People

Brandon Dias Partner

Sacramento

California Local Government Finance. Brandon focuses on California local government financing structures including general fund lease revenue bonds and certificates of participation; pension obligation bonds; tax and revenue anticipation notes; mello-roos bonds, assessment district bonds and other land secured financing structures; redevelopment financing; water and wastewater revenue bonds; airport revenue bonds; and public power revenue bonds.

Tax-Exempt Healthcare Finance. Brandon also focuses on tax-exempt healthcare finance for 501(c)(3) organizations. His experience includes financings for standalone hospitals, hospital systems and continuing care retirement communities. He has served as bond counsel or underwriters' counsel on tax-exempt healthcare financings in various states throughout the nation.

James E. Burns Jr. Senior Counsel

San Francisco

Jim conducts internal investigations for clients and represents them in regulatory investigations and proceedings before the SEC and state securities regulatory authorities. He has broad experience in jury and bench trial matters before federal, tax and state courts. He has handled numerous class actions and litigated multi-district cases involving claims under RICO and federal and state securities law, as well as professional services malpractice claims and various business torts.

Jim has extensive experience in commercial arbitrations before various arbitration and mediation tribunals, including the American Arbitration Association, the New York Stock Exchange, the National Association of Securities Dealers and privately chosen arbitrators. He acts on behalf of technology companies, venture capitalists, securities issuers, directors, brokers, underwriters, promoters and mutual funds.

Jim has represented Retek, Inc., Touch America Holdings, Inc., RS Investment Management, Inc., Cygnus, Inc., Everen Securities Inc., Chiron Corp., Intevac, Inc., Accel Partners, TA Associates, Kenetech, Pope & Talbot, Citrix Systems, Inc., Everex and The Photonics Fund.

Prior to joining Orrick, Jim was a partner and West Coast Managing Partner at Clifford Chance, a partner and managing partner at Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison and a partner at Chickering & Gregory.

Eric Stephens Partner

San Francisco

Eric helps clients design and build successful renewable energy businesses by advising on how projects and portfolios large and small can maximize their value through well-informed negotiation, efficient diligence and acquisition techniques, and responsive and creative problem solving.

Eric has particularly deep knowledge in helping developers strategically procure the equipment and services necessary to develop, construct, commission, operate and sell renewable energy projects of all sizes, and in helping investors evaluate the development work of potential investments. Development and procurement managers excel at sourcing and pricing a project’s needs, and Eric can build on this by bringing these contracts to completion with deep market knowledge, in a way best suited to the client’s commercial objectives and so that they withstand the scrutiny of project investors, lenders and buyers. Eric balances work for utility-scale projects with the growing distributed energy generation and storage sector, both of which recently include negotiation of contracts to “safe harbor” equipment or construction activities to preserve higher levels of ITC or PTC. He has represented energy project developers, equipment suppliers and installers, publicly-owned utilities, private equity investors and other parties in developing energy projects from very early stages of securing technology and land/resource rights to buying and selling operating assets, and everything in between.

Mel Bostwick Partner

Washington, D.C.

Mel’s practice capitalizes on two of her passions: technology and great writing. As an appellate lawyer, she has the opportunity to help companies protect their innovations and their intellectual property. She is adept at translating complex technology and intricate legal issues into a clear and simple presentation that judges of any background can understand. Mel brings these skills to bear in representing clients on appeal to the Federal Circuit and before the Supreme Court, and also in partnering with trial teams to address legal and strategic problems in district court, the ITC, and the PTAB. She also regularly advises technology clients on difficult IP and strategic issues facing their companies.

Mel also has the privilege of representing pro bono clients and is particularly passionate about using her Federal Circuit experience to help veterans in their appeals to the court.

Prior to joining Orrick, Mel was an associate at a litigation boutique in Washington, D.C., where she represented clients in trial and appellate litigation and before the Federal Communications Commission. Mel served as a law clerk to Judge Timothy B. Dyk of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and Judge Thomas B. Griffith of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

Craig Bruce Senior Associate

Londra

Craig has a wide range of experience advising developers, funders and contractors on the construction and operation aspects of domestic and international energy projects including wind (offshore and onshore), solar, battery storage, energy from waste, anaerobic digestion and nuclear.

Raniero D'Aversa Partner

New York

Ron is the designated restructuring counsel to many leading financial institutions such as The Royal Bank of Scotland, Bank of America, Citibank, Commerzbank, Toronto-Dominion Bank and The Bank of Nova Scotia. He has represented clients in bankruptcies, workouts, DIP loans, distressed debt transactions, bankruptcy litigation, derivatives and distressed acquisitions. Ron has represented interests of financial institutions and investors in such restructuring and bankruptcy cases as Ocean Rig, Seadrill, CHC Helicopter, Erickson, Indiana Toll Road, Pocahontas Parkway, Eagle Bulk, Spyglass Films, American Airlines, Republic Airlines, Chemtura Corporation, Quebecor, AbitibiBowater, North Las Vegas, Ritchie Risk-Linked Strategies, Star Diamond, Lehman and Mesa Airlines.

In the Restructuring (Including Bankruptcy): Corporate category of The Legal 500 US directory, Ron’s clients praise his “practical and strategic approach.” Another noted, “Each time I discuss an issue with [him], I am both amazed at his ability to understand my concerns and his complete knowledge of the subject. He puts me at ease and there is never a time that I cannot reach him.” Regarded as a leader in financial restructurings by clients and peers alike, Ron understands every phase of a bankruptcy and restructuring matter and knows how to effectively position a client to control opposition and maximize results.

Jedd Bellman Partner

Washington, D.C.

Jedd's solutions-based methodology allows clients to gather the appropriate intelligence and legal analysis they need so that they can make informed, risk-based decisions as they navigate the ever-changing state licensing and regulatory ecosystem. His collaborative and strategic approach is designed to maximize outcomes whether evaluating the merits of a transaction or responding to a multi-state enforcement action. 

Jedd was the Assistant Commissioner for Non-Depository Supervision in the Office of the Maryland Commissioner of Financial Regulation, where he coordinated the licensing and supervision of approximately 23,000 individuals and business entities covering the mortgage, student loan, consumer finance, sales finance, debt services, credit reporting and money services industries. He also managed the office’s regulatory investigations and enforcement actions, including playing a leadership role in every significant multistate enforcement matter handled by state regulators during his tenure. Additionally, Jedd oversaw numerous successful legislative and regulatory initiatives.

Prior to that, Jedd served as Counsel and Senior Policy Advisor at the U.S. House of Representatives, where he developed policy and legislative agendas in the areas of housing and financial services, small business and minority business.

Jedd also served as Assistant Attorney General for Maryland, where he handled mortgage fraud and payday lending enforcement prosecutions, as well as mortgage compliance, payday lending and money services business investigations.

Following law school, he served as law clerk to Judge John K. Olson of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of Florida.

Lauren Drake Partner

Los Angeles

Lauren has represented clients in connection with a broad spectrum of technologies, including small molecules, biologics, DNA sequencing, gene editing, recombinant DNA technology, and medical devices. She brings experience in litigation under the Hatch-Waxman Act and the Biologics Price Competition Innovation Act (BPCIA).

Lauren was recognized by Law360’s Rising Stars as “one of the top intellectual property attorneys under the age of 40” in 2019. She was also named to Benchmark Litigation’s “40 and Under Hot List,” which honors the achievements of the nation’s most accomplished litigators under 40.

Christopher Grew Partner

Londra

Drawing from his comprehensive experience, network and passion for all things geek, Chris forms an integral part of the European tech ecosystem. Chris advises companies in venture capital transactions, public offerings and cross-border mergers and acquisitions. He also advises high-growth companies, investment banks, and venture capital firms on fundraising, international business operations and transactions.

As noted in the engagements below, Chris works closely with those powering the next generation of technology, from revolutionary AI companies to influential investors. His track-record and industry-wide reputation were noted in the most recent Legal 500 edition, which describes Chris as “excellent,” accompanied with a band 1 ranking in venture capital investment by Chambers and Partners 2021.  

Sean Yates Senior Associate

San Francisco; Sacramento

Sean serves as bond counsel, disclosure counsel, and underwriter's counsel on a variety of public finance transactions, including general obligation and revenue bond financings. Sean's experience includes counseling large public transportation agencies, and assisting in the financing of affordable housing, charter schools and higher education institutions throughout California.

Sean earned his J.D. from the University of California, Davis in 2018, and his B.A. from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2013.

Rachel Leigh Senior Associate

Londra

Rachel acts for early-stage and high-growth companies primarily in the technology sector.

Brandon Batzel Senior Associate

New York

Based in New York, Brandon's practice focuses primarily on bankruptcy and financial restructuring matters, including representation of debtors, creditors, purchasers, and other interested parties in chapter 11 proceedings, out-of-court workouts, and related transactions. In addition, Brandon's work involves the coordination of multi-jurisdictional restructurings across the globe and high-profile litigation in the United States and abroad, with a particular focus on cross-border restructuring and Latin American insolvencies, and a developed expertise in chapter 15 proceedings.