New York
John Azzopardi is a Managing Associate in the Energy and Infrastructure team in Orrick’s New York office. His practice focuses on project finance and development transactions, with a focus on renewable energy. Since joining Orrick, John has advised sponsors on the financing of greenfield solar energy projects, navigating complex legal and commercial issues to achieve successful outcomes.
With a career spanning global law firms and senior in-house roles, John has developed deep expertise in drafting and negotiating finance documents and structuring cross-border transactions. His experience includes acting for both sponsors and lenders across a range of sectors.
John earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Melbourne and a Bachelor of Business from Monash University and is admitted to practice in New York and Victoria, Australia.
New York
Laura’s practice focuses on the executive compensation and employee benefits aspects of domestic and cross-border public and private mergers and acquisitions, spin-offs, divestitures, IPOs, minority investments and other corporate transactions. She also regularly advises on the design, taxation, disclosure, negotiation, implementation and ongoing administration of equity and cash incentive programs, deferred compensation plans, severance and other change in control and retention arrangements for both public and private companies, including private equity backed companies. In addition, Laura routinely represents companies and executives in the negotiation of employment, consulting, separation, and other compensation arrangements.
Before joining the firm, Laura practiced at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP.
New York
Samir has advised on venture financings totaling over $10 billion for both early and late-stage companies, and he has provided guidance on M&A transactions exceeding $5 billion. He has experience in advising founders on structuring their companies to maintain control and frequently counsels executive teams in maintaining and managing a successful board of directors. Samir also works closely with boards to guide them through complex crisis management situations, helping to navigate and overcome challenges.
Samir’s notable company-side representations include Betterment, Beacon Platform, K Health, Dataiku, Chime, Merama, Warby Parker (until IPO), Codecademy (until sold), Maisonette, Capchase, GlossGenius, Inspiren and ResearchGate, among many others.
In addition to his company-side representations, Samir has represented leading venture capital firms and other strategic investors, including Bessemer Venture Partners, Tribeca Venture Partners, Eight Roads Venture Capital, AE Industrial Partners, Charles River Ventures, Coatue Management, Krealo VC, Heavybit Industries, TPG Growth, Vista Equity Partners, Walden Venture Capital, Warburg Pincus, and Y Combinator Continuity Fund.
Before joining Orrick, Samir was an Associate at Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP in the General Corporate and M&A group.
New York
Julien advises startup clients as general outside corporate counsel assisting companies with all their legal needs including convertible note, debt and SAFE financings, preferred stock financings, employee equity and corporate governance. He has a broad range of corporate experience including company counsel to public companies, private equity acquisitions, preferred stock financings, mergers, joint ventures and commercial contract drafting.
Prior to focusing his practice on startups, Julien practiced mergers and acquisitions law which gives him added insight into positioning companies for a successful exit. Julien also worked as an in-house attorney at a late stage start-up which gives him added insight into the business needs of his clients.
New York
She represents banks, investment banks and other financial institutions in their roles as issuers, underwriters, placement agents, originators, loan sellers and investors in commercial mortgage loan and mezzanine loan securitizations, real estate syndications, origination and servicing programs, the acquisition and sale of interests in mortgage loans, mortgage securities, subordinated debt and mezzanine debt, as well as transactions in the secondary mortgage market.
She has advised banks and other financial institutions in analyzing and structuring a broad array of traditional and unique CMBS transactions, in the restructuring and sale of performing and non-performing commercial mortgage loans, and in connection with CMBS re-securitizations and CRE CLO securitizations. She serves on various SFIG and CREFC Committees.
Prior to joining Orrick, Janet was a partner in the New York offices of Kaye Scholer LLP, Thacher Proffitt & Wood LLP and Sidley Austin LLP.
New York
Her litigation work spans a wide range of subject areas, from complex commercial litigation to white collar criminal defense.
At the trial level, Alyssa has drafted innumerable dispositive and evidentiary motions, served on criminal defense teams representing individual defendants from indictment through sentencing, and argued in both state and federal trial court. At the appellate level, Alyssa has drafted filings of every stripe--writs of mandamus, petitions for discretionary review, amicus briefs, and of course merits appeals--and presented argument in state and federal courts of appeals. Alyssa also advises clients on thorny issues outside of litigation, ranging from drafting white papers advocating against criminal charges to brainstorming ways to terminate a licensing agreement, and more.
Alyssa maintains an active pro bono practice focusing primarily on criminal law matters. She recently secured reversal of an attempted robbery conviction based on insufficient evidence in the New York Appellate Division. She has represented defendants in state-court appeals and petitioners for habeas relief in federal court; drafted cert- and merits-stage amicus briefs in the Supreme Court case Quarles v. United States; and co-drafted an amicus brief to the Second Circuit urging that failure to advise naturalized citizens of the denaturalization risks of a plea violates the Sixth Amendment.
Alyssa served as a law clerk to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in the October 2019 Term. Before that, she clerked for Judge Alison J. Nathan on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and Judge Robert A. Katzmann on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
New York
New York
Lauren is experienced with motion practice in federal district courts and state courts throughout New York, California, Texas, Delaware, and other jurisdictions. She has a broad base of scientific knowledge and focuses in patent practice dealing with networked technologies and biomedical engineering. Lauren also practices trade secrets law and drafts motions for cases brought under the Defend Trade Secrets Act, New York common law, and the California Uniform Trade Secrets Act.
Prior to joining Orrick, Lauren attended Columbia Law School, where she participated extensively in the Columbia Science, Health, and Information Clinic and the Columbia Science and Technology Law Review.