Zac Padgett

Partner

Austin

Zac helps public and private technology companies as well as private equity funds and their portfolio companies navigate investments, acquisitions and exits.

Zac advises clients on:

  • buyout acquisitions and mergers
  • venture capital investments
  • growth equity transactions
  • exits
  • take-private deals
  • management buyouts
  • joint ventures
  • private placements
  • debt-like preferred equity and project finance investments

Zac, who serves as leader of Orrick's Austin office, is passionate about legal tech and implementing AI tools to enhance legal services. He helps lead the firm’s MAPE 2.0 project team, a platform that transforms M&A execution, which won the Financial Times' Reinventing the Legal Practice category.

Zac also co-leads the firm’s Energy Tech Team and focuses on supporting companies and investors developing technologies like hyperscale data centers, alternative fuels, carbon capture, eVTOL aircraft, agtech and digital infrastructure. Zac is a key member of Orrick's energy transition practice, which is recognized as Band 1 in Energy Transition by Chambers USA (2025).

  • Zac enjoys riding bicycles and commuting to the office by bike.