The former co-chair of both the Technology Transactions and Technology Companies Practice Groups, Daniel is a thought leader on technology transactions issues and programs that focus on the protection and exploitation of intellectual property, having advised on clients such as Weta Digital, Fulcrum BioEnergy, CelLink Corporation, Telenor, Luminar, and Motorola Solutions. He is regularly called up to speak about intellectual property and technology matters and has done so at UC Berkeley, Stanford and other universities and conferences. His work on incentivizing innovation has been published in major papers, including Forbes, the Daily Journal San Francisco and the San Jose Mercury News.

Daniel’s current volunteer work includes serving on the Board of Joint Venture Silicon Valley, the Advisory Counsel for UC Berkeley’s Center for Law, Energy and the Environment and California Environmental Voters. Daniel also advises state and local elected officials on policies to encourage the development and deployment of zero emissions technologies. Daniel’s prior volunteer work includes serving as Mayor and Councilmember in Woodside, California and serving as a founding Board Member of Peninsula Clean Energy – the community choice energy provider serving San Mateo County.

Harold Yu Partner

Silicon Valley; San Francisco

Harold advises technology companies and has significant experience with venture capital financings, debt financings, public offerings, mergers & acquisitions and technology transactions. He is deeply interested in technology. Prior to law school, Harold was a software engineer at Oracle Corporation and an intern at NASA Ames Research Center.

Mitchell Zuklie Orrick Chairman

Silicon Valley

Under Mitch’s leadership, the firm has pursued a strategy to be a leading advisor globally to four sectors: Technology, Energy & Infrastructure, Life Sciences and Financial Services – with a particular focus on how AI and other technologies are transforming these ecosystems. He has led the firm’s emphasis on legal innovation, including AI adoption, the launch of Orrick Labs to develop customized solutions and partnerships with leading legal tech companies and investors. Financial Times has chosen Orrick among the top 3 Most Innovative Law Firm in North America for the past eight years. In addition, Mitch is an active participant in the legal profession dialog about how to retain and inspire top talent.  Fortune has selected the firm among the 100 Best Companies to Work For nine years in a row.

Mitch serves on the Boards of the Leadership Council for Legal Diversity, the Berkeley Center for Law and Business, the Silicon Valley Law Foundation and the Advisory Boards of the Stanford Law School Center on the Legal Profession and the Harvard Law School Center on the Legal Profession. Mitch is also a Trustee of Bowdoin College, Chairman of the Board of the Wild Salmon Center and a Director of CalTrout.

He and his wife, Holly, have been married for more than 30 years. They have two adult children. Mitch posts regularly on social media about Orrick, innovation and other interests. Follow him on LinkedIn, X and Instagram.