Orrick Welcomes the Partner Class of 2025

Orrick's 17 new partners strengthen the firm's teams serving the tech, energy, finance and life sciences sectors.

They are based in 10 markets worldwide and practice in 12 transactional, litigation and regulatory areas where the firm has earned Chambers Band 1 recognition.

Orrick Chair Mitch Zuklie said: "There remains no more important investment than the lawyers we develop and advance to our partnership each year. This is an absolutely stellar class that will serve our clients and lead our firm in a market that is changing at lightning speed. Each member has demonstrated the commitment to quality, innovation and collaboration we believe is necessary to lead and thrive in the future, and we are honored to welcome them to our partnership."

TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION

Kaitlin Bagby

• Kaitlin counsels high-growth technology companies at all stages - from recently formed startups to post-IPO companies - on venture capital financings, corporate governance and exit transactions.
• With strong connections to the startup ecosystem in the Bay Area and worldwide, she has supported the growth of many successful Y Combinator companies.
• Kaitlin said: "Orrick's tradition of empowering visionary founders with strategic guidance and practical solutions reflects our shared commitment to shaping the future. I look forward to continuing to help our clients navigate challenges, capitalize on opportunities and transform their bold ideas into impactful, enduring ventures."

Sundeep Kapur

• Sundeep advises clients on privacy compliance, regulatory investigations, commercial transactions, and other matters involving data and complex or emerging technologies.
• He is a leading advisor in the rapidly evolving advertising technology legal landscape. The Interactive Advertising Bureau named him Outstanding Contributor to Legal Affairs in 2024 for his significant impact on the adtech ecosystem through industry-wide initiatives.
• Sundeep said: "The Orrick team has such wide and deep expertise in all areas of privacy and cybersecurity. It's always thrilling to bring our talents together and help clients turn data into innovative technologies and services used around the world."

Robbie Manhas

• Robbie is an appellate litigator based in Washington, D.C. With a focus on patent law and administrative law, he has a record of wins in federal and state appellate courts.
• In the patent sphere, Robbie focuses on high stakes appeals across the tech and biotech sectors and has been a key member of Orrick teams that have delivered successful results for clients like Gilead, Apple, Micron, Sonos and Cisco. He also serves as "appellate eyes at trial," assisting teams in winning trials and positioning cases for success on appeal.
• A former Federal Circuit clerk, Robbie serves as Vice Chair of the Federal Circuit Bar Association's Administrative Law Committee and maintains an active pro bono practice.
• Robbie said: "I'm thankful to work alongside talented colleagues to help deliver exceptional results in our clients' most interesting and highest stakes matters. I'm equally at home litigating tech and biotech cases, and I'm always excited to leverage my patent law and appellate experience to support our clients' groundbreaking work."

Geoff Moss

• Geoff is an IP litigator based in Los Angeles.
• Before starting his legal career, Geoff studied computer science and worked as a software developer in the financial services sector. He leverages these experiences to counsel technology companies facing thorny intellectual property issues and commercial disputes, from pre-suit investigations through trial and appeals.
• He joined Orrick as a summer associate and maintains an active pro bono practice.
• Geoff said: "The best part of my job is learning how our clients' innovative products work, so I can help them navigate legal issues big and small and protect what they have created."

Todd Scott

• Todd is a securities litigator who defends companies and their directors and officers in class actions, shareholder derivative suits, M&A litigation and other shareholder-related disputes. Litigation Daily recently featured Todd alongside Orrick partners Jim Kramer and Alex Talarides for their groundbreaking victory on behalf of Meta in the Delaware Court of Chancery.
• He has deep experience in corporate governance and strategic advice, and regularly counsels companies and their boards on corporate governance best practices, fiduciary duties, disclosure obligations and shareholder activism, including shareholder inspection demands.
• Based in San Francisco, Todd joined Orrick after law school.
• Todd said: "Our goal as business litigators is to solve our client's problems. Sometimes that means thinking strategically to avoid costly litigation, other times we litigate with aggression. The Orrick team is made up of skilled lawyers who know how to win, and I am proud to be part of such a collaborative, innovative group."

LIFE SCIENCES & HEALTHTECH

George Pothoulakis

• George advises emerging growth companies of all stages as well as leading venture capital firms, with a focus on life sciences, healthtech and energytech.
• Formerly lead in-house counsel for a global pharma's U.S.-based venture capital arm, he offers unique insights into both investor and company perspectives across all stages of growth.
• George, who is based in Boston, works with many founders, companies and investors with operations outside the United States and is actively involved in promoting the Greek startup ecosystem.
• George said: "One of the things I've enjoyed most at Orrick is contributing to the expansion of the firm's life sciences and healthtech platform, particularly in our Boston office. The many valuable additions we've made across our corporate, litigation and regulatory teams have been a real difference-maker for our clients in this space, which is rapidly becoming increasingly complex, requiring more sophisticated legal problem-solving."

Brian Raphel

• Brian is a trial lawyer who focuses on mass tort and product liability cases, complemented by a wealth of experience in litigation involving commercial, securities and white collar criminal matters.
• He has prepared dozens of complex cases for trial in venues across the United States - many of which have resulted in significant victories before or during the trial.
• Based in New York, Brian has an active pro bono practice helping vulnerable individuals and groups defend their constitutional rights.
• Brian said: "The best part of trial is the opportunity to tell a story, based on a thorough understanding of our clients' businesses and goals. I take pride in working with our excellent trial teams to distill complicated scientific or technical information into simple, easy-to-follow concepts. I am thrilled to be able to work with Orrick's bench of talented storytellers."

ENERGY & INFRASTRUCTURE

Mason Harry

• Mason focuses on real estate advice for the energy sector, including helping clients pursue energy transition and decarbonization opportunities through M&A transactions, tax equity financings, debt financings and project development.
• He is experienced in negotiating site control documents, implementing shared facilities structures, and navigating complex title, survey and mineral issues.
• A founding member of Orrick's Houston office, Mason also has an active pro bono practice working with nonprofits.
• Mason said: "I love being part of a team with industry-leading experts across every facet of the energy sector. Between Orrick's top-tier talent and innovative resources, there is no better place to practice law in the energy space. We are honored that our clients trust us to help solve complex challenges and bring transformative projects to life."

Joe Lawlor

• Joe advises clients with mergers and acquisitions, joint venture formations and project development transactions across the full energy spectrum. His M&A experience includes GW utility scale generation portfolios and MW residential and distributed generation portfolios, while his project development experience includes a focus on construction and equipment supply contracts for renewables and other energy facilities.
• Joe represents global energy companies, private equity funds and renewables developers, including in the offshore wind space.
• He is a founding member of Orrick's Houston office and serves on the Associate Advisory Council for the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Energy Center at the University of Texas at Austin.
• Joe said: "Energy fuels our communities, our economy and our way of life. I'm honored to join Orrick's partnership and continue working with our cutting-edge clients who are constantly innovating and finding new ways to better harness energy resources and deliver more energy to more people."

Paul Loisel

• Paul, who is being elevated to the firm's global partnership, helps clients execute strategic financings and M&A transactions in connection with a wide range of energy and infrastructure projects. He has led multibillion-euro deals for industrial sponsors, private equity firms, banks and private debt providers.
• Based in Paris, Paul also regularly advises clients in the fast-growing energytech, infrastructure modernization and digitalization sectors.
• IFLR1000 recognizes Paul as a Rising Star in Project Development and Project Finance.
• Paul said: "The global energy and infrastructure markets are at a pivotal moment, with innovations and challenges driving transformative changes and opportunities. Orrick is uniquely positioned to guide our clients through these exciting developments, leveraging our cutting-edge sector focus experience. I am proud to be part of Orrick's platform, committed to delivering innovative legal and business solutions for our clients."

Lisa Magged

• Lisa advises clients on project finance transactions, including debt, tax equity, tax credit transfer and preferred equity transactions, as well as energy project M&A transactions across a range of markets, including solar (utility scale and distributed generation), storage, wind (onshore and offshore), biofuels and natural gas.
• Based in San Francisco, Lisa serves on the Board of the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of WRISE (Women in Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy) and has an active pro bono immigration practice. She joined Orrick as a summer associate.
• Lisa said: "At Orrick, we have the privilege of representing the most sophisticated players in the energy industry in complex, cutting-edge transactions. This privilege is earned through our dedication to not only substantive expertise, but also collaboration, innovation and commercially minded strategy. I'm honored to be part of such an incredible team."

FINANCE & FINTECH

Marina Balzano

• Marina, who is being elevated to the firm's global partnership, is a leading advisor in the Italian private debt market, collaborating with major Italian and international banking groups on a wide range of financings, including leveraged, acquisition, corporate and real estate finance. She also advises issuers and investors as private debt funds in bonds and unitranche financings.
• She serves on the boards of Industrie Chimiche Forestali, First Capital S.p.A. and Anthilia SGR, and she is a member of La Carica delle 101, a nonprofit that supports Italian startups.
• Based in Milan, Marina is ranked by Chambers and Legal 500, as well as by the leading Italian legal directories TopLegal and Legalcommunity, which named her Leveraged Finance Lawyer of the Year in 2023.
• Marina said: "We are witnessing a significant paradigm shift in the debt landscape in Italy as international debt funds and other alternative debt providers gain market share. Our team is helping these global players pursue opportunities by bringing an essential cross border skill set, technical expertise and cutting-edge work in areas like artificial intelligence in business applications. I am thrilled to collaborate with my Orrick colleagues worldwide as we serve this exciting market."

Jedd Bellman

• Jedd helps banks, mortgage companies, auto lenders, debt collectors, money services businesses and fintechs navigate complex licensing, regulatory and enforcement matters.
• He brings a wealth of consumer financial services experience from more than a decade in government service, including serving as a senior executive in Maryland's Office of Financial Regulation, a counsel and senior policy advisor in the U.S. House of Representatives, and an Assistant Attorney General for Maryland.
• Based in Washington, D.C., Jedd works with clients to gather the intelligence and legal analysis to make informed, risk-based decisions as they confront a complex and evolving state licensing and regulatory ecosystem.
• Jedd said: "As the financial services marketplace continues to innovate, I am thrilled to work with Orrick's Financial & Fintech Advisory team to develop strategic and commercially viable solutions for our inspiring slate of clients as they navigate the ever-changing regulatory landscape. It is an exciting time to be a trusted advisor to those rethinking how financial services should be provided to the market."

Jean-Paule Castagno

• Jean-Paule, who is being elevated to the firm's global partnership, leads Orrick's Italian White Collar, Internal Trade & Compliance team and is Chambers-ranked for both White Collar Crime and Compliance in Italy. She is recognized for her ability to combine litigation insights with innovative compliance strategies, helping clients anticipate and mitigate risks effectively.
• With over 20 years of experience, Jean-Paule advises multinational corporations and financial institutions on compliance, internal investigations and criminal litigation. Her expertise spans corporate, financial and tax crimes, anti-money laundering and international sanctions, market abuse, cybersecurity breaches, ESG-related risks and AI governance.
• Based in Milan, she chairs organizational and surveillance committees, which are corporate bodies mandated under Italy's Criminal Corporate Liability Act to oversee compliance programs, identify potential risks, and ensure that companies effectively prevent and address criminal liabilities.
• Jean-Paule said: "Our clients are navigating a market and regulatory and enforcement environment that is changing at an unprecedented pace. Our team is focused on bringing a deep understanding of emerging business models - including technological innovation, artificial intelligence and new financial services - to help clients pursue opportunities while mitigating risk."

Meredith Dawson

• Meredith advises lenders, borrowers and sponsors on private credit and specialty lending transactions, including leveraged and acquisition financings, general corporate finance and bespoke structured credit transactions.
• She has an active pro bono practice, largely drawing on her finance skills to support clients like Calvert Impact Capital and the San Francisco Housing Accelerator Fund.
• Meredith joined Team Orrick as a summer associate and is based in New York.
• Meredith said: "Orrick's private credit practice has grown exponentially since I joined the firm, and I'm honored to be a part of its continued growth. Our team is committed to providing innovative, practical advice and top-notch service to our clients, and being able to collaborate with Orrick's deep bench of regulatory, restructuring, litigation and corporate talent is an exceptional asset to us and our clients."

Elizabeth Elias

• Elizabeth is a member of Orrick's market-leading esoteric asset-backed securitization team. Her practice focuses on representing issuers and investors.
• She helps her issuer clients establish and operate securitization programs, particularly in the commercial PACE and whole business sectors. She advises investors in emerging asset classes, such as music, TV, and other intellectual property royalties, legal fee awards, and diamond and other receivables. She also assists investors seeking to explore opportunities in untapped assets, including digital infrastructure.
• Elizabeth is based in New York.
• Elizabeth said: "Being a part of the Structured Finance group and particularly the esoteric ABS team at Orrick is like being at the edge of an expanding universe. Each week brings a new asset class, distinctive structure or novel challenge. I'm thrilled to be in a trailblazing group that not only meets but also creates market demand through innovation and collaboration, driving the industry forward with groundbreaking solutions and visionary ideas."

Les Krusen

• Les leverages his broad knowledge of the finance sector to work with bankers, borrowers and issuers on innovative ways to use tax-exempt debt and the municipal market to meet client needs.
• The Bond Buyer named Les a 2024 Rising Star, recognizing his work as bond counsel, disclosure counsel and underwriters' counsel on public and privately placed tax-exempt and taxable debt, with a focus on waste-to-energy and solid waste project financings, utility and airport projects, municipal securitizations and 501(c)(3) and governmental projects in the Pacific Northwest, Alaska and around the United States.
• Les is based in Seattle.
• Les said: "It is a fascinating time to be a public finance lawyer, as Orrick continues to identify innovative ways for our clients to access tax-exempt debt and the municipal market."

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