January.26.2015
Orrick announced today that the team of John W. Wolfe and Aravind Swaminathan have joined the firm’s White Collar & Corporate Investigations Group as partners in its Seattle office. Mr. Wolfe is one of the preeminent criminal defense lawyers on the West Coast. Mr. Swaminathan, a former Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) in the Western District of Washington, is a leading cybersecurity authority.
“John and Aravind bring a trial and investigative skill set of the highest quality, and we are delighted that they are joining us,” said Walter F. Brown Jr., Managing Director of Orrick’s Business Units and leader of its White Collar practice group.
“I have long standing professional and personal relationships with Orrick lawyers, both in Seattle and elsewhere, and know them to share my multi-disciplinary approach to client service. I look forward to joining, and contributing to, Orrick's first-tier government investigation and white collar defense team,” said Mr. Wolfe, who has handled some of the most high profile industrial and environmental accidents in the Pacific Northwest.
“Orrick has unsurpassed resources – nationally and internationally – in all aspects of cybersecurity and privacy law,” noted Mr. Swaminathan, who has handled high profile data and national security cybersecurity breaches throughout the country. “I am delighted to join a team with deep experience in the full spectrum of proactive and responsive measures that cybersecurity and privacy law require today.”
“Cybersecurity and privacy are top areas of concern for our clients in Tech and virtually every other sector,” said Rob McKenna, who joined Orrick’s Seattle office in 2013 as co-head of the firm’s Public Policy group after serving two terms as Washington State Attorney General. “We are excited to augment our deep bench with talent of their caliber.”
Orrick is representing clients in the largest and most closely watched databreach matters underway today. The firm delivers a holistic approach to cybersecurity law, drawing on its Chambers Band One ranked White Collar group, State, Federal and EU regulatory teams, and Privacy, Cyber Insurance, Corporate Governance and Securities, Class Action and Trial expertise.
Mr. Wolfe has more than 30 years of experience as a white collar criminal defense lawyer. His record includes more than a hundred jury trials and hundreds of public company internal investigations. Clients regularly call on Mr. Wolfe to develop and execute crisis management strategies. He is rated Band One by Chambers USA, which describes him as “one of the premier white-collar defense lawyers on the West Coast,” and as “having a fantastic reputation throughout the Bar as somebody that can solve big-time problems.”
Mr. Wolfe ran his own practice until joining DLA Piper in 2011. He is Co-Chair of the Federal Appointments Committee for the Federal Bar Association.
Mr. Swaminathan was an AUSA in the Western District of Washington from 2008 to 2013, where he worked in the Complex Crimes Unit and served as a specially designated Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property Section (CHIPS) attorney. He led the outreach program for corporate victims of cybercrime, working with federal agencies and law enforcement. In private practice, he counsels clients on privacy issues and data breach preparedness and response efforts, and litigates cybersecurity and privacy matters. He also represents clients in internal and government investigations.
Mr. Swaminathan also joins Orrick from DLA Piper. He is an Advisory Committee Member for the City of Seattle Privacy Initiative Overview and acts as outside General Counsel to Governor Jay Inslee’s Task Force on Drone Legislation. Mr. Swaminathan was a Board Member of the South Asian Bar Association of Washington from 2008 through 2014, and he has served as Co-Lead of the American Bar Association White-Collar Section, Pacific Northwest, since 2012.