People

Benedikt Migdal パートナー

デュッセルドルフ

Benedikt advises on structuring and negotiating the IP aspects of corporate transactions, including M&A, divestments and venture investments as well as of commercial transactions where intellectual property rights and know-how are key assets. His work encompasses, for example, IP licensing and technology transfer agreements, engineering services agreements, transition services agreements, R&D collaborations, and IP aspects of contracts throughout the life sciences sector.

Benedikt is also an experienced patent and trade secret litigator and has represented German and international clients from a range of industries in complex disputes, especially concerning patents and know-how in the fields of mobile telecommunication/connectivity and the life sciences.

Based on his extensive experience in both IP transactions and litigation, he deeply understands the full range of legal and economical issues that technology-driven companies are challenged with in context with IP. This also includes IP-related competition law issues, such as FRAND-requirements for licensing and enforcing standard essential patents as well as issues arising in connection with EU regulations concerning technology transfers.

Anri Nakamoto パートナー

東京オフィス

訴訟や仲裁に発展する前の段階から、早期和解の可能性と案件の落し所を見極めつつ、クライアントに対して戦略的なアドバイスを提供する。また、クライアント・マネージメントの役割に止まらず、米国オフィスに所属する弁護士との優れたチームワークを発揮し、問題の本質を技術的及び法的観点からの分析、証人陳述書や弁論書面の作成等を含む裁判・仲裁実務の中心的役割を果たし、証言録取（Deposition）や証人尋問（Witness Examination）も自ら行う実務家である。さらに、米国以外の地域、特に欧州において、当事務所の欧州オフィスに所属する弁護士をサポートしつつ、複数の管轄で進行する紛争手続において、司令塔の役割を果たす能力にも優れている。

訴訟・仲裁手続に加えて、知的財産権のライセンス交渉、クロスボーダーM&A、ジョイントベンチャー、ベンチャー・キャピタルなどの案件における知的財産のデューデリジェンスもクライアントに対して日常的にアドバイスを提供する。

Rachel Nghe アソシエイト

シリコン・バレー

Rachel's practice is focused on her client's transactional technology and intellectual property needs. Rachel represents clients at all stages of their life cycles and in a variety of technology-driven industries, including SaaS, artificial intelligence, gaming, entertainment, and media. Rachel has experience drafting commercial, licensing and other intellectual property and technology agreements. She also assists clients with intellectual property issues in connection with mergers and acquisitions.

Prior to joining Orrick, Rachel spent three years working on the commercial and product counseling teams at Dropbox, Inc., and two years with the Department of Justice Anti-trust division. She was also an active member of the ChIPs Network focusing on advancing and connecting women in technology, law and policy while she was in law school.

T. Vann Pearce, Jr. パートナー

Washington DC

Vann litigates in forums throughout the country. He has won several inter partes review proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. He has secured favorable jury verdicts in Federal and state courts in Delaware, Florida, Maryland, and Texas. Multiple wins on behalf of his clients at the U.S. International Trade Commission in Section 337 investigations have earned recognition with “Disputes Deal of the Year” awards. And he has crafted winning strategies and briefs in precedent-setting Federal Circuit appeals.  

A chemical engineer by training, Vann is a member of the Patent Bar. His representations involve a broad range of technology fields, including semiconductors, artificial intelligence, consumer electronics, 3D printing, automotive technologies, digital imaging, cryptocurrency, and batteries. His clients are based worldwide, including a significant portion from Japan and China. Vann frequently travels to Asia to speak on key developments in intellectual property law.

Patent infringement litigation is central to Vann’s practice, but he also has handled breach of contract, trade secret misappropriation, antitrust, tortious interference, false advertising, civil theft, and bankruptcy matters. Many of his matters involve a complex mix of claims and counterclaims across legal disciplines, where he employs his strategic judgment to navigate competing risks.

While his practice focuses on litigation and dispute resolution, Vann also advices clients on patent licensing, portfolio development, and intellectual property due diligence. Vann co-founded Orrick’s cross-practice 3D printing initiative.

Vann has served the Firm in key leadership roles. In 2022-2023, Vann served as the Chief Practice Officer for the firm's IP & Litigation Business Units, which comprise nearly 400 attorneys globally. His responsibilities included oversight of the units' financial performance, business planning and execution, and lawyer recruiting. Vann also previously served as the firm’s U.S. Law School Hiring Partner, overseeing entry-level hiring nationwide.

Radhika K Raman マネージング・アソシエイト

Santa Monica; Los Angeles

She serves as a strategic advisor to emerging companies and venture capital funds, helping them navigate complex challenges in various industries, including digital media and entertainment technology, artificial intelligence services, and crypto/blockchain infrastructure.

Radhika’s practice includes:

• Drafting, reviewing, and negotiating a wide range of commercial contracts
• Brokering, negotiating, and drafting strategic alliance and partnership deals and agreements
• Advising startups through venture funding rounds and strategic growth initiatives
• Supporting venture funds during investments by completing intellectual property and commercial due diligence on portfolio companies
• Providing counsel on buy-side and sell-side mergers and acquisitions based on intellectual property and commercial considerations
• Advising on product development, commercialization, and data privacy strategies
• Navigating intellectual property licensing and protection

Radhika adopts a practical approach, focusing on delivering business-driven legal advice tailored to her clients' risk tolerance and stage of growth. Her hands-on involvement fosters strong relationships, enabling clients to concentrate on innovation while she addresses their legal needs efficiently and effectively.

Before her legal career, Radhika worked in the technology sector, where she held both hardware engineering and sales engineering roles. She also practiced as an intellectual property litigator, equipping her with a strong foundation in IP strategy and risk management.

Taylor Ranfos アソシエイト

Boston

Taylor represents clients at all stages of their life cycles and in a variety of technology and science-driven industries, including cleantech, SaaS, gaming, energy, hardware, entertainment, Internet, media, semiconductor and media.

Taylor has experience drafting commercial, licensing and other intellectual property and technology agreements. She also assists clients with intellectual property issues in connection with a range of large commercial transactions, including mergers and acquisitions and strategic investments

Faraaz Samadi パートナー

ロンドン

He has significant experience in identifying and resolving issues which arise in cross-border technology transactions involving Europe, the U.S. and Asia, having worked in London, Singapore and Shanghai.

Faraaz regularly advises clients on technology service agreements, website terms and conditions, data privacy, renegotiations, intellectual property Iicensing and strategic alliances.

He has represented companies in a wide range of industries including software development, satellite and space, mining and resources, mobile, healthcare, digital marketing, automotive, ride-hailing and logistics.

Sarah Schaedler パートナー

サンフランシスコ

Sarah’s practice focuses on structuring and negotiating the intellectual property aspects of complex corporate transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, business divestitures and commercial transactions where software and technology are the principal assets. Sarah also advises on intellectual property and technology contracts related questions in the context of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Sarah routinely advises on carve-outs and business separation transactions and helps clients with structuring and implementing their intellectual property and technology separation roadmap.

Sarah has counseled several companies in their preparation for a divestiture and understands the issues a buyer is focused on in the context of intellectual property matters. She regularly helps companies implement remediation steps around their intellectual property assets to help them to a successful closing.

She has significant experience advising private equity funds on investments involving companies that are driven by technology & innovation, as well as intellectual property reliant consumer product companies and companies that are stepping into digitalization.

Sarah is also a member of Orrick’s AI leadership group and involved in thought leadership projects related to AI matters on corporate transactions.

Educated and trained in Germany, France and the United States, Sarah’s international experience provides her with additional knowledge on cross-border transactions and international matters.

Dr. Christian Schröder パートナー

デュッセルドルフ

Christian helps clients consider the privacy and artificial intelligence implications of new technology, supports their compliance programs, and helps them stay ahead of enforcement trends. One particular focus of his work deals with internal data transfer agreements, external data transfers with external providers, and product launches that comply with international data protection standards, as well as privacy requirements for connected cars. Furthermore, Christian provides guidance on privacy and data protection considerations for developing, acquiring, using, licensing and selling technology, data and intellectual property, including M&A transactions and IP focused joint ventures. He supports companies on the set-up of webshops, outsourcings, license agreements, in cases of trademark or unfair and deceptive trade practice issues, as well as on hard and software license and information technology (IT) project agreements.

Christian maintains strong working relationships with German data protection authorities and EU regulatory authorities with jurisdiction over privacy and data security matters. He effectively defends companies in cybersecurity and privacy-related investigations initiated by EU regulatory authorities. He also engages with authorities on behalf of clients and helps clients avoid proceedings and possible litigation. When litigation can't be avoided, Christian vigorously defends his clients.

For companies facing global cybersecurity incidents, Christian helps with crisis mitigation, including counseling on notification requirements, coordinating media strategies, and representing clients before data protection authorities in related regulatory investigations.

Christian regularly contributes practical thought leadership to global privacy industry publications and German privacy books and journals. Christian authors the Chapter V (international data transfers) of Germany’s leading GDPR commentary Kühling/Buchner (4th ed.) and is co-author to the Corporate Privacy Handbook (Betrieblicher Datenschutz). As an active member of the Sedona Conference, Christian drives the development and understanding of cross border privacy. He also participates in, hosts and moderates speaking programs with fellow private practitioners, EU data protection authorities, and academics focused on privacy and data security. Legal 500 Germany named Christian one of the top 15 practitioners in 2023 and noted that he is "a pioneer in the legal field, a data protection guru." They also recognized Christian and Orrick as "truly global" and how that it is "vital as they require the various leaders of each region to participate and bring issues to the table as a forum".

Prior to working in private practice, Christian interned with the German Federal Data Protection Commissioner and www.epic.org.

David Schulman パートナー

Washington DC

He provides strategic guidance on transactions involving mergers, acquisitions, collaborations, strategic alliances, licenses, capital markets, royalty and revenue-sharing and other financings for pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies and financial sponsors.

David is highly ranked for his life sciences work by Chambers USA and Chambers Global, with clients recognizing him as “one of the best business and corporate lawyers in the life sciences sector” with “a deep knowledge of the industry, which he successfully combines with great legal skills.” He has also been recognized by The Legal 500 and is listed as a “Life Sciences Star” in LMG Life Sciences.

Prior to joining Orrick, David was a partner with Dechert LLP, based in its Washington, D.C., and London offices and was a co-head of their Life Sciences practice. He is currently a member of the Board of Overseers of the School of Arts and Sciences of the University of Pennsylvania.

David Sharrow パートナー

Boston

David brings a wealth of expertise, focusing on diverse cutting-edge technologies, including life sciences (biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, digital health, genomic technology), fintech, artificial intelligence, information technology (hardware, software, SaaS, and database solutions), edtech, renewable energy, sustainable technologies, AR/VR and cybersecurity.

He advises clients on corporate partnerships, strategic alliances and licensing agreements with leading U.S. and global entities, as well as major research universities and institutes. His experience includes navigating the IP and technology aspects of venture capital financings, public offerings and some of the largest M&A transactions involving venture-backed companies.

David has lectured at major institutions, including Tulane, Yale, Princeton, NYU, Columbia, Cornell and Fordham.

Ariel Simmonds アソシエイト

New York

Ariel represents clients at all stages of their life cycles as they innovate and scale. Ariel counsels clients in a variety of technology-driven industries, including artificial intelligence, SaaS and media. Ariel has experience drafting commercial, licensing and other intellectual property and technology agreements. She also assists clients with intellectual property issues in connection with mergers and acquisitions.

Ariel is active in pro bono matters, focusing on licensing and corporate matters for historically underrepresented clients. Through her law school clinic, Ariel filed trademark registrations for early-stage startup clients on a pro bono basis. 

Prior to joining Orrick, Ariel spent over two years interning with a property-tech startup and then a cruise line, supporting their respective marketing teams on CAN-SPAM and TCPA compliance. Ariel also draws on her experience in the business valuation and SBA 7(a) financing industry when advising on mergers and acquisitions.