People

Michelle Pichardo Managing Associate

Houston

Michelle focuses her practice on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, project development and general corporate matters for clients in the oil and gas and renewable energy industries.

Tierra D. Piens Senior Associate

San Francisco; Houston

Tierra represents clients in high-stakes employment disputes, including individual and class action cases involving wage-and-hour laws, discrimination, harassment, and wrongful termination. She also provides strategic employment advice and counseling, helping clients navigate complex legal landscapes with confidence.

In addition to her litigation and advisory work, Tierra conducts internal investigations, providing clients with thorough and effective solutions to sensitive workplace issues.

As an experienced DEI advisor, Tierra assists clients in re-evaluating and strategically repackaging their diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in response to recent legal challenges and the new Trump administration. Her insights help clients adapt to the evolving legal environment while maintaining their commitment to inclusive workplaces.

Tierra's hands-on experience includes a nine-month secondment at Airbnb, where she was embedded with the global employment legal team. During this time, she addressed employment issues from both a U.S. and global perspective, gaining invaluable day-to-day experience.

While her practice focuses primarily on the representation of large corporate clients and emerging companies, Tierra also devotes a portion of her practice to providing pro bono services to nonprofit organizations and low-income individuals. She also serves in several leadership roles at Orrick, including as a leader of the Black Lawyers of Orrick inclusion network and on Orrick's Associates' Committee for the San Francisco office.

Tierra received her J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, where she also earned a Law & Technology Certificate of Specialization as recognition for her extensive coursework in technology law.

A former judicial extern on the Northern District of California, Tierra has experience navigating both the federal and state court systems.

Diletta Pietrosemoli Associate

Milano

Diletta fornisce consulenza e assistenza a clienti italiani e internazionali in relazione a operazioni di Real Estate. Si occupa principalmente di acquisizioni e cessioni di singoli immobili e portafogli immobiliari ad uso commerciale, alberghiero e residenziale.

Diletta si è laureata con lode (110/110 cum laude) presso l'Università Bocconi di Milano, dopo aver studiato per un semestre presso l'Università ESADE di Barcellona.

È stata ammessa all'albo degli avvocati di Milano con lode nel 2024.

Leonardo Pinta Of Counsel

Roma

Leonardo è esperto nelle aree relative a M&A, diritto societario e commerciale, corporate governance, e più in generale, nella strutturazione e negoziazione di operazioni straordinarie quali cessioni di partecipazioni, cessioni di azienda e di rami di azienda, fusioni, scissioni e spin offs, con attenzione particolare al settore del private equity. Assiste fondi di private equity, multinazionali, societa quotate e non quotate, imprenditori e manager. Ha acquisito significativa esperienza nell’assistenza ad acquirenti e venditori nel contesto di vendite dirette e di aste competitive nonchè nella gestione dei relativi processi negoziali.

Ha ottenuto un Dottorato di Ricerca in Diritto degli Affari dalla Luiss Guido Carli di Roma ed un Master Degree (LLM) in Corporate Law dalla New York University di New York ed è abilitato all’esercizio della professione forense in Italia.

Wolfram Pohl Partner

San Francisco

Wolf represents many of the country’s most prominent developers and financing parties in structuring transactions to take advantage of tax credits, Treasury cash grants, depreciation benefits, and other available tax benefits. He has represented developers and tax equity investors in financings of both wind and solar projects, as well as on tax planning for energy storage, carbon capture, and carbon sequestration projects. 

Nolwenn Poisson Managing Associate

Parigi

Nolwenn’s practice focuses on debt financing transactions, including leveraged acquisition financings, for private credit funds, private equity sponsors, corporates and special situations funds.

Prior to joining Orrick, she was an associate at another leading US law firm.

Nicholas Poli Partner

New York

Nick is an experienced bankruptcy litigator, representing financial institutions, pharmaceutical companies, and trustees in all stages of the bankruptcy process. Most recently, Nick served as co-lead trial counsel to the private credit arm of a global financial company and secured a $100 million trial victory in connection with multiple defaulted loans.

Nicholas also has extensive experience in issues arising out of the financial crisis, including a range of issues relating to residential mortgage backed securities (“RMBS”) and lending practices. He has represented issuers and sponsors of RMBS in fraud and breach of contract cases, as well as federal and state securities actions. Nicholas has defended a global financial institution in connection with two separate trials in the New York Supreme Court.

Nicholas is a key member of the Orrick team that represents Goldman Sachs and Credit Suisse, multinational investment banks and financial services companies, in connection with more than a dozen cases. This includes defending the clients against claims brought by investors, trustees, and monoline insurance companies in connection with the purchase and sale of RMBS. Nicholas also completed a secondment at Credit Suisse, where he was in the litigation and investigations group. During this time, he worked on regulatory matters involving FINRA, the SEC, the DOJ, the CFTC, and the NY Department of Financial Services. Additionally, he handled internal investigations addressing issues such as insider trading.

Nicholas has also represented one of the nation’s largest mortgage loan servicers, including in a class action lawsuit involving allegations of improper loan servicing practices.

Ryan Pollard Partner

Washington, D.C.

Ryan focuses on representing borrowers and lenders in loan origination financing (in mortgage, auto, consumer and other loans, including warehouse and repurchase facilities) and servicing advance financing, acquisition financing (including mortgage servicing rights), syndicated financing, fund financing, working capital financing, litigation financing and asset based financing. He also assists clients with obtaining required applicable agency approvals in connection with these transactions.

Prior to joining Orrick, Ryan was a partner at Buckley LLP. He also was a corporate and securities associate in private practice, where he represented clients in a broad range of local, national and international corporate transactions.

Josh Pollick Partner

Santa Monica

Josh represents high-growth technology companies and venture capital firms in many areas, including corporate and securities law, corporate formations, venture capital financings, mergers and acquisitions, public offerings, secondary offerings and SPAC transactions.

Josh was recognized as a Fintech Rising Star by Law360 for his work representing innovative companies such as Accrue, Crexi, Dave, Deel, Dub, Get Covered, Trullion and Stripe. He has been nationally recognized by Chambers and Partners USA and Legal500 for his work representing startups and venture capital funds.

Josh’s company-side representations also include high-growth AI and SaaS companies, such as Speak and Supabase, energy tech companies such as Radiant Nuclear and Zeno Power, and healthtech companies such as Grow Therapy, Pearl and Saferide Health.  

In addition to his company-side representations, Josh has represented leading venture capital firms and other strategic investors, including Bonfire, Coatue, Darsana Capital, D1 Capital, Ground Up Ventures, Pathbreaker Ventures, Upfront Ventures and Wonder Ventures.

Josh has significant buy-side and sell-side M&A experience, including representing Deel in its acquisitions of CapBase, Legalpad, Hofy, Payspace, Roots, Zavvy and Zeitgold.

Brianna Pomatico Senior Associate

New York

Brianna's practice focuses on cross-border comparative employment law, including global business immigration. She works with clients to address critical questions related to the evolution and growth of their global workforce, including international employment contracts, employee handbooks and policies, contingent worker considerations, performance management, benefits, HR data privacy compliance, and equity compensation. Brianna also advises on the global employment aspects of corporate transactions.

Prior to joining Orrick, Brianna practiced corporate immigration law, gaining years of experience facilitating global mobility for large corporations, startups, and individuals alike. 

Josh Pond Partner

Washington, D.C.

Josh is a Global and U.S. Chambers-ranked Section 337 advocate before the U.S. International Trade Commission. He is also a D.C. Super Lawyer in IP litigation, and Patexia has consistently ranked him as a “most-active” and "best performing" ITC practitioner for each of the past five years.

Josh’s practice centers on blocking and defending imports before the ITC. He regularly serves as lead ITC counsel for domestic and international companies – particularly those from Asia and Europe – in Section 337 investigations. Over the past decade, Josh has been to ITC trial for over a dozen Fortune Global 500 companies. He focuses on matters involving brand protection, patent, trademark, and copyright infringement, international trade secret theft and unfair competition claims.

In addition to the ITC, Josh is active before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, U.S. District Courts and the Federal Circuit. Recent patent-validity challenge highlights at the USPTO’s Patent Trial and Appeal Board include a complete five-patent Inter Partes Review defense victory, as well as a two-patent invalidating IPR win, affirmed at the Federal Circuit, as well as a key patent defense through Ex Parte Reexamination. Josh’s most recent District Court win was a jury verdict in favor of his client ScentAir in Delaware. Abroad, China has featured prominently among recent global forums for Josh’s matters, as well as Canada and Germany.

Josh’s IP portfolio strategies are catered to meeting enforcement challenges. His clients include companies ranging from startups to multinationals in electronics, consumer products, telecommunications, mechanical and medical devices, and biochemicals.

A founding member of the Advisory Council to Georgetown's Institute for Technology Law & Policy, Josh also has been a fellow in the Hispanic National Bar Association’s IP Law Institute. He was a founding editor of the ITC Trial Lawyers Association’s 337 Reporter Round-Up.

Josh served in the U.S. Marine Corps as a field artillery captain. He was deployed to the Persian Gulf and awarded the Defense Meritorious Service Medal. As part of his pro bono service, Josh advocates for fellow veterans with the “Lawyers Serving Warriors” team of the National Veterans Legal Services Program.

Prior to joining Orrick, Josh co-led a global law firm’s ITC Section 337 litigation practice.

Bianca Ponziani Managing Associate

New York

She has partnered with start-ups and Fortune 500 companies to develop comprehensive privacy and cybersecurity policies and procedures that comply with U.S., EU and UK law and self-regulatory frameworks, including U.S. state privacy laws; the EU and UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR); the CAN-SPAM Act; the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA); the Federal Trade Commission Act (FTC Act); and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Bianca helps clients prepare for and respond to crisis security incidents, including by advising on personal data breach notification obligations, working closely with cyber forensics experts, engaging with law enforcement, and responding to regulatory inquiries.

She also provides clients with practical guidance in complex and multijurisdictional corporate transactions to help navigate attendant privacy and cybersecurity risks.