Under Mitch’s leadership, the firm has pursued a strategy to be a leading advisor globally to four sectors: Technology, Energy & Infrastructure, Life Sciences and Financial Services – with a particular focus on how AI and other technologies are transforming these ecosystems. He has led the firm’s emphasis on legal innovation, including AI adoption, the launch of Orrick Labs to develop customized solutions and partnerships with leading legal tech companies and investors. Financial Times has chosen Orrick among the top 3 Most Innovative Law Firm in North America for the past eight years. In addition, Mitch is an active participant in the legal profession dialog about how to retain and inspire top talent. Fortune has selected the firm among the 100 Best Companies to Work For nine years in a row.
Mitch serves on the Boards of the Leadership Council for Legal Diversity, the Berkeley Center for Law and Business, the Silicon Valley Law Foundation and the Advisory Boards of the Stanford Law School Center on the Legal Profession and the Harvard Law School Center on the Legal Profession. Mitch is also a Trustee of Bowdoin College, Chairman of the Board of the Wild Salmon Center and a Director of CalTrout.
He and his wife, Holly, have been married for more than 30 years. They have two adult children. Mitch posts regularly on social media about Orrick, innovation and other interests. Follow him on LinkedIn, X and Instagram.
Chris has served as first-chair counsel in more than 75 cases, successfully resolving virtually every one of them; and has tried many cases to judgment, in all types of forums, including jury trials, bench trials, the ITC and arbitrations. His cases involve cutting-edge legal issues and run the full gamut of technologies, including data storage, mobile devices, semiconductors, computers, graphical user interfaces, flash memory and many other technologies.
Chris has been recognized by clients, peers, and multiple publications as a leading lawyer in the IP field. He has been honored by The National Law Journal as one of "50 Intellectual Property Trailblazers and Pioneers," by IP Law360 as an Intellectual Property MVP, by Managing Intellectual Property as an "IP Star," by Chambers USA as a Leading Attorney in Intellectual Property, and by The Daily Journal as one of the "Top 75 IP Litigators" in California. A number of his victories have been profiled by The American Lawyer, Corporate Counsel, The National Law Journal and National Public Radio.
Ashley works on single plaintiff and class action cases, defending against discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and wage claims. She also advises employers on employment policies and practices, including compliance with evolving pay transparency laws.
Before becoming a lawyer, Ashley worked in education. She was also a 2020 Pro Bono Orrick Fellow at the Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County, where she practiced eviction defense and special education law.
William also has substantial experience with the employee benefit aspects of sales and acquisitions of businesses (including bankruptcy transactions), the restructuring of defined benefit pension plans, the defense of ERISA class action litigation, and public pension plan matters.
His clients include a wide range of large and medium-sized corporations, as well as individual and public clients. He also provides tax and retirement planning advice to many of Orrick's corporate clients.
William has been a frequent lecturer on employee benefits and related individual tax and fiduciary topics for the American Law Institute-American Bar Association; California Continuing Education of the Bar; the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans; the Practicing Law Institute; the Western Pension & Benefits Conference; various Bay Area Estate Planning Councils; and other organizations.
William became a senior counsel in 2013 after having been an Orrick partner since 1999. Before joining Orrick, William was a partner at the law firm of Pillsbury Winthrop LLP in San Francisco.
Before his retirement as a partner, he was also the Partner-in-Charge of Lawyer Development for a number of years. While still practicing, he served at times as the firm’s General Counsel, Executive Director, Peer Review Committee Chair and member of the Partner Compensation Committee. He still acts as an advisor to the firm on matters affecting lawyer development.
Tom concentrated his practice in banking and commercial transactions. He represented banks and other financial institutions in a variety of transactions, including syndicated and single-lender credit agreements (both secured and unsecured), project financings, public finance transactions, and “synthetic” and other lease arrangements. As a lecturer and panelist, Tom frequently spoke at seminars on a range of topics related to his practice.
He served for several years as co-counsel of the International Bankers Association in California. He has been a member of the State Bar of California’s Business Law Section’s Financial Institutions Committee and Uniform Commercial Code Committee. In addition, he has been a member of the San Francisco Symphony’s Business Gifts Committee.
Before joining Orrick, Tom was Vice President and Counsel at California First Bank (now Union Bank of California) in San Francisco. He was a visiting attorney at Clifford-Turner (now Clifford Chance), Solicitors, in London.
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