Chambers USA reports that Eric is “hailed as ‘highly intelligent, an effective communicator and a great writer’ by contacts, and his high-profile work in the tech patent sector is of particular interest to those who recognize him as one who ‘prepares meticulously, anticipates every question, and is a gifted orator.’” Legal 500 touts his “exceptional courtroom demeanor and presentation skills” as one of “the finest appellate litigators in the nation.” And Reuters, in a report reviewing some 17,000 practitioners, identified Eric as part of an “elite cadre” of 75 lawyers who are “the most influential members of one of the most powerful specialties in America: the business of practicing before the Supreme Court.”
Eric has served as appellate counsel to a who’s who of leading companies, including AT&T, DISH Network, Facebook, Genentech, Gilead, KPMG, LG Electronics, LinkedIn, Lyft, Microsoft, Morgan Stanley, Netflix, Norfolk Southern, Synopsys, Twitter, and Union Carbide. Across an array of industries, Eric has briefed and argued issues as diverse as patent and copyright, labor and employment, preemption, punitive damages, environmental law, national security, and foreign sovereign immunity. He has been a primary author of more than 100 briefs in the Supreme Court alone.
Eric has particular proficiency in matters of technology and intellectual property. He regularly litigates novel issues concerning the regulation of the internet, including CDA Section 230, computer fraud, takedown notices, and internet domain names. He has been counsel in dozens of patent appeals in the Federal Circuit—litigating patents ranging from semiconductor construction, computer architecture, and genetic sequencing to tobacco curing, keyboard trays, and electrical junction boxes. A former law clerk on the Ninth Circuit and the Central District of California, Eric has extensive experience in the California state and federal appellate courts where tech issues commonly arise.
In addition to traditional appellate work, Eric has years of experience developing legal strategy in high-profile and complex cases in trial courts. Eric has performed this role in high-stakes multi-district litigation, criminal trials, and civil litigation involving critical dispositive motions.
Prior to joining Orrick, Eric was a partner in the appellate group at Sidley Austin.
Valerie's practice has a focus on warehouse lending, secured credit facilities, and publicly registered and privately placed asset securitization transactions. Her experience extends to various asset classes, encompassing marketplace consumer loans, solar loans, residential mortgages, single family rental assets, student loans, small business loans, credit card receivables, auto loans, and aircraft loans and leases.
Before joining Orrick, Valerie was counsel in Chapman and Cutler LLP's Asset Securitization Department. She began her career at Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP as a corporate associate.
Andrew previously served for seven years as the Chief Practice Officer for Orrick’s Corporate Business Unit.
Andrew was formerly a partner at Gunderson Dettmer, where he focused on emerging companies, including venture capital financings, public offerings, and mergers and acquisitions. His background also includes experience in venture capital, as a member of the investment team for Storm Ventures, in investment banking, as part of the corporate finance team at Piper Jaffray, and as the Vice President of Business Development and General Counsel for Mobio Networks, a venture-funded start-up.
Vanessa is “a leading arbitration practitioner…well known for her consistently excellent dispute resolution work” (Who’s Who Legal: Arbitration), and acts as counsel in international arbitration proceedings before the ICC, LCIA, the Swiss Arbitration Centre and other international fora and subject to a variety of procedural and substantive laws (including English, French, Italian, Qatari, New York, Mexican, Swiss and Tunisian law). Vanessa's experience spans a variety of industries including construction, life sciences, food and beverages, financial services, insurance and aviation. Most recently, Vanessa has conducted an arbitration on behalf of a sub-contractor involved in the construction of part of an international airport and was successful in representing a Swiss not-for-profit foundation supporting advanced clinical research in rare pediatric diseases.
Described by clients as an "excellent" lawyer who delivers "very high-quality legal services" (Legal 500), Vanessa has also represented parties in setting aside proceedings before the Swiss Supreme Court and regularly acts as party-appointed arbitrator, sole arbitrator of chair in arbitrations worldwide.
Vanessa serves as a member of the ICC's Commission on Arbitration & ADR and in addition to her activities in the field of arbitration, Vanessa advises on export control regulations and economic sanctions administered by the U.S., the European Union and Switzerland, including matters relating to customs regulations, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, anti-money laundering rules and anti-boycott requirements and regularly provides advice to clients on Swiss substantive law, particularly in contract law.
Prior to joining Orrick, Vanessa practiced for Swiss and international firms based in Geneva and Miami.
Phil provides valuable complex litigation and class action litigation experience, including for clients like Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, and Blackstone.
Phil has broad experience representing corporations in all stages of litigation, including pre-suit demands, motions to dismiss, fact and expert discovery and depositions, summary judgment, trial preparation, and trial. Phil has drafted various briefs for federal and state proceedings encompassing numerous substantive issues, including administrative law, constitutional law, civil procedure, evidentiary issues, business and contract disputes, and class actions.
Prior to joining Orrick, Phil practiced at Cahill Gordon & Reindel in New York.
Phil received his J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center.
She advises clients on a wide range of transactions in the energy industry with a particular focus on renewable energy, including project acquisition, debt and tax equity financing, and development of solar, wind, and storage projects.
Katie leverages her deep experience in the Federal Circuit into efficient case management strategies that slash client costs. She has represented clients such as Dow AgroSciences LLC in two Federal Circuit victories in a multifaceted patent dispute with Bayer CropScience AG; VeriFone Systems, Inc. in an appeal from a district court order that would have undermined its ubiquitous payment terminals; Nintendo Co. in defense of its most important product―the Wii; and EMC Corp. in obtaining the definitive pre-America Invents Act opinion addressing the improper use of joinder in patent cases.
Katie also has an active pro bono practice. She petitioned the Supreme Court to reconsider its rule regarding retroactive application of changes to the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. The Court ruled 6-3 for our client after having previously divided 4-1-4 on the same issue. In addition, she has represented
a class of detained immigrants challenging ICE’s systemic response to COVID-19 in its detention facilities;
veterans’ service organizations supporting a reversal of the Feres doctrine, which broadly prohibits tort recovery for injuries sustained by military personnel “incident to service;” and
a group of former Division 1 student-athletes supporting the NCAA in its prominent pay-for-play battle.
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