People

Grady Bolding Senior Counsel

San Francisco

He has extensive M&A experience involving numerous types of business. He has particular experience in the area of the taxation of REITs, having represented both public and private REITs for many years, and in the area of real estate transactions and partnerships. Grady's private investment fund practice includes the representation of real estate funds, venture capital funds and hedge funds, as well as institutional investors in such funds. 

Prior to joining Orrick, Grady worked for the firm of Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison LLP, where he served on the firm’s Executive Committee and as Chair of the Tax Group.

Ben Bolnick Associate

New York

A member of Orrick's Litigation business unit, Ben's primary practice involves defending Orrick's clients against high-stakes investor and consumer lawsuits. He works collaboratively and creatively to advance clients' interests.

Ben's ongoing representation includes:

• Louis Dreyfus Company in a $1.6 billion commodities futures class action lawsuit;
• PHH Mortgage Corporation (formerly Ocwen) in a $75 million, precedent-setting dispute over deferred loans in residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS); and
• A Fortune-500 company in a variety of product-liability actions.

Lauren Bomberger Managing Associate

Washington, D.C.

Prior to joining Orrick, Lauren was an associate at Buckley LLP.

Thomas M. Bondy Senior Supreme Court Counsel

Washington, D.C.

As FBI Deputy General Counsel, Tom oversaw the Bureau’s nationwide civil litigation docket, including employment disputes, Freedom of Information Act cases, Constitutional tort suits, and an array of matters implicating law enforcement and national security equities. He supervised more than one hundred Office of General Counsel personnel, and advised the FBI’s Director, Deputy Director and other executive management officials regarding especially sensitive litigation issues.

Prior to serving at the FBI, Tom spent 25 years with the Department of Justice, Civil Division, Appellate Staff, as an appellate litigator and supervisor. In that capacity, he oversaw the court of appeals and Supreme Court work of the Appellate staff’s attorneys across the full range of U.S. government subject areas, including Constitutional issues, anti-terrorism and national security, Federal Tort Claims Act, False Claims Act, Bivens, personnel and federal labor relations, Freedom of Information Act, administrative law, attorney fees, and government benefits. Tom personally briefed and orally argued more than one hundred cases in all of the federal courts of appeals and several state appellate courts, and drafted dozens of U.S. Supreme Court merits briefs, amicus briefs, certiorari petitions, and oppositions to certiorari petitions. One of the principal architects of the Justice Department’s litigation strategy in high-stakes appeals, Tom was considered one of the agency’s go-to advocates.

Tom received the Justice Department’s John Marshall Award for outstanding appellate advocacy, as well as the Attorney General’s Award for furthering the interests of U.S. national security. He has served as an instructor at the Attorney General’s Advocacy Institute and is also an Adjunct Professor at American University’s Washington College of Law.

Before joining DOJ, Tom clerked for then-Judge (now retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice) Anthony Kennedy on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Joshua Bonney Senior Associate

Washington, D.C.

Joshua represents state and local governmental units and their instrumentalities, for-profit and nonprofit corporations, investment banking institutions (underwriters and placement agents), broker-dealers, bank and non-bank direct purchasers, and other market participants in governmental and qualified private activity bond issuance transactions across industry segments. Areas of concentration include:

• state and local government capital projects (essential and social infrastructure);
• qualified 501(c)(3) private activity bonds;
• qualified residential rental projects (affordable and middle-income);
• surface and sub-surface transportation (mass transit facilities);
• airport systems (AMT and non-AMT); and
• energy production and transmission facilities.

Joshua regularly serves as bond counsel, underwriter’s counsel, disclosure counsel, issuer’s counsel, borrower’s counsel, and bank counsel in connection with the issuance of publicly-offered and directly-placed investment-grade and non-investment-grade debt instruments on a secured (senior and subordinate) and unsecured basis in short-term, interim, and long-term form. Products and structures include, among others, on and off-balance sheet project revenue obligations (including alternative project delivery and public-private partnership “P3” executions), appropriation-backed installment method financings (certificates of participation, limited obligation bonds, and lease-purchase obligations), tax-increment financing obligations, enterprise revenue obligations (including airport revenue bonds, water and sewer revenue bonds, and stormwater revenue bonds, etc.), general obligations, special obligations, short-term borrowing programs and other revolving and non-revolving credit facilities, and various forms of credit and liquidity enhanced financings for fixed-rate, variable-rate, and multi-modal obligations.

Ryan Booms Managing Associate

Washington, D.C.

He represents clients in complex matters involving products liability and commercial contracts. He is also active in pro bono matters.

While in law school, Ryan participated in the USC Hale Moot Court Honors Program. He also externed for the Honorable Virginia A. Phillips in the Central District of California. Before law school, Ryan served in the Teach For America corps and taught middle school history.

Anna Booth Associate

Boston

Anna advises clients on meeting the complex requirements of federal, state, and international privacy frameworks, with particular focus on the needs of cross-border projects.

Prior to joining Orrick, Anna practiced as a barrister in London for ten years, representing clients in cross-border disputes and enforcement proceedings, both in court and international arbitration. Her experience has included matters in India, Japan, Russia, Egypt, Australia, Thailand, and Europe.

Mel Bostwick Partner

Washington, D.C.

Mel’s practice capitalizes on two of her passions: technology and great writing. As an appellate lawyer, she has the opportunity to help companies protect their innovations and their intellectual property. She is adept at translating complex technology and intricate legal issues into a clear and simple presentation that judges of any background can understand. Mel brings these skills to bear in representing clients on appeal to the Federal Circuit and before the Supreme Court, and also in partnering with trial teams to address legal and strategic problems in district court, the ITC, and the PTAB. She also regularly advises technology clients on difficult IP and strategic issues facing their companies.

Mel also has the privilege of representing pro bono clients and is particularly passionate about using her Federal Circuit experience to help veterans in their appeals to the court.

Prior to joining Orrick, Mel was an associate at a litigation boutique in Washington, D.C., where she represented clients in trial and appellate litigation and before the Federal Communications Commission. Mel served as a law clerk to Judge Timothy B. Dyk of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and Judge Thomas B. Griffith of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

Christina Bouchot Partner

Los Angeles

Christina counsels clients on their most critical employment and compliance issues, whether that means addressing founder disputes, drafting employment policies, making recommendations on the use of restrictive covenants, advising on compliance with wage-and-hour laws, or making recommendations on reductions in force. She also handles investigations and complaints involving allegations of sexual harassment, whistleblowing and discrimination. While she has experience representing companies in many industries, she has a particular focus on technology companies and private equity firms, and understands the nuances of their cultures and unique employment challenges.

Christina also has ample experience supporting and advising on corporate transactions. This includes analyzing the impact of employment considerations on deal strategy and structure, drafting and negotiating employment agreements, non-competes and separation agreements and providing advice on post-closing workforce integration.

Christina is very active in the legal community within the Employment Bar and within various Hispanic and Women’s Lawyer’s Associations.

Hélène Boukez Of Counsel

Paris

Hélène advises French and international firms on all employment matters.

Prior to joining Orrick, Hélène was an associate in the Employment, Pensions & Benefits department of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer for six years.

Ahmed Boulahcen Managing Associate

Paris

He focuses on project finance transactions and advises sponsors, debt providers and governments on the structuring and financing of various energy and infrastructure transactions across Europe, Africa and Latin America.

His experience includes a wide range of debt financing transactions (senior, junior, mezzanine, loans, bonds, multilateral development financings, export financings, etc.). He has also been involved in infrastructure M&A/private equity and restructuring transactions in connection with strategic assets.

Ahmed has gained substantial experience working on high-profile energy and infrastructure deals, including public-private, transport, telecom, energy transition and IPP projects.

Prior to joining Orrick, Ahmed practised several years within the Energy & Infrastructure teams of major international law firms in Paris.

Philippa Bourke Managing Associate

London

Philippa’s experience includes advising on a broad range of transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, joint venture arrangements and project agreements in the context of renewable energy investments and financings. She also represents clients in other commercial transactions and energy-related projects.