Two Orrick Partners Named to SVBJ's 2016 Women of Influence

February.18.2016

Congratulations to our partners Christine McCarthy and Jessica Perry on their selection to the 2016 Women of Influence list. Published by the Silicon Valley Business Journal, this annual list honors 100 women who are making significant achievements in their fields.

Jessica is leading some of the biggest and most high-profile employment cases including most recently working in tandem with fellow Orrick partner Lynne Hermle to achieve a complete and resounding victory for venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins in the high-stakes gender discrimination case brought by former partner Ellen Pao.

Christine has developed two equity compensation tools - restricted stock units and stock option extension programs - that have been used by leading tech companies to address key equity compensation issues.

Profiles of each of the honorees will run in the April 1 print edition. Both will also be honored at an awards reception to be held in May.

Related Lawyers

Jessica Perry Partner, Employment Law & Litigation, Wage and Hour

Silicon Valley

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D:+1 650 614 7350
E: [email protected]

Practice:

Technology & Innovation Sector
Employment Law & Litigation
Wage and Hour
Class Action Defense
Discrimination, Harassment & Retaliation
Pay Equity

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Jessica Perry Partner

Silicon Valley

Jessica defends employers from discrimination and harassment claims on the basis of gender, race, religion, disability, age and other protected categories. She recently defeated class certification in cases alleging discrimination against women in technical roles for Microsoft and Twitter, earning her The American Lawyer’s "Litigator of the Week” award. She also won a complete defense verdict for Kleiner Perkins in the highly publicized gender discrimination and retaliation case Pao v. Kleiner Perkins, which the Daily Journal named the year’s ‘Top Verdict.’ Her trial victories also include winning defense judgments in cases involving claims of religious discrimination, retaliation and wrongful termination. Jessica also specializes in pay equity matters, including in designing analyses and advising on compliance and risk mitigation. Clients interviewed by Chambers note, “She's very thorough and knows the details and procedure, without allowing anything to fall through the cracks."

Jessica has a winning record in beating back class certification in high stakes wage-and-hour actions in federal and state court, including those brought under the Private Attorney General Act. Having led over 150 high-stakes wage-and-hour class action matters, Jessica has broad experience on virtually every theory of relief. She also offers strategic guidance to help businesses avoid wage-and-hour litigation, particularly companies in the gig economy industry which can be significantly impacted by such matters.

In addition to litigation and counseling, Jessica has successfully guided clients through investigations and audits by the Department of Labor, California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement and California Employment Development Department, and helped develop compensation policies and measures to reduce potential exposure.

Jessica is also an authority in generational workplace issues and frequently speaks on employment engagement in a multi-generational workforce.

Christine McCarthy Partner, Compensation & Benefits, Technology Companies Group

Silicon Valley

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D:+1 650 614 7634
E: [email protected]

Practice:

Technology & Innovation Sector
Compensation & Benefits
Technology Companies Group
Executive Compensation
Mergers & Acquisitions

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Christine McCarthy Partner

Silicon Valley

Christine has extensive experience advising on all aspects of equity and executive compensation plans and arrangements for multinational private and public companies, including large Fortune 500 public companies. Such advice covers the design, administration, and implementation of such plans and arrangements, as well as compliance with applicable federal and state laws, including corporate, securities and tax laws, NASDAQ/NYSE rules, and accounting rules. In addition, Christine counsels clients on corporate governance related issues that arise with respect to such plans and arrangements and regularly prepares disclosure required to be included in annual proxy statements, Form 10-K reports and Form 8-K filings.

Christine:

regularly advises compensation committees, Boards of Directors, companies, management and executives on employment agreements, severance agreements, equity compensation plans and agreements and similar arrangements;
has extensive experience advising late stage private companies on the specific compensation-related challenges facing these companies and, in particular, is known for her thought-leadership in designing and creating private company restricted stock unit programs and extended stock option exercise programs;
advises late stage private companies on the issues that arise during the preparation, lead-up to and implementation of their initial public offering, including issues related to executive and equity compensation, as well as, corporate governance and disclosure related matters; and
advises clients on merger and acquisition transactions, including issues related to executive and equity compensation, post-closing integration, Internal Revenue Code Section 409A (deferred compensation) and Internal Revenue Code Section 280G (the golden parachute rules).

Before joining the firm, Christine practiced at Cooley Godward Kronish LLP, Gray Cary Ware & Freidenrich LLP, and McDermott Will & Emery LLP.

Christine speaks and publishes articles regularly on executive and equity compensation related topics.

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