8 minute read | February.23.2023
“There is no more important metric than the strength of the rising stars we are promoting to partners. This year’s class is of excellent quality and brings deep sector experience. We’re thrilled to welcome them as the next generation of leaders in our firm,” said Orrick Chair Mitch Zuklie.
OUR NEW PARTNERS
Carsten Bernauer, who joins the global partnership, is a member of Orrick’s venture capital practice, which ranked No. 2 in the DACH market in 2022. Based in Düsseldorf, he advises technology companies as well as their founders and private equity and venture capital investors in the full range of corporate transactions and through all stages of growth.
Ed Dyson, who joins the global partnership, was named by The Lawyer to its Hot 100 2023 earlier this year. Based in London, he counsels public and pre-IPO private companies, investors, entrepreneurs and underwriters on London Stock Exchange, Nasdaq and New York Stock Exchange capital markets transactions, and regularly advises on public and private M&A deals, venture capital and growth equity financings, and other matters.
Geoffroy Berthon, who joins the global partnership, has worked on several of the most innovative renewable energy, digitalization and infrastructure modernization projects in France. Based in Paris, he is recognized by Legal 500 as a leader in public and administrative law and energy regulation.
Adam Smith, who joins the global partnership, was Inspiratia’s 2021 “Remember the Name” awardee and is recognized as a leader by both Legal 500 and IFLR1000. Based in London, he advises some of the most notable players in the renewable energy sector on their landmark projects and transactions in Asia and EMEA, from structuring and development through financing, M&A and offtake.
Andrea Greenwald was named a Rising Star by The Bond Buyer in 2021. She represents issuers, underwriters, lenders and banks within the transportation, project finance, K-12 education and local government sectors of public finance. Andrea is based in Orange County, where she co-leads the office’s Women’s Initiative.
Yuko Ino, who joins the global partnership, is recognized by Chambers Asia-Pacific for real estate. She advises domestic, regional and international funds in real estate acquisitions and dispositions, construction and development projects, financings, fund formation, joint ventures, and restructurings and workouts. Based in Tokyo, Yuko is a chair of Urban Land Institute’s Women’s Leadership Initiative.
S. Chris Min is recognized by Chambers USA as a leading securitization lawyer. Based in New York, she has broad experience with a number of asset classes, including credit card and charge card receivables, auto loans and leases, dealer floorplan loans, consumer loans and small business loans.
Helen Pennock was named a Rising Star by The Bond Buyer in 2022. She represents governmental issuers, underwriters and borrowers across nearly every public finance sector, including financings for nonprofit organizations; utility, transportation and infrastructure financings; and securitizations of municipal receivables. Helen is based in New York, where she co-leads the office’s Women’s Initiative and is actively involved in Orrick’s LGBTQ+ Affinity Group.
Daniel Rothberg advises private equity clients and other investors in real estate purchases and sales, development transactions, mortgage and mezzanine financing, preferred equity arrangements, workouts, restructurings and joint ventures. Based in Los Angeles, he counsels clients on transactions backed by diverse asset classes throughout the United States, including multifamily, office, industrial, shopping center, data center and hotel properties, as well as land for development.
Diana Fassbender litigates high-profile commercial disputes, class actions and product liability matters, with a particular focus on the tech sector. Her experience also includes intellectual property disputes, including complex multi-defendant, multi-patent district court infringement actions and Section 337 Investigations in the International Trade Commission, and copyright and trademark matters. Diana is an active contributor to Orrick's Women's Initiative. She is based in Washington, D.C.
Jennifer Keighley litigates high-stakes commercial disputes, primarily for clients in the finance sector. Based in New York, she focuses on dispositive motions and appeals in securities lawsuits, consumer class actions, residential mortgage-backed securities litigation and other complex commercial disputes. Jennifer has authored or co-authored numerous briefs and dispositive motions in federal and state trial and appellate courts, and at both the certiorari and merits stage in the U.S. Supreme Court. Her active pro bono practice focuses on immigration and women’s rights.
Representing clients across the finance sector, Richard Krebs is a trial lawyer with extensive litigation experience in federal and state courts and private arbitration and mediation, including business tort, breach of contract, insurance, fraud, securities and class action matters. He is a member of Orrick’s life settlements team. Based in Orange County, Rich also serves as editor in chief for the Orange County Chapter of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers.
Francesca Morency is a key member of the Orrick trial team that has obtained three complete defense verdicts for the National Collegiate Athletic Association in three jury trials across the United States in the span of just 10 months. With significant experience guiding the preparation of high-stakes litigation and arbitration matters, she litigates cases on behalf of sports associations, insurance companies, investment firms, financial and hospitality clients, large retailers, colleges and universities, and individuals. Francesca is based in Washington, D.C.
Experienced IP trial lawyer Laura Brooks Najemy co-chairs the Boston Bar Association’s IP Litigation section. Her practice focuses on trademark, copyright, trade secret, false advertising and design patent disputes in the tech and consumer product space. Laura is based in Boston, where she leads the office’s Women’s Initiative and co-chairs Orrick’s Middle East & North Africa Affinity Group.
Nicholas Poli focuses on financial services litigation, including a range of issues arising out of the financial crisis relating to residential mortgage-backed securities and lending practices. Based in New York, he has represented issuers and sponsors of RMBS in fraud and breach of contract cases, as well as federal and state securities actions. Nick also represents creditors in connection with insolvency-related litigation, including financial institutions and pharmaceutical companies.
Adam Rizzo, who joins the global partnership, is a disputes lawyer with a focus on high-stakes litigation and regulatory enforcement. He has particular experience in the financial reporting space. Based in London, Adam also conducts internal investigations for companies and boards of directors, and advises clients in the technology, energy and finance sectors on the UK financial sanctions regime.
Rena Scott, who joins the global partnership, is an international arbitration practitioner and co-leader of Orrick’s Geneva office. She represents owners of trademark licenses, companies operating in the trade and commodities space, and the various players in energy and infrastructure. She has experience before the major arbitral institutions and U.S. state and federal courts, the English High Court, the British Virgin Islands and the Isle of Man. An avid supporter of the “Equal Representation in Arbitration Pledge,” Rena is the Geneva Ambassador for the Arbitration Lunch Match initiative, which supports women in arbitration.
Anna Suh counsels technology and life sciences clients in the full range of employment law issues and also advises on corporate transactions, including analyzing the impact of employment law issues on deal strategy and structure, as well as on post-closing workforce integration. Based in Sacramento, she has experience defending companies in employment litigation matters involving co-founder disputes, misappropriation of trade secrets and confidential information, employee mobility, discrimination/harassment, wage and hour, equity and token grants, and other compensation-related issues.
Andrew Cook, former Chief Deputy Attorney General of Wisconsin, advises Fortune 500 companies before state Attorneys General on antitrust, consumer protection, False Claims Act, environmental law, and cybersecurity and data privacy. Based in Washington, D.C., he was part of the Orrick team that advised on the state AG review of one of the largest telecommunications mergers and represented a large pharmacy company in multistate state AG litigation.
Benjamin Hutten focuses on compliance, investigation and defense advice for financial institutions, fintechs, other companies and individuals with a focus on international sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control and anti-money-laundering laws. Based in New York, he also advises on federal and state licensing strategies for money transmitters, digital asset service providers and other financial institutions.
Leslie Meredith represents clients in complex civil litigation and government investigations, with an emphasis on the financial services industry. Based in Washington, D.C., she has extensive experience with enforcement actions taken by state and federal regulators, including the U.S. Department of Justice, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.
Kelly Newsome, a 2022 New York Law Journal Rising Star and National Bar Association Top 40 Under 40 Best Advocate, defends clients in white collar criminal and regulatory matters, including internal investigations, government investigations and enforcement proceedings. She also advises on a wide range of FCPA and anti-corruption compliance matters, including M&A and joint venture due diligence, risk assessments, monitorships and compliance program enhancements. Based in New York, Kelly is an active contributor to Orrick’s DEI initiatives and serves on the Board of Directors for the New York Landmarks Conservancy.
Drawing on her prior experiences at the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and as the head of compliance and assistant general counsel at a consumer finance company, Caroline Stapleton advises banks, nonbank lenders, fintechs and other financial institutions in federal and state regulatory compliance, supervision and enforcement matters. She advises on new product development, regulatory compliance, third-party oversight, strategies for engaging with government regulators in examinations and enforcement actions, and the interplay between state and federal financial and consumer laws and regulations. Caroline is based in Washington, D.C.