Thomas's practice sits at the intersections of two of his passions: legal advocacy and data. He helps companies facing issues involving data privacy and security to translate the complex issues they face into a message that is persuasive and understandable to courts and regulators. Prior to joining Orrick, Thomas served as a law clerk for Justice Elena Kagan of the U.S Supreme Court and Judge Merrick B. Garland of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Before that, Thomas received his J.D. and Masters in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford, where he helped teach and develop material for undergraduate computer science courses.
In trial, litigation, arbitration or mediation, David delivers efficient and favorable results aligned with clients’ business objectives. From health and safety mass tort litigation for the NCAA, to complex, multimillion-dollar international breach of contract claims and countersuits for a global television manufacturer, to high-stakes, precedent-setting employment victories for Oracle, David handles a range of commercial disputes. David was named a “Litigator of the Week” by American Lawyer for achieving a complete defense verdict in a precedent-setting jury trial, and has been named a “Litigator of the Week” Runner-Up twice for securing defense verdicts, including in a $100 million negligence action. In addition to these recognitions from American Lawyer, David was also named to The Recorder's list of Lawyers on the Fast Track in California.
Not all disputes end up in court. David leverages his extensive courtroom and alternative dispute resolution knowledge to provide invaluable risk mitigation counseling to both established and emerging companies. David serves as a business partner and trusted advisor to ambitious start-ups and high-growth companies—helping these innovative clients see around corners to avoid or reduce potential exposures.
In addition to his legal practice, David is committed to challenging inequities through his pro bono work. For Equal Justice Under Law, he helped secure a favorable judgment in a federal civil rights class action, barring indigent criminal defendants unable to pay court-imposed fines and fees from being jailed in a system that was described as a “modern-day debtors’ prison.”
While attending law school, David served as an extern for two Los Angeles Superior Court judges and was a member of the Loyola Entertainment Law Review.
He mainly works on the development and financing of renewable energy projects as well as general corporate matters.
Prior to joining Orrick, he worked for an international law firm and a Japanese company where he engaged in M&A, structured finance and renewable energy transactions.
Vanessa uses a process-driven approach and machine learning technology to review contracts, amendments, company charters, board and shareholder materials, corporate filings, investor materials, and related documents to prepare detailed analyses for a variety of client needs. Examples of this work include due diligence matrices tracking red flag provisions; corporate audits identifying potential issues for acquisitions, sales, or flips; financing packages; and drafting documents. She also assists privacy and data security teams to manage privacy law programs, including drafting privacy policies and data subject request protocols, coordinating personal data inventory reviews, and reviewing data privacy agreements.
Prior to joining Orrick, Vanessa practiced real estate law and oil and gas law. In addition, she was a Project Manager implementing IT software.
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