January.17.2017
Orrick announced today the admission of 18 lawyers to the firm’s partnership, effective January 1, 2017.
“We are thrilled to welcome these exceptional lawyers to our partnership," said Orrick Chairman & CEO Mitch Zuklie. “This diverse team demonstrates our continued commitment to the technology, energy & infrastructure, and finance sectors, and to our powerhouse litigation and IP platform.”
Orrick’s 2017 partner class includes six tech-focused corporate partners, one energy & infrastructure partner and six finance partners. It includes five litigation partners, including two IP litigators. The new partners are based in eight U.S. offices, as well as in Paris and Düsseldorf. Eleven have spent their entire law firm careers with Orrick. Ten of the 18 are diverse or women lawyers.
Orrick’s new partners are:
CORPORATE & TECHNOLOGY
Andrew Erskine, Technology Companies Group, Santa Monica
Sven Greulich, M&A and Private Equity, Düsseldorf
Daniel Kim, Technology Companies Group, Santa Monica
Stefan Schultes-Schnitzlein, Tax, Düsseldorf
Charles Walker, M&A and Private Equity, Houston
Michael Yang, Compensation & Benefits, Silicon Valley
ENERGY & INFRASTRUCTURE
Irma Foley, Washington, D.C.
FINANCE
Brandon Dias, Public Finance, Sacramento
David Lin, Banking & Finance, San Francisco
Bola Oloko, Structured Finance, New York
John Palmer, Public Finance, San Francisco
Christine Reynolds, Public Finance, Portland
Jonathan Roheim, Real Estate, Los Angeles
LITIGATION & IP
Alyssa Caridis, IP, Los Angeles
Jordan Coyle, IP, Washington, D.C.
Diane Lamarche, Complex Litigation, Paris
Catherine Lui, Complex Litigation, San Francisco
Andrew Silverman, Supreme Court & Appellate, New York
Orrick’s New Partners
CORPORATE & TECHNOLOGY
Andrew Erskine is a member of the firm’s Technology Companies Group, based in Santa Monica. He advises company founders and boards of directors, as well as venture capital firms, angels and private equity firms, on the corporate governance, financings, operations and profitable exits of high-growth technology companies. Andrew has served on client teams representing tech unicorns such as Yammer (acquired by Microsoft) and Nest Labs (acquired by Google), as well as venture firms such as Kleiner Perkins, Charles River Ventures and Founders Fund, in a wide range of notable investments. Before joining Orrick, Andrew served as a legislative adviser to Congress, and worked for Deloitte advising Fortune 500 companies on building internal control systems. Andrew earned his J.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law and both his M.S. and B.S. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Sven Greulich is a member of the firm’s M&A and Private Equity Group, based in Düsseldorf. He advises technology companies and their investors on complex cross-border transactions and financing rounds. Sven has advised on more than 90 M&A transactions and venture financings across multiple industries. His clients include leading multinationals such as Grainger, GEA and STEAG, as well as financial investors such as Luxempart, BIP Investment Partners and Anterra Capital. Sven has a particular focus on advising German tech-focused companies in their investments in emerging companies, most recently counseling Aesculap in its investment in neuroloop — one of the largest university spin-offs in Germany. He also counsels German tech startups such as RE’FLEKT, LemnaTec, quintly and Contentful in their U.S. expansions. Sven holds multiple degrees in business and law from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, the University of St. Gallen, the University of Canterbury, the University of Münster and WHU Otto Beisheim School of Management, where he lectures on venture capital law.
Daniel Kim is a member of the firm’s Technology Companies Group, based in Santa Monica. He advises industry-leading technology companies at all stages of their life cycles. Dan has extensive experience in a broad range of transactions, from venture capital financings and mergers and acquisitions to secondary transactions, public offerings, structured liquidity programs and other complex corporate transactions. He also advises companies on corporate governance, securities laws, SEC reporting and compliance, and general corporate matters. Dan earned his J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law and his B.A., Highest Distinction in General Scholarship and Phi Beta Kappa, from the University of California, Berkeley.
Stefan Schultes-Schnitzlein is a member of the firm’s Tax Group, based in Düsseldorf. Qualified as both a German lawyer and a German tax advisor, Stefan advises financial institutions, financial investors and corporations on German tax and accounting issues, typically with an investment or divestment focus. An avid author, speaker and lecturer on tax law, he earned his J.D. from the University of Cologne, Faculty of Law, and his tax degree from the Ministry of Finance of North Rhine-Westphalia, Düsseldorf. Stefan supports charitable associations involving cerebral palsy therapy and international student exchange scholarships.
Charles Walker is a member of the firm’s M&A and Private Equity Group, based in Houston. He counsels publicly traded technology companies and private equity sponsors in complex mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, recapitalizations, restructurings, executive compensation and equity incentive arrangements, and related general corporate matters. Chuck has handled matters for clients ranging from acquisitions in excess of a billion dollars to small early round equity investments. He earned his J.D. from Harvard Law School and his B.S., highest honors, from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Michael Yang is a member of the firm’s Compensation & Benefits Group, based in Silicon Valley. He represents U.S. and international public and private technology companies, as well as executives, management teams and founders with compensation and employee benefits issues in the context of M&A transactions, venture capital financings, IPOs, and day-to-day tax, employment and securities law counseling. Prior to practicing law, Mike was a Certified Public Accountant with Ernst & Young. He earned his LL.M. in taxation from New York University School of Law, his J.D. from Santa Clara University School of Law and his B.B.A., cum laude, from the University of Notre Dame.
ENERGY & INFRASTRUCTURE
Irma Foley is a member of the firm’s Energy & Infrastructure Group, based in Washington, D.C. She advises clients on the development, construction, operation and maintenance of large infrastructure projects in the U.S. undertaken using public-private partnerships. Irma has counseled on numerous U.S. PPP transactions, including the $2.2 billion Purple Line light rail project in Maryland, which earned a gold honor for Best Transit and Aviation Project at the 2016 P3 Awards, and the $3.6 billion LaGuardia Airport Central Terminal redevelopment project — the first greenfield airport PPP project in the U.S. She also represents clients on the development, construction, operation, tax equity investment in, and acquisition and sale of energy projects. Irma is a member of the Professional Women in Construction association and serves on Orrick’s D.C. Office Diversity Committee. She earned her J.D. from American University, Washington College of Law, cum laude, and her B.A. from Bard College, with honors.
FINANCE
Brandon Dias is a member of the firm’s Public Finance Group, based in Sacramento. He has broad experience as bond, disclosure and underwriters' counsel on a range of tax-exempt and taxable financing transactions. In California, Brandon’s practice is focused on serving as counsel on special tax and assessment financings; general fund financings; and water, sewer, power and other revenue-based financings for cities, counties, municipal utility districts and other local agencies. Nationally, he advises on financings for nonprofit health care institutions, including several of the largest health care systems in the country. Brandon also counsels clients in the emerging property assessed clean energy finance sector. He earned his J.D., with great distinction, from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law and his B.A. from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
David Lin is a member of the firm’s Banking & Finance Group, based in San Francisco. He advises clients, including major financial institutions, public and privately owned companies, and direct and alternative lenders, in complex secured and unsecured commercial finance transactions for acquisitions, dividend recapitalizations, project construction and development, and corporate refinancings, as well as workout and restructuring matters. David has a broad range of experience in financings involving gaming companies, Native American tribes and tribal enterprises, including new casino projects and casino expansion projects. Named a Chambers USA 2015 Associate to Watch, he earned his J.D. from New York University School of Law and his B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley.
Bola Oloko is a member of the firm’s Structured Finance Group, based in New York. He focuses his practice on the financing, acquisition, disposition and securitization of financial assets, with a particular emphasis on commercial mortgage loans and commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS). Bola also advises clients in multi-lender CRE transactions, secondary loan trading transactions, and securitization litigation and disputes. Over the course of his career, he has been involved in several pioneering transactions in the CMBS area and has represented leading financial services firms such as Citigroup, Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Goldman Sachs. He earned his LL.M. from Georgetown University and his LL.B. from the University of Lagos. Bola is active in pro bono work and community service activities and is the past president of a minority bar association, as well as an active member of the diversity and equity parents group at Kent Place School.
John Palmer is a member of the firm’s Public Finance Group, based in San Francisco. Named a 2016 Daily Journal 40 Under 40 and a Bond Buyer Rising Star, as well as honored in the 2016 FT Innovative Lawyers Report U.S. for his work, John counsels cities, counties, school districts and community colleges, among others, on revenue and tax-supported bond transactions in a variety of financing structures. He earned his J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law and his B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley. John served for four years on the Board of Trustees for the Ecole Bilingue de Berkeley and currently serves on the Board of Managers of the Embarcadero YMCA and the Board of the Charles Houston Bar Association.
Christine Reynolds is a member of the firm’s Public Finance Group, based in Portland. She has vast experience as bond, disclosure and underwriter’s counsel on financings for state and local governments in the Pacific Northwest, as well as on transportation, health care, water, public power and other infrastructure financings. As counsel to the State of Oregon, Christine has advised on its Department of Transportation Highway User Tax Revenue Bond Program and on the development of its general obligation bond program through the Department of Education. Her work extends outside of Oregon for clients such as the Bay Area Toll Authority, as well as global and regional investment banks where she provides counsel on general obligation, special tax and revenue bond financings, among other areas. Christine serves on the Oregon Municipal Debt Advisory Commission; is a founding committee member of the Pacific Northwest Women in Public Finance Chapter, where she currently serves as Vice President for Membership; and is the Immediate Past Chair of the Board of Directors for nonprofit Children First for Oregon. She clerked for the Hon. Henry Breithaupt of the Oregon Tax Court. Christine earned her J.D., cum laude, from Lewis & Clark Law School and her B.A. from the University of Washington.
Jonathan Roheim is a member of the firm’s Real Estate Group, based in Los Angeles. He advises global and domestic opportunity funds and other investors on property acquisitions and dispositions, secured, mezzanine and preferred equity financings, and other corporate real estate matters. Jon is a member of the firm’s client teams representing Hackman Capital Partners, Walton Street Capital and Westbrook Partners, among others. He earned his J.D., with honors, from The University of Texas School of Law, and his B.S. in Economics from Louisiana State University.
LITIGATION & IP
Supreme Court & Appellate
Andrew Silverman is a member of the firm’s Supreme Court & Appellate Group, based in New York. He focuses his practice on Supreme Court and appellate matters, as well as high-stakes trials, where Andrew often serves as the point person for legal strategy, briefing, jury instructions and appellate preservation issues. Andrew has been a member of the firm’s client teams representing Oracle, a leading tech company (U.S.), Synopsys and Dow AgroSciences, among others, in their IP appeals, as well as Oracle, Dow AgroSciences and PwC in major trial proceedings. He clerked for then-Chief Judge Dennis Jacobs of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and was a trial attorney in the Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. Andrew earned his J.D., Order of the Coif, from the University of Southern California, Gould School of Law, and his B.A., magna cum laude, departmental honors, from the University of Southern California.
Complex Litigation
Diane Lamarche is a member of the firm’s Complex Litigation Group, based in Paris. She represents French and international companies in commercial, white collar crime, M&A, securities law and corporate litigation, as well as international arbitration matters. Diane also assists leading listed and non-listed companies on financial and securities transactions, corporate governance issues, and on the negotiation of complex agreements. In addition, she advises distressed companies on the prevention and management of their difficulties. Diane earned a graduate diploma in finance and law from ESSEC Business School, a masters in law from Paris II Assas and a bachelors in law from the Université Paris I - Panthéon-Sorbonne.
Catherine Lui is a member of the firm’s Complex Litigation Group, based in San Francisco. She focuses her practice on trade secrets litigation, particularly obtaining and defending against temporary restraining orders and preliminary injunctions under pressing circumstances in trade secret actions. Cathy is an avid speaker and writer on trade secrets litigation and is an editor of Orrick’s Trade Secrets Watch Blog. In addition, she advises on complex commercial litigation matters, including breach of contract, fraud and employee mobility cases. Cathy is also active in diversity and inclusion initiatives. She serves as co-chair of the Bay Area Asian American Bar Association Judiciary Committee, participates in the California Minority Counsel Program and assists Orrick's Asian American Affinity Group, as well as its hiring and recruiting committees. Cathy earned her J.D. from Harvard Law School, and her B.A. and M.A., with distinction, from Stanford University.
Intellectual Property
Alyssa Caridis is a member of the firm’s IP Group, based in Los Angeles. She focuses her practice on complex patent infringement litigation, copyright litigation, open source licensing issues and IP counseling to technology companies. Alyssa has represented clients on a broad spectrum of technologies, ranging from CMOS image sensors and communication systems to software and peripheral computer components to projects in the aviation and automotive industries. She has been a member of the firm’s teams representing EMC/Dell, Oracle, Canon and DISH Network, among other leading companies. Alyssa earned her J.D. from Loyola Law School and her B.S. from Harvey Mudd College.
Jordan Coyle is a member of the firm’s IP Group, based in Washington, D.C. He focuses his practice on Section 337 litigation before the International Trade Commission and has advised on over 35 Section 337 investigations across a wide range of products and technologies, including smartphones, gaming consoles and medical devices, among others. In federal courts, Jordan has advised clients on patent, trademark and copyright infringement, trade secret misappropriation and violations of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. He has participated in eight trials, most recently successfully representing C5 Medical Werks and CoorsTek Medical in a trademark/ trade dress declaratory judgment proceeding. Jordan also maintains an active pro bono practice, recently drafting portions of an amicus brief in a gun violence case before the Missouri Supreme Court. He is also an active member of the ITC Trial Lawyers Association, for which he serves as Chair of the Membership Committee. He earned his J.D., cum laude, from Georgetown University Law Center and his B.A., magna cum laude, from Washington and Lee University.