People

Emmanuel Benard Partner

Parigi

Emmanuel represents numerous French and international companies on all aspects of employment law including international and cross-border issues.

His practice focuses on reorganizations, collective redundancies. He notably advised key players of the Financial, Metal, Food and Beverages, Pharmaceutical, Technology, Leisure and Music Industries in implementing economic dismissals and voluntary departures. He also assists these clients with employee representation and collective bargaining and sensitive individual cases.

Emmanuel has a strong proficiency in collective litigation as well as criminal litigation and currently handles a number of sensitive cases arising from works council and health and safety committee information consultation procedure, professional elections, collective bargaining agreements and employees performance appraisal system.

With a long-standing experience on landmark M&A, he regularly supports HR Directors in dealing with works council information and consultation procedures and transfer of employees triggered by such complex projects, helping them achieving their strategic objectives.

Co-author of an insightful and pedagogic book on all labor and employment facets of companies’ reorganization, Emmanuel is described by his clients as “a guru in the field of employment law” and praised for his “business sense”.

Before joining Orrick in 2016, Emmanuel was a partner at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in Paris, where he was in charge of the Employment, Pension and Benefits Department. Prior to that he was partner at the boutique employment law firm Bélier et Associés where he started his career.

David Benhamou Senior Associate

Santa Monica

David represents high growth technology companies and venture capital firms in many areas, including corporate and securities law, formation, ongoing corporate matters, and venture capital financings.

David began his legal career as a corporate associate at Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP. During his time at NYU School of Law, David worked with a number of startups.

Alan Benjamin Senior Counsel

Los Angeles; Santa Monica

He counsels clients nationwide on complex financial transactions and restructurings, including secured and unsecured loan transactions, project financings, leveraged buy-outs, dividend recapitalizations and insolvency matters.

In the California Banking & Finance category of Chambers USA, clients commend Alan, describing him as “a guru for gaming work" and noting “his extensive financing practice includes particular expertise in lending transactions involving Native American tribes.”

In addition to his practice responsibilities, Alan has held numerous firmwide positions, including recently as a member of Orrick's Board of Directors and as practice group leader of the firm’s Banking & Finance group. He was the Chair of the Firm’s Finance and Audit Committee from 2010 through 2019.

He is licensed to practice in California.

Delia Bennett Associate

New York

Megan Benton Managing Associate

Sacramento

Megan helps protect the interests of some of the world's most innovative public and private companies and their founders, officers, and directors. She has experience in a wide array of complex business litigation matters, including high-stakes securities class actions, shareholder derivative suits, regulatory investigations, and multi-district litigation. Megan has worked on a diverse range of other complex litigation matters, including contract disputes, civil RICO actions, and insurance insolvency proceedings,

Megan also maintains a robust pro bono practice, and has assisted in representing clients in matters related to the compassionate release program for federal prisoners, drafting a petition for habeas corpus and clemency petition for a state prisoner, and in bringing a class action suit challenging agency violations of law and policy on behalf of disabled asylees. In 2022, she helped secure a client's release from prison after forty years behind bars based on proportionality concerns under the U.S. and California Constitutions.

Prior to joining Orrick, Megan graduated from University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law with great distinction. During law school, Megan served as the Managing Editor of The University of the Pacific Law Review, published articles relating to the commercialization of space and to sanctuary states and immigration policies, and was recognized for writing a Best Appellate Brief in the school-wide moot court competition. Megan also served as a judicial extern to the Honorable Allison Claire at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California. Megan earned a bachelor's degree in history from Boston University.

Sabrina Benyammi Senior Associate

Silicon Valley

She advises companies throughout their lifecycle, including in formation and general corporate matters, venture capital financings and mergers and acquisitions. In addition to advising companies, Sabrina represents leading venture firms in connection with their investments in private companies.

Peter C. Bergan, Jr. Partner

Chicago

With over a decade of experience, Peter has guided clients through joint ventures, investments, financings and acquisitions/dispositions across commercial, digital infrastructure, industrial, mining, retail, hospitality, and multifamily and single-family assets nationwide.

He brings a unique focus to data center and digital infrastructure assets with a broad perspective, advising on construction, M&A, leasing, customer and other contracts. From hyperscale facilities and colocation centers to enterprise and cloud-based solutions, he draws on his experience with industry stakeholders to deliver clear, confident guidance to clients navigating this increasingly dense space.

Beyond the office, Peter is committed to community service, serving as a board member for Rugby Ohio, an organization dedicated to supporting the growth and development of children and teenagers through the game of rugby. He is also an active member of the Urban Land Institute and the International Council of Shopping Centers.

Crissi Berger Practice Mgr of Energy & Infra

Washington, D.C.

Crissi's practice focuses on project development, project financing, and acquisitions in the energy and infrastructure sectors.

Prior to Orrick, Crissi worked as an assistant superintendent for a construction firm, where she managed teams of subcontractors, architects, and engineers to build projects in the residential, mixed-use, office, and education sectors.

Genet Berhane Innovation Attorney Energy and Infrastructure

New York

Genet supports firm efforts to optimize client service delivery and increase efficiencies across practice groups, connecting Orrick attorneys with tools and resources to support their work.

Genet’s practice previously focused on a variety of energy transactions as a managing associate in the firm's Energy & Infrastructure group. She has also worked as Senior Counsel at Clearway Energy and as a Legal Manager at Acumen, a non-profit global venture fund.

Jesse Beringer Senior Associate

Washington, D.C.

Jesse routinely handles all aspects of civil and class action litigation, including arbitration and trial. She applies her knowledge of the federal rules and the discovery process to litigation matters across a wide array of industries—including technology, energy, and healthcare—from the outset to think strategically and pragmatically with clients about how to obtain the best result in each circumstance.

Recently, Jesse was the lead associate on the trial team in client Zillow Group, Inc.’s successful defense against false advertising litigation in the Western District of Washington, REX—Real Estate Exchange, Inc. v. Zillow Group Inc., where the jury delivered a full defense verdict.

Jesse also has substantial experience concerning mergers and acquisitions and competition-related investigations before the DOJ and FTC, including compliance with onerous Second Request merger investigations.

Prior to joining Orrick, Jesse was a litigation associate in the Washington, DC office of another international law firm.

Olivier Bernard Partner

Parigi

Olivier advises French and international financial institutions, insurers, funds and other alternative capital providers, as well as borrowers, on structured finance, debt capital markets and securitization transactions, in relation to a variety of assets, including real estate, transportation fleets and infrastructure.

He has been involved on a number of groundbreaking multi-jurisdictional transactions, privately or publicly placed.

Before joining Orrick in 2016 as a partner, Olivier was counsel in the finance department of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer.

Carsten Bernauer Partner

Düsseldorf; Monaco

A special focus is on the comprehensive support of start-up technology companies and their investors. In this context, he accompanies his clients through all stages of growth with the aim of providing fast and efficient support in the implementation of their growth plans and investment strategies.

His clients benefit from his extensive experience in structuring, managing and coordinating complex transactions, including all other advisors involved in the transaction. In international transactions, he has access to Orrick's comprehensive technology, private equity and venture capital platform.

Carsten Bernauer also advises on national and international corporate transactions, in particular in the field of technology, as well as on corporate restructurings.

After many years working for an American and an English commercial law firm, Carsten Bernauer joined Orrick's Düsseldorf office in 2019.