People

Blake Ilstrup Partner

Seattle

Blake brings a unique and invaluable mix of in-house, entrepreneurial, and law firm experience, having served as General Counsel and senior executive of a software company and two biotech companies (co-founding one of them), as well as outside corporate counsel in elite AmLaw Global 100 law firms.

Blake’s experience spans multiple industries, including life sciences, software, hardware, mobile, fintech, cybersecurity, advanced manufacturing, clean energy, and retail. He has counseled fast-growing companies on hundreds of venture capital financings and M&A transactions, numerous public offerings, as well as service as a trusted advisor to management teams and Boards on both strategic and day-to-day matters.

Blake is proud to have worked with a variety of technology and life science companies, venture capital firms and investment banks, including AppSheet (acquired by Google; Nasdaq: GOOGL), Arris Composites, Barclays, Cloudhopper (acquired by Twitter; NYSE: TWTR), Critical Insight, Coatue Management, fatfoogoo (acquired by Digital River; Nasdaq: DRIV), Ikaria, IronPort Systems (acquired by Cisco; Nasdaq: CSCO), Kineta (Nasdaq:  KA), Lighter Capital, Oculus (Nasdaq: FB), OncoSenX, PATH, Qpass (acquired by Amdocs; NYSE: DOX), Varian Medical (NYSE: VAR), Xcimer Energy, and Zipwhip (acquired by Twilio; NYSE: TWLO).

Prior to his legal career, Blake served with distinction in the U.S. Navy as a Surface Warfare Officer, Fire Control Officer, and Air Warfare Coordinator, including two combat deployments to the Persian Gulf, where he was decorated for his performance during Operations Southern Watch and Desert Strike.

John Inge Counsel

Tokyo; Washington, D.C.

John has experience handling matters involving a wide range of technologies, including semiconductor devices, consumer electronics, communications systems, computers and associated equipment, radar, optics (including fiber optics), medical and surgical devices, display systems, lighting devices, printing systems, electronic photography, energy storage devices and plastic molding technology. 

John's legal practice spans patent litigation, interferences, validity and infringement investigations, and negotiations and licensing involving all aspects of intellectual property. Joint venture and research and development agreements in an international context are a particular area of his focus. He frequently counsels clients in both the United States and Japan on patent portfolio management and intellectual property strategies.

John currently teaches a course on International Intellectual Property Strategy at Hitotsubashi University in Tokyo. He previously served on the adjunct faculty of George Mason University School of Law, teaching courses on interference practice and other advanced areas of U.S. PTO practice. He also taught international intellectual property law at Temple University Law School’s Tokyo campus. He also was the longest-serving chairman of the Board of Directors of Yokohama International School, one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious institutions of secondary international education, and he currently chairs the school’s Board of Trustees. John regularly lectures throughout the Pacific Rim on intellectual property law topics. He is also a frequent lecturer on U.S. patent practice at public and in-house seminars in Japan.

Hayden Irwin Associate

Santa Monica

Prior to joining Orrick, Hayden was an associate at Buckley LLP.

Scott M. Iyama Partner

Silicon Valley; San Francisco

Scott leverages his technical experience as a member of research teams at Genentech (Virology R&D) and the NASA Ames Research Center (Advanced Displays Lab) to provide a unique business and legal perspective to companies commercializing disruptive solutions in technology and healthcare. In recognition for such work, The Recorder named Scott one of its “Lawyers on the Fast Track.”

Scott has represented a majority of such companies from inception, with many of the companies founded by leading entrepreneurs and scientists at University of California, Stanford University and Harvard University.  He also works with non-profit entities, including the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Bay Area.  Scott’s practice has included representation of numerous high growth companies, including:

Technology

• Facebook
• Instagram
• Nervana Systems
• Planet Labs
• ResearchGate

Life Science/Healthcare

• Cortexyme
• CyberHeart
• EpiBone
• GRO Bioscience
• Virta Health

Stemming from his experience and deep knowledge in the life sciences and technology industries, Scott is a frequently sought after advisor, speaker and author on technology companies. He routinely volunteers his time with entrepreneur groups and frequently lectures at forums such as the National Cancer Institute, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford Technology Venture Program, the University of California, Los Angeles and the California Life Sciences Association.

Johann Jabes Managing Associate

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.

Philip Jackson Managing Associate

Londra

Philip frequently acts on M&A, private equity and equity capital markets transactions in a range of sectors, including in the energy and infrastructure, technology and financial services sectors, and has experience in working with a range of clients, including institutional investors, funds, private equity and large private and listed companies.

Stephen Jackson Partner

Parigi; New York

Steve is admitted in New York California, England and Wales, and Paris and his primary focus is on U.S. taxation of securitizations and re-securitizations, including collateralized debt and loan obligations, mortgage-backed securitizations, structured investment vehicles and other structured finance and financial markets transactions.

For over fifteen years, Steve has served as tax counsel to issuers and underwriters in numerous registered, agency and privately-placed CMBS and RMBS transactions (primary issuances and re-securitizations), involving performing loans and non-performing loans, as well as other mortgage-related asset classes, such as servicing advances and tax liens, and in securitizations involving other asset classes such as credit card and auto loan/lease receivables. Steve also provides tax advice in connection with whole loan purchase transactions, including leveraged and nonleveraged acquisitions, joint ventures involving mortgage assets and repo and warehouse financings for various asset classes. Steve also advises financial institutions on tax issues in connection with their role as servicer, trustee or securities administrator under various securitization programs, as well as with respect to FATCA.

Steve writes and lectures on finance and international related tax topics and also participates actively in the tax committee and other initiatives of the Structured Finance Association and other industry and bar-related organizations.

Richard Jacobsen Partner

New York

Rich serves as lead counsel for Credit Suisse’s entire residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) docket in federal and state courts throughout the country. He is lead counsel for Goldman Sachs in two RMBS cases in the SDNY. For nearly a decade, he has been lead counsel for Ocwen Financial Services in all matters concerning its market-leading business servicing loans in residential mortgage-backed securitizations. He is currently lead counsel for Nationstar Mortgage LLC d/b/a Mr. Cooper in a breach of contract action pending in the Delaware Court of Chancery. Rich has also frequently represented companies with respect to disputes involving the distressed debt trading market, including Jefferies and Citibank, and frequently tries nine figure disputes in the most important bankruptcy jurisdictions in the United States for clients such as UBS and Blackstone.

He and his Orrick team bring to each representation a combination of deep financial markets knowledge, holistic litigation strategy and a problem-solving mentality. In an industry where many cases are settled, he has established a formidable record at trial and on appeal, while achieving regulatory settlements at a small fraction of the industry benchmarks.

Named Litigators of the Week by The American Lawyer for his representation of Credit Suisse that yielded a precedent-setting decision from the New York Court of Appeals that will change the future of RMBS litigation, clients laud Rich telling Chambers (2022), “He makes my job easier by deploying a combination of impeccable legal skill, excellent judgment and a knowledge of the financial services industry.” “I would recommend Rich to anyone.”  (2024) "He makes my job easier by deploying a combination of strengths - impeccable legal skills, excellent judgment, knowledge of the finance sector and a formidable reputation."  Echoing that praise, clients say (2021) “I would recommend Richard Jacobsen in the highest terms,” he is (2020) “an exceptional litigator” and “a master of navigating commercial disputes.” Chambers also reports that clients regard him as “a commercial disputes wizard.” Clients hold Rich in high regard, telling Legal 500 our commercial disputes team is (2021) “brilliant,” while the publication calls out his “business critical disputes” work for Credit Suisse and Goldman Sachs. Clients further endorse Rich when speaking to Legal 500, noting he (2020) “is always available and willing to do what is necessary in any situation. His knowledge of the industry and more importantly where we fit in the industry has paid tremendous dividends from a legal representation perspective. I have not dealt with an attorney from any other firm that had the combination of knowledge, ability, reputation and judgment that Rich has.” Another client called out Rich’s “razor sharp intellect” which sets him apart from other disputes and trial lawyers.

A first-chair trial lawyer recognized as one of Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Litigators in America, Rich has litigated commercial, securities and product liability disputes for clients in many other industries in venues across the country. His clients have included: Amazon, Caesars Entertainment, Inc., The Dow Chemical Company, Microsoft, DISH Network, Acer and Wyeth. He has argued numerous appeals at the state and federal levels and frequently represents clients before state and federal regulators. He has argued multiple times before seven of the eight current justices in the Commercial Division of New York’s Supreme Court, New York County, and has arbitrated before the American Arbitration Association and London Court of International Arbitration.

Violette Jacquot Associate

Parigi

She advised private and public companies on corporate transactions, including M&A, joint ventures and private equity transactions.

Prior to joining Orrick, Violette has completed several internships at the various law firms and in the legal department of TotalEnergies’ (refining-chemicals).

Violette recently joined the Orrick team as an associate, after successfully completing her training with the team.

Marine Jamain Partner

Parigi

Marine Jamain advises infrastructure funds, pension funds and other long-term investors in their acquisition, disposal or restructuring transactions in the energy and infrastructure sectors in Europe.

Marine also regularly advises clients in the fast-growing EnergyTech and InfraTech sectors.

Legal 500 EMEA 2023 has ranked Marine in the "Rising Star" category, she is recognized as "building a prominent reputation for transactions within the energy and infrastructure fields".

Thomas James Senior Associate

Chicago

Thomas's patent litigation practice is an outgrowth of his deep interest in technology and love of client service. Thomas has assisted clients, large and small, plaintiff and defendant, in obtaining outcomes that serve their unique business goals. Thomas is well-versed in a variety of technologies including semiconductor devices, telecommunications, and other electrical and mechanical disciplines. Prior to entering private practice Thomas served as a patent examiner with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for many years.

Melania Jankowski Managing Associate

Boston

Her experience includes advising on corporate practice of medicine and scope of practice issues, state licensure requirements for physicians and non-physician practitioners, controlled substance prescribing considerations, and health care privacy concerns. Melania also assists with regulatory due diligence for stakeholders interested in investments in digital health and health care technology ventures.