
Houston
He assists global energy companies, private equity funds, renewables developers, management teams, and integrated oil and gas companies with complex commercial transactions in the renewables and oil and gas industries. He represents his clients in connection with the development, repowering, acquisition, and divestiture of wind, solar and energy storage projects, the acquisition and divestiture of upstream, midstream, and downstream oil and gas projects, the formation of joint ventures, and other corporate governance and legal due diligence matters.
Houston; Austin
Serving two of Texas’s major markets, Ryan’s versatility sets him apart. He has deep industry knowledge of the energy, technology, and financial services sectors, and understands where his clients' business and legal strategies intersect. Ryan regularly represents clients across the United States in federal and state courts and in front of arbitration panels. Ryan’s energy representations include hydrocarbon producers, explorers, transporters, and refiners. Ryan’s financial services experience includes representation of institutional banks and mortgage servicers. In addition, Ryan represents and counsels leading tech companies, including SAAS and cybersecurity providers.
Ryan seeks efficient outcomes for his clients and has a track record of prevailing at the summary judgment stage. In other cases, Ryan has efficiently negotiated with opposing counsel to reach early, favorable settlements. In the event a case is not fit for early resolution, Ryan is also a seasoned trial lawyer with experience trying cases to juries, the bench, and arbitration panels.
Ryan also maintains an active pro bono practice and works closely with the Houston Bar Association, including as a former chairman and member of its Habitat for Humanity Committee.
Boston
Over the course of her career, she has represented clients ranging from Fortune 50 companies to start-ups in trademark, copyright, false advertising, and trade secret litigations and at trial. She has worked with leading technology companies and some of the most recognizable brands in the world, including New Balance, Williams-Sonoma, Carnival, and Microsoft. She has tried cases to both judges and juries in federal courts across the United States and is experienced practicing before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s Trademark Trial and Appeal Board and the International Trade Commission. Through her trial work, she has developed deep expertise in litigating novel and complex damages issues in IP cases and leveraging survey work.
Sheryl most recently earned a complete victory at trial on behalf of client Carnival in a patent and breach of contract matter related to theft of Carnival intellectual property. Following an 8-day trial in the Southern District of Florida, the jury deliberated for three hours and returned a verdict in favor of Carnival on all counts, awarding $21 million in damages.
She honed her skills in high profile, precedent setting cases. Sheryl represented Aereo against the major U.S. television networks in defense of its novel, industry-disrupting system for providing internet access to over-the-air broadcast television. That case ultimately went to the Supreme Court, which addressed copyright law issues of first impression. Sheryl currently represents Microsoft litigating novel issues related to the intersection of generative AI, copyright, and trademark law.
Having prepared countless cases for trial, Sheryl has a clear understanding of the importance of identifying litigation strategy early on to direct the case in a cost- effective and efficient manner. Sheryl also leverages her wealth of experience to counsel clients on strategies to protect intellectual property when avoiding litigation is a strategic business priority.
Having also litigated a number of patent cases throughout her career, she brings to each matter a unique understanding of the intersection of copyright, trademark, trade secret and patent law. A superb communicator, she is able to explain diverse areas of complex technology to a judge or jury.
Sheryl has been consistently named as one of the leading intellectual property litigators in the world by World Trademark Review 1000, a peer and client survey. In its 2017 publication, WTR 1000 described her as “'highly recommended’ for her ‘helpful and creative advice,’ which is ‘always of first-rate quality.’” In the 2018 edition, WTR 1000 stated that Sheryl “offers significant firepower to any contentious mandate.” In the 2021 edition, WTR 1000 said Sheryl ”puts her heart and soul into driving favorable outcomes.” In 2022 Sheryl and her team were lauded for being “tried and tested” in litigation and “emerging victorious in many forums. And in 2023, they were praised for “steering [clients] through complex litigation,” with work that was quick, efficient and “with the highest level of integrity.”
Sheryl is the Global Chair of Orrick's Women's Initiative and is the Co-Chair of Orrick’s Intellectual Property Business Unit.
She was named a 2017 Woman Worth Watching by Profiles in Diversity Journal. Sheryl was also singled out for Metropolitan Corporate Counsel’s Women in Business and the Law 2017 edition. In 2015, Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly named her one of the Top Women of Law and she received a 2015 Leadership Excellence Award from the National Diversity Council.
New York
Lorraine brings 30+ years of legal experience in bankruptcies, out-of-court restructurings, sovereign debt restructurings and creditors' rights controversies. She interfaces with auditors, government regulators, investment bankers and others, and develops and implements mediation and litigation strategies, and negotiates reorganization plans and complex corporate and finance documents. She also regularly provides commercial law and bankruptcy advice in connection with securitization, M&A, energy & infrastructure and general corporate transactions.
Lorraine has represented various stakeholders in bankruptcies, workouts, distressed debt transactions, sovereign debt restructurings, bankruptcy litigation, derivatives and distressed acquisition matters such as Suriname, Belize, Puerto Rico, Takata Corporation, Windstream, GTT, Brazos Electric Power Cooperative, Lehman, MF Global, Indiana Toll Road, Chemtura Corporation, Tronox Incorporated, South Bay Expressway, American Dream School, Detroit, General Motors and Stone & Webster.
Lorraine is Partner in Charge of Orrick’s global Inclusion & Belonging Initiatives. She previously served two terms on the firm’s 11-member Board of Directors and as a member of the Management Committee, and she also previously chaired the Restructuring Group.
As a leading Inclusion & Belonging advocate, Lorraine creates programs for the legal profession and the community. She was selected as a 2019 Rainmaker by the Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA), 2025 Private Practitioner of the Year by the Metropolitan Black Bar Association, as one of Savoy Magazine’s Most Influential Lawyers for 2024, 2022, 2018 and 2015, and received Legal Outreach’s Pipeline to Diversity 2017 Champion Award and the New York City Bar Association Diversity and Inclusion 2012 Champion Award. IFLR1000 Rankings named Lorraine a leading lawyer in the U.S. She was selected by Direct Women to be a 2016 Board Institute member. She is a frequent speaker and author on bankruptcy and insolvency and diversity and inclusion.
Among her community involvement, she is a former Vice President and Board Member of the New York City Bar Association and currently co-chairs the City Bar's Digital Assets Task Force. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession and the New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, where she is chair of the board, and on the Advisory Committees for Legal Outreach and the Vance Center for International Justice of the City Bar, where she serves as co-chair of the Advisory Committee of the Vance Center.
Monaco
Timo heads our Capital Markets and Banking & Finance (incl. Regulatory) practice in Germany and has been advising clients on respective law matters for more than 20 years.
He inter alia advises in the fields of regulatory & asset management (incl. AIFs) and restructuring, corporate law and derivative/carbon trading and is member in creditors committees.
Timo helps his clients, among them banks, corporates, listed companies, and asset managers in capital markets and finance transactions, M&A, squeeze outs, IPOs/ICOs as well as with regard to compliance. He also has special market experience regarding (renewable) energy, banking (stock exchange), insurance, and fund structuring as well as technology.
Parigi
Nicole has more than 20 years’ experience representing clients in international arbitration and all forms of dispute resolution. Dual trained in both civil and common law jurisdictions, Nicole has conducted arbitrations under all the main international arbitration rules including the ICC, AAA, SCC, UNCITRAL, ICDR and ICSID as well as local European arbitration institutions such as the Vienna Chamber (VIAC), CEPANI, Swiss Chamber and DIS. Her cases have spanned a variety of industries including oil and gas, nuclear energy, aviation, construction, technology, food and beverages, transportation, and insurance.
Nicole has worked on multi-billion dollar gas price review arbitrations for major European producers and several bet the company construction arbitrations, including an US$8 billion ICC arbitration for the world’s largest shipbuilder. She is frequently nominated to act as arbitrator and speaks and publishes regularly on questions of international commercial and investment arbitration, including The International Comparative Legal Guide to: Investor-State Arbitration 2019 – Country Questions and Answers: France. Nicole is a former member of the Executive Board and Global Boards of ICDR Y&I and practices in English, German, French and has a working knowledge of Spanish and Portuguese.
Prior to joining Orrick, Nicole practiced in one of the biggest law firms in the world in New York for six years, an Austrian firm in Vienna for five years and a major U.S. firm in Paris for seven years.
New York
She regularly represents financial institutions, direct lenders, funds, and investors involved in bankruptcies, out-of-court restructurings, foreclosures, distressed sales and acquisitions, loan and claims trading, bankruptcy litigation and refinancing involving syndicated loan facilities, debtor-in-possession financing and exit financing. She also represents start-up and later stage venture companies (with a focus on technology, blockchain and crypto) and venture capital investors in connection with liquidity crunches, rescue financing, wind-downs and negotiated resolutions with key stakeholders and investments or claims against insolvent counterparties.
Recognized as “outstanding” by The Legal 500 US, Laura was also named a Recognized Practitioner by Chambers USA, which praised her “very commercial and solution oriented” approach. She is “a very capable lawyer who gives great advice,” according to clients. Her clients include Royal Bank of Canada, UBS O’Connor, Red Rock Biofuels, Jade Mountain Partners, ECN Capital Corporation, Equinor, Portigon AG, Macquarie, PwC,Transurban, the Bank of Nova Scotia, and Erste Abwicklungsanstalt among others.
Laura has been involved in many prominent bankruptcy and out-of-court restructuring cases, including FTX, Talen Energy, Celsius Networks, Three Arrows Capital, restructurings related to the collapse of Tera and Luna, Mt. Gox, Legacy Reserves, White Eagle, Cobalt, Chesapeake Energy, Shopko, The Weinstein Company, Lily Robotics, Seadrill, Chaparral, CHC Helicopters, Erickson, GT Advanced Technologies, Hostess, Pocahontas Parkway, Indiana Toll Road, Eagle Bulk, Fresh & Easy, American Airlines, Chemtura Corporation, Lazare Kaplan, Hawker Beechcraft, Metro Fuel, Claim Jumper Restaurants, Abitibibowater, Nortel, Fabrikant, Scotia Pacific, VICORP, Sea Containers, Lyondell, Foxwoods, Delta, US Air, Northwest, Star Diamond, and Ritchie Risk-Linked Strategies Trading (Ireland) Limited. She handles cross-border restructuring matters in major international jurisdictions such as Canada, Europe, Cayman Islands and B.V.I.
Laura also has expertise in the esoteric asset class, life settlements. She represents clients in the life settlement and premium finance markets, acting for buyers, sellers and owners of life settlements and premium finance loans, and has extensive experience with the various legal issues impacting such assets.
Silicon Valley; Los Angeles
Silicon Valley; Los Angeles
Robert is a technology litigator and trial lawyer focused on software, security technology, and emerging internet law and digital crimes issues. Robert has helped establish landmark precedent under the Copyright Act, the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, California Penal Code 502, and Digital Millennium Copyright Act, and he has successfully tried multiple cases to verdict, including under the Patent Act. In addition to litigation work, Robert also counsels companies ranging from market leaders to start-ups on issues related to intellectual property, security, and incident response. Robert brings a creative, business-oriented approach to helping clients develop, acquire, and protect their most important assets.
Robert is committed to improving diversity in the legal profession. He co-chaired Orrick's Silicon Valley Diversity Committee for many years and is one of the firm-wide facilitators for Orrick’s Latinx Inclusion Network. Robert is also committed to pro bono work. He received Orrick's Pro Bono Award in 2019 and the Legal Aid Association of California's 2015 Family Law Pro Bono Award. Robert currently serves as a member the board of directors for the San Mateo County Legal Aid Society.
Robert served as a law clerk to U.S. District Judge Oliver W. Wanger in the Eastern District of California prior to commencing private practice.
New York
Chris has represented major ISPs in high-stakes copyright litigation, tech titans pushing the cutting edge, national retailers with key trademarks on the line, and global manufacturers facing class action risk. He has authored dozens of appellate briefs, winning results in federal and state courts of appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court. And he is a consummate team player when partnering with trial teams to craft winning legal strategies and themes, brief dispositive motions, win key legal and evidentiary rulings at trial, and construct a record with an eye towards appeal.
Chris is most passionate about the novel issues that arise at the intersection of tech and commerce, implicating the balance between creation, innovation, and competition. Whether it's the DMCA and copyright's intermediary liability doctrines, generative AI, data scraping, or trade secrets, he relishes litigating in the gray areas, presenting what the law ought to be as plain common sense. Chris also has a wealth of experience in class action defense in both trial and appellate courts, including several appellate victories defending the denial of class certification. And his broader experience includes bankruptcy, telecommunications, constitutional law, and various issues confronting Fintech companies.
Chris maintains an active pro bono practice. He led a team that prevailed in both federal district court and in the Second Circuit in one of the nation's most closely watched police transparency cases. The year before, he argued and won a precedent-setting parole appeal in New York’s Appellate Division on behalf of a former juvenile offender. And he has won victories for clients in immigration cases and cases presenting novel legal issues under freedom of information laws.
Prior to joining Orrick, Chris was a law clerk to Judge Robert D. Sack of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and Chief Judge Carol B. Amon of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.
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.
New York
Her practice is unique in the market. In addition to leading Orrick’s Global Employment & Equity Compensation practice; she is also integrated into the firm’s top-tier employment practice and compensation and benefits practice, enabling her to offer comprehensive solutions for the modern workplace.
Her strategies extend beyond regulations and compliance, into the company’s overall culture and societal nuances of their local workforce. By blending these elements, her targeted plans address a wide range of issues, including hiring, performance management, terminations, discrimination, reclassification, HR data privacy compliance, employee handbooks and policies. She also helps implement employee equity and other compensation and benefits arrangements outside the United States, and covers all aspects of securities, foreign exchange and tax filings triggered by such rollouts. Whether working with a pre-IPO start-up or an international corporation, Laura remains focused on her client’s human capital.
Laura’s distinctive approach places her in high demand for corporate transactions, in particular IPOs and acquisitions. She advised on the employment and/or equity compensation aspects of a leading global technology company and a multinational digital communications technology conglomerate’s global acquisitions; various global transactions for GoPro, Sabre, and a U.S. social media company; the pre- and post-merger integration for DigiCert’s acquisition of Symantec’s Website Security Business; as well as the global acquisitions and global tender offers for a large number of pre-IPO clients. She has also advised companies such as Alcon, Pinterest, Elasticsearch, GitHub, Nvidia, Optimizely, Scale, Twist, Viasat, and Vice on global employment and equity compensation matters and transactions.
Laura serves as co-leader of Orrick’s Women’s Initiative.
Düsseldorf
Sven advises technology companies on complex cross-border mergers and acquisitions, and venture capital as well as growth investments, and provides general corporate counseling.
His clients include technology companies of all stages and their investors. Supported by a global and cross-practice team, he also counsels major corporations and scale-ups on international expansion and growth projects and has a special focus on in- and outbound German/US investments and joint ventures.
Sven is passionate about building a bridge for his clients from Germany to the US and other international technology hubs and to help them succeed in the international market. With a dual background in business and law, an entrepreneurial spirit, and experience in over 300 M&A transactions and financing rounds across many industries, Sven has a unique perspective, which inspires him to find the best strategic and commercially viable solution for his clients.
Sven volunteers with entrepreneur groups at the WHU Otto Beisheim School of Management and the RWTH Aachen and regularly lectures at the WHU and the RWTH incubation and innovation centers on venture capital financings, start-up growth and corporate venture capital.
Sven's work has been repeatedly awarded, inter alia