People

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.

Matt Janosko Career Associate

Wheeling, W.V. (GOIC)

Matt focuses his practice on mid-sized sponsor formation, with experience in  private equity, real estate, debt and hedge funds, but a focus in venture capital and similar alternative investment funds. Matt works closely with his sponsor side clients to form, structure and negotiate the foundational terms of their funds. 

On the investor side, Matt has worked with a number of institutional investors providing guidance on the terms and structuring of investment opportunities in their own private fund investments, including drafting of documents and negotiating with other fund counsel. 

Margot Janot Senior Associate

Parigi

Margot advises French and international companies and private equity funds on transactional tax matters. She advises companies on their development in France and abroad, mergers and acquisitions, restructurings and refinancing. She also assists companies in tax audits and litigation.

Margot also advises individuals on the management and transfer of their assets.

Before joining Orrick, Margot Janot worked in international firms such as Dentons, Pwc Law Firm and Fidal. She has also worked at the Klépierre real estate company and at the P20 section of the Parquet du TGI de Paris.

Jean Gabriel Javier Caraballo Associate

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.

James Jenkins, III Managing Associate

Washington, D.C.

He represents a variety of market participants, including sponsors, issuers and underwriters, in public and private offerings of commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS). 

He joins Orrick from Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders in Washington, D.C. Prior to and during law school, James worked in the secondary market as a Performance Manager in the Credit Risk Management division at Freddie Mac, where he managed the performance of billions of dollars in MBS assets.  

Rachael Jensen Managing Associate

Austin

Rachael has represented clients in multiple cases before the United States Supreme Court, as well as federal and state appellate courts across the country. She has argued before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and the Army Court of Criminal Appeals.

Prior to joining Orrick, Rachael clerked for the Honorable Denny Chin of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. She graduated with Honors from The University of Texas School of Law, where she was champion in moot court, Chief Articles Editor for The Review of Litigation, a research assistant, a teaching assistant, and a member of the Supreme Court Clinic. She received her Bachelor’s degree from The University of Arkansas, where she developed her nationally recognized research on political rhetoric.

Travis Jensen Partner

Silicon Valley

Able to quickly understand complex technology in the litigation context, Travis is particularly well-suited to resolve patent disputes involving semiconductor processes and circuits such as NAND flash memory, microcontrollers, wireless payment technologies, and related areas. After earning advanced degrees in electrical engineering, and before embarking on his legal career, Travis worked at Intel Corp. and co-founded a fabless semiconductor design company.

Travis has used his distinctive skillset to litigate technically complex patent cases to verdict, and obtain favorable settlements for several of the world’s leading technology companies such as Microchip, Synopsys, AT&T, and SanDisk. Travis has successfully first chaired patent and non-patent jury cases to verdict in federal and state court, including while on secondment to the San Francisco District Attorney's Office.  Travis has handled numerous appeals before the Federal Circuit, and, as a registered patent attorney, served as lead and back-up counsel in post-grant proceedings (inter partes review and ex parte reexamination) at the PTO.

Sten Jensen Senior Counsel

Washington, D.C.

Sten routinely guides clients such as FUJIFILM and Panasonic through the minefields of the ITC. Sten also has long-standing relationships with attorneys in the ITC’s Office of Unfair Import Investigations, developed when he served on the Executive Committee of the ITC Trial Lawyers' Association. Sten’s credibility with this group, combined with his thorough knowledge of the ITC’s speed and complexity, gives his clients a distinct advantage.

Sten has also represented clients in more than 50 federal patent cases, including cases in the top five venues for patent infringement filings. He has particular experience in Delaware, where he served as a judicial clerk for former District Court Judge Roderick McKelvie. Sten has defended numerous corporations against claims filed by aggressive patent trolls, and his cases have protected a wide range of technologies, including integrated circuits, semiconductors, optical disk drives, digital cameras, printers, and other consumer electronics products.

Sten has frequently lectured on intellectual property issues facing companies in the United States, Japan, and Taiwan. He is widely praised by clients for his dedication, knowledge, and skill in guiding them through discovery, merits, and settlement issues. Sten is listed as a recommended lawyer by The Legal 500 USA for patent litigation, and he is ranked by Chambers USA for IP Litigation with clients commenting that “he gave us great ideas and advice, and negotiated very hard for us.”