People

Robert Owen Sr Litigation Career Associate

Wheeling, W.V. (GOIC)

Prior to joining Orrick, Robert was a Senior Associate in the Pittsburgh, PA office of the global law firm Reed Smith LLP and a Senior Attorney at Houston Harbaugh, P.C., also in Pittsburgh.  At Reed Smith and Houston Harbaugh, Robert represented clients in a wide range of complex commercial litigation, with a focus on product liability, mass/toxic tort defense, and commercial contract disputes, including insurance coverage matters.  Robert has represented numerous companies in environmental, toxic tort, and asbestos litigation on a national level.  Robert also has represented both policyholders and insurers in insurance contract litigation.  He has extensive experience litigating complex matters in state and federal courts, as well as alternative dispute resolution.

Lu (Echo) Wang Senior Associate

Beijing

Her practice focuses on advising clients on mergers and acquisitions, private equity, capital markets and SEC compliance matters.

Jie Jeffrey Sun Partner

Beijing

Jeffrey has extensive experience representing both Chinese enterprises in fund raising and investing abroad and foreign investors investing in China.

He regularly represents issuers and underwriters in the U.S. and Hong Kong public securities offerings, including initial public offerings (IPOs) and Rule 144A/Regulation S offerings for PRC-based companies.

In addition, he is experienced in handling complex cross-border mergers and acquisitions, foreign direct investment, strategic alliances, joint ventures and regulatory compliance matters for numerous foreign investors and Chinese companies. He also counsels global private equity funds on their investment activity throughout Greater China and across Asia.

Some clients he has represented include Bright Food, JD.com, Trina Solar, China Sunergy, Perfect World, ReneSola, Tudou, Pactera Technologies and some international investment banks and private equity funds.

Jeffrey is consistently recognized as a leading lawyer for China M&A by prestigious legal publications such as Chambers Asia, Asia-Pacific Legal 500 and IFLR1000. Clients recognizes him as “an excellent business partner, above his legal counsel role”, who “gives practical advice not only based on legal proficiency, but really helpful for our business”.

Prior to joining Orrick, Mr. Sun worked with a major international law firm, and he was a former partner in a local law firm based in Shanghai.

David Halperin Senior Advisor

Before attending law school, David served as an officer in the U.S. Navy from 1966-1970, rising to the rank of Lieutenant Commander (U.S.N.R.) and serving from 1969-70 as a Special Assistant to Admiral E.R. Zumwalt, Commander of Naval Forces, Vietnam and later Chief of Naval Operations. From 1970-1971, he served as Personal Assistant to Dr. Henry Kissinger, Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs. After law school, David joined Davis Polk & Wardell in New York from 1974-1976 before moving to the Hong Kong office of Coudert Brothers in 1976. He became a partner of Coudert Brothers in 1983 and joined the Hong Kong office of Orrick in 2005. 

Xiang Wang Partner

Beijing; New York

Xiang is a Guiding Expert of the China Overseas IP Dispute Response & Guidance Center.

He also serves several consultancy roles for local regulatory authorities, including as IP Guiding Expert of Shenzhen IP Protection Center; IP Guiding Expert of Zhejiang Province IP Protection Center; IP Consultant of Technology Innovation Bureau of Nanjing Jiangbei New Area Management Committee (Jiangsu Province); Expert of IP Dispute Investigation and Appraisal of Foshan Market Supervision and Administration Bureau (Guangdong Province); Expert for Overseas IP Protection and Assistance of Foshan Intellectual Property Bureau (Guangdong Province); and Guiding Expert of Shantou Overseas IP Center and Shunde Enterprise IP Protection Center (Guangdong Province).

Dr. Wang is an arbitrator of Beijing Arbitration Commission and Beijing International Arbitration Center.

Xiang has extensive experience in assisting local and foreign-based multinational companies with all aspects of their IP rights in the U.S. and China, including IP litigation and arbitration, patent infringement, industrial espionage, trade secret misappropriation, copyright and trademark infringement, ITC Sec. 337 investigations, patent office proceedings including inter partes reviews (IPR), IP due diligence and portfolio counseling, technology export control, mass torts and product liability, securities litigation, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and other investigations and compliance. These matters have implicated a vast array of technologies, from software and electronics to renewable energy and medical devices as well as agricultural and building materials, to name just a few.

Xiang also works extensively on cybersecurity investigations and data privacy compliance matters for both Chinese and international clients.

Xiang has been particularly active in Chinese state-owned enterprises related U.S. litigation. Clients turn to his strategic and innovative advice thanks to his in-depth understanding of their business needs and political risks. Clients appreciate that he “understood the environment in the China legal system and can give nuanced advice”.

Xiang has developed the region’s premier IP practice based on his reputation as one of the few IP lawyers who has a doctorate in electrical and computer engineering, a Juris Doctor, a Chinese Certificate of Laws, and admission to practice law in New York, Indiana and before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Due to its success in patent disputes in the United States and China, involving both foreign and Chinese companies, Orrick IP team was exclusively featured in a documentary film “Patent Wars” by the China Central Television (CCTV).

Xiang is highly regarded for his practical legal advice that results from more than ten years of experience at medical and electronic device businesses before becoming a lawyer. He also has received four U.S. medical-technology patents in his name.

Ben Spitz Counsel

Tokyo

Ben works with innovative technology companies and the investors who back them, focusing on those that operate in the blockchain, web3, NFT, and cryptocurrency sectors or have a relationship to Japan.

Drawing from his in-house experience at a global cryptocurrency exchange, Ben has a keen understanding of the challenges faced by high-growth companies developing transformative technologies and products in a regulated industry. He has also gained insight into both the Silicon Valley and Japanese tech and venture ecosystems, having previously worked in the Palo Alto office of another major law firm before practicing in Japan.

 

Not admitted in Japan.