People

Alexandra Aquilina-Piscitello Associate

Santa Monica

Alexandra advises companies at all stages of growth on corporate formations, general corporate governance matters, venture capital financings and exit transactions.

Alexandra received her J.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law, where she served as a Managing Editor for the Journal of Law and Technology. Prior to law school, Alexandra graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Vassar College where she earned her B.A. in Psychological Sciences and Political Science.

Matthew Archer Partner

Houston

Matt's practice is centered on project development and mergers and acquisitions (“M&A”) in the energy industry, with a particular focus on electric power and midstream projects. He regularly advises clients on the development, construction, operation, purchase and disposition of conventional power, renewable and midstream projects. His experience includes each stage, from early development, construction, offtake agreements, through commercial operation, financing, repowering and disposition. Matt also regularly represents clients in the development, structuring and construction of large natural gas pipeline, renewable and gas-fired power projects in Mexico.

Matt’s experience encompasses all manner of revenue and construction contracts; equipment supply and warranty agreements, long-term parts and services agreements; operating and maintenance agreements; electric interconnection and transmission agreements; fuel supply and transportation agreements; and ownership, joint venture and equity participation agreements.

Kristina Arianina Of Counsel

Washington, D.C.

As a member of Orrick’s Complex Litigation & Dispute Resolution team, Kristina has extensive experience representing clients in challenging and high-stakes cases. She has a particular focus on trade secret misappropriation cases in the tech industry, where she has both prosecuted and defended claims.

Kristina’s commercial litigation experience includes litigating claims of false advertising, unfair competition, business fraud, negligence, breaches of contract and fiduciary duties. She also has substantial experience with the False Claims Act, both with and without the government’s involvement.

In addition to her litigation experience, Kristina has conducted numerous internal investigations and compliance assessments in the United States and abroad. She has also represented companies and individuals in matters before the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

A first-generation immigrant from Russia to the United States, Kristina is passionate about her pro bono work. She played a leading role in the firm’s collaboration with Public International Law & Policy Group on the Ukraine Accountability Initiative and represented clients in reproductive rights and termination of parental rights cases.

Kevin Arlyck Associated Law Professor

Washington, D.C.

Kevin has experience in a wide range of subject areas, including class actions, securities, bankruptcy, and patents. He has co-authored numerous appellate briefs, including briefs to the Supreme Court of the United States at the certiorari and merits stages, on subjects including consumer protection, Indian law, criminal forfeiture, federal court jurisdiction, and foreign sovereign immunity. Kevin has also engaged in strategic planning and motions practice at the trial stage in both federal and state courts.

Prior to joining Orrick, Kevin clerked for Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor of the Supreme Court of the United States and Circuit Judge Robert Katzmann of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. He has a Ph.D. in history from NYU, where he concentrated on the history of the federal courts in the early national period.

Chase Armbrust Partner

Houston

Specializing in debt finance with a strong understanding of tax-driven strategies, Chase works with developers, sponsors, lenders and utilities across the renewable energy sector. He has extensive experience guiding clients on debt transactions to finance renewable energy infrastructure, including utility-scale solar and wind, distributed solar, fuel cell and biomass projects.

His broad debt experience includes negotiating credit facilities, structuring intercreditor arrangements and ISDA documentation and advising on financial restructuring strategies.

Reflecting his excellent client relationships and strong commitment to successful outcomes, Chase was recognized as a 2022 Client Service All-Star by BTI Consulting Group.

Anna Aryankalayil Partner

Washington, D.C.

Having returned to private practice, Anna focuses on merger clearance and litigation, government conduct investigations, and antitrust counseling and compliance.

During her time at the FTC from March 2020 to September 2022, Anna advised on merger and anticompetitive conduct investigations and enforcement actions across a wide range of sectors, including tech, pharmaceutical and life sciences, healthcare, defense, oil & gas, retail, and consumer goods. She also advised on litigation and appellate strategy, the FTC’s advocacy through amicus briefs, and other cutting edge competition policy matters, such as, merger policy, digital platforms, intellectual property, and nascent competition in innovative industries.

Prior to joining the FTC, Anna was a senior associate in private practice where she focused on antitrust litigation, government conduct investigations and compliance, and the antitrust aspects of mergers, acquisitions, and joint ventures. In litigation, Anna has experience defending high-profile transactions against government challenge from the FTC and the United States Department of Justice Antitrust Division.

Dr. Daniel Ashkar Counsel

Munich

Having concentrated on data privacy law since 2012, Daniel provides comprehensive data privacy and cybersecurity advisory support to clients and has extensive experience in the areas of international data transfers (including on EU Standard Contractual Clauses and Binding Corporate Rules) as well as topics relating to the “Schrems II” judgment.

Daniel further drafts data privacy contracts (such as data processing agreements and joint controller agreements) as well as data privacy policies/notices and consent forms. On transactional matters, he supports clients with outsourcings and due diligences in the course of M&A transactions. Daniel also advises on data subject rights requests, data breaches and notification requirements related thereto, e-discovery requests, website tracking, marketing measures, privacy impact assessments as well as data privacy topics in the employment and reinsurance context.

He further advises on IT/IP and technology-related matters, including on contracts and matters relating to unfair and deceptive trade practices. Daniel also possesses years of experience regarding legal disputes and litigation matters and has represented clients in proceedings before different courts in Germany.

Prior to joining Orrick, Daniel was an in-house counsel for a German car maker and for one of the largest reinsurance corporations in the world. His in-house experiences at these large German multinationals allow him to understand the needs and requirements of globally operating clients.

Daniel started his career at another global law firm where he worked for several years with a focus on data privacy and litigation matters. He also wrote his doctoral thesis on data privacy law.

Kevin M. Askew Partner

Los Angeles

Kevin has extensive experience defending securities class actions, including on behalf of high-profile clients in the technology and finance sectors. He also regularly represents clients in shareholder derivative suits, including actions alleging breaches of fiduciary duty and failures of oversight.

Kevin has handled a wide range of other complex litigation matters, including contract disputes, civil RICO actions, and cases related to corporate breakups.

Clients also turn to Kevin when they face scrutiny from government regulators. Kevin represents companies, and their officers and directors, when they receive subpoenas in connection with investigations by the SEC and other agencies. And when necessary, Kevin defends his clients in regulatory enforcement actions, including cases brought by the SEC and state Attorneys General.

Kevin devotes significant time to pro bono matters. Public Counsel’s Immigrants’ Rights Project awarded Kevin its annual Pro Bono Award in recognition of his representation of an asylum seeker in a long-running Immigration Court matter.

Kevin has authored articles on securities-related topics in numerous publications, including the Daily Journal, the National Law Journal, and Bloomberg BNA.

Giulio Asquini Of Counsel

Milan; Rome

Giulio has developed strong experience in all types of acquisition financings and leveraged buyouts transactions both in the syndicated and in the take-and-hold space, including senior debt, unitranche financings, high yield debt and mezzanine capital, structured as loan facilities as well as bonds issuances.

Giulio has also gained significant experience in refinancings, corporate financings (including revolving and capex facilities) and real estate finance transactions.

Prior to joining Orrick, Giulio was an associate in a leading Italian law firm, where he also gained experience on M&A and private equity deals, assisting Italian and foreign companies and private equity investment vehicles in acquisition and investment transactions.

Shawn Atkinson Partner

London

In addition to sheer volume of deals, Shawn's incomparable market insight stems from his leadership roles at Orrick, the only global firm focused on technology, and his experience working throughout the UK & Europe, North America and Asia. Shawn leads Orrick's London Corporate practice, its Global Emerging Markets practice and co-leads the Global Fintech team and the Global Technology Companies Practice Group. These complement his practice serving public and private companies in UK multi-jurisdictional and complex corporate transactions, including countless acquisitions and disposals, cross-border mergers, bankruptcy infused asset sales, recapitalisations and reorganisations. He is also a recognised leader in late stage venture transactions and in early stage private equity transactions in Europe and the emerging markets. Shawn has been recognised as a leading individual in several legal directories, including Chambers and Legal 500, for his expertise and excellence in venture capital, M&A, emerging markets, and fintech. In addition, he has been ranked as a top 5 (by volume) UK M&A lawyer in each of 2017, 2020-2024 by Mergermarket, including a #1 ranking in 2021, 2022 and 2024.

Shawn also advises early stage businesses across a number of sectors – including insurtech, Fintech, Crypto, SaaS, EdTech, HRTech, Marketplace and EnergyTech. He assists them from incorporation through to M&A exit, initial public offerings and other growth opportunities. His participation in the private equity and venture capital sector spans his entire career - with time spent in private practice, in-house and advising investors as well as investor-backed businesses-and affords him a deep knowledge and understanding of the industry and client needs and expectations.

Among the leading investment funds he has represented are ABN Amro Ventures, Acton Capital Partners, ABRY Partners, Accel Partners, Apax Partners, Bain Capital, Balderton Capital, Battery Ventures, Beringea, Bessemer Venture Partners, Black Pearls VC, Black Sheep Ventures, BMWi Ventures, Coatue Management, Columbia Capital, CommerzVentures, Evolvence, FTV Capital, Golden Gate Capital, Stepstone Group, Headway Capital Partners, Innova Capital, Kinnevik, KPS Capital Partners, Marlin Equity Partners, Mangrove Capital Partners, M/C Partners, One Peak, Oxx, Pearson Ventures, Piper Private Equity, Piton Capital, Salesforce Ventures, Sprints Capital, Summit Partners, Updata Partners, VNV Global and VEF.

Ben Au Partner

Santa Monica

Ben’s diverse practice focuses on disputes where an understanding of technology and business is essential. Ben’s civil litigation practice includes trade secret misappropriation, breach of contract, and funder / founder disputes, through arbitration and trial and on appeal. Ben also has extensive experience in government enforcement actions before the SEC and FTC, as well as federal criminal matters ranging from fraud to FCPA to export controls. He has also conducted numerous internal investigations on behalf of corporate clients. Clients praise Ben’s understanding of the tech ecosystem, responsiveness, and practical, solutions-oriented business judgment.

Ben is committed to impacting his community and maintains an active pro bono practice, including representation and collaboration with the ACLU, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, Electronic Frontier Foundation, and Equality California, on issues ranging from religious freedom, school integration, reproductive rights, privacy from government surveillance, and the right for same-sex couples to marry.

Ben currently serves on the Board of Directors of 826LA, a non-profit organization providing literacy and writing programs for children in underserved areas of Los Angeles. Since 2018, Ben has served on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. He currently co-chairs its White-Collar Crime Committee and is the vice-chair of its Ninth Circuit Amicus Committee. Ben previously served on the Yale Law School Association Executive Committee, representing Northern and Southern California. The judges of the United States Court of Appeal for the Ninth Circuit appointed Ben to serve as an appellate lawyer representative to the court.

Jonathan Ayre Partner

Houston

Jonathan's recent experience includes representing note purchasers in securitizations of operated and non-operated oil and gas wellbore working interests with an aggregate value exceeding $6 billion. In addition to representing the note purchasers on the initial securitization of non-operated working interests, he has closed the first transactions that included operated working interests, overriding royalty interests, portfolios of primarily BLM leases, portfolios including tribal lands, and midstream gathering systems, and the first joint 144A / 4(a)(2) offering. Jonathan also has significant experience representing companies driving the energy transition, including representing project developers in connection with engineering, procurement and construction agreements, solar module purchase agreements, transformer purchase agreements, and operation and maintenance agreements.

Chambers Global has reported, "He knows the industry very well and takes a commercial approach to help resolve differences with the counterparty. He has a good bedside manner and cooperates well with others,” and ”he's very resourceful and he approaches the oil and gas and corporate sector with a true business sense." Jonathan also was recognized in 2020 by Law 360 as an Energy Rising Star.

Jonathan is an active supporter of the Houston Symphony, serving as Chairman of the Houston Symphony's Finance Committee, as a Governing Director on the Houston Symphony Society's Board of Trustees, and as chair of the 2021 Houston Symphony's Wine Dinner and Collector's Auction. He serves as a member of the Steering Committee of the Houston Men of Distinction Annual Awards Luncheon, an organization that recognizes Houston men who have distinguished themselves through excellence in community achievement, thereby providing support in superior biomedical research, education, and patient care in the Texas Medical Center.