People

Leslie Meredith Partner

Washington, D.C.

Leslie is an effective communicator who is able to distill complex facts and legal concepts, and turn them into simple, compelling, and persuasive stories. She is passionate about partnering with her clients to understand their priorities and find innovative and cost-effective strategies to resolve disputes favorably and manage compliance risk effectively.

In addition to representing clients in federal and state courts around the country, she has helped clients navigate and resolve enforcement actions by state and federal regulators, including the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), Federal Reserve Board (FRB), Department of Justice (DOJ), and state attorneys general, relating to a wide range of subject matter areas, involving both traditional and alternative financial services.

Drawing on the breadth of her experience in the financial services industry, Leslie also counsels clients on compliance with consumer protection laws and supervision preparedness. Her areas of focus include:

• Prohibitions on unfair, deceptive or abusive acts or practices (UDAP and UDAAP)
• 50-state consumer lending compliance
• Federal preemption of state consumer and commercial credit laws, including rate exportation/most favored lender issues
• Customer complaints management
• Legal order response, including levies and garnishments
• Codes of conduct and business ethics, including policies related to outside business interests and the Bank Bribery Act

Leslie's recent work on behalf of financial services providers includes:

• Conducting internal investigations of suspected misconduct or violations of law and/or regulatory requirements
• Representing institution affiliated parties (IAPs) in enforcement actions brought under 12 USC 1818(e), including actions seeking orders of prohibition
• Assisting numerous banks, non-banks, and fintech companies in responding to examination requests, civil investigative demands, and subpoenas relating to a wide range of subject matter areas, including mortgage lending and servicing, securities based lending, ancillary credit products, and deposit accounts
• Conducting compliance risk assessments regarding various issues arising under federal and state consumer protection statutes and consumer lending laws
• Advising banks and non-bank financial institutions in connection with examinations by federal and state regulators, including responding to exam findings, Matters Requiring Attention (MRA/MRIA) and enforcement referrals

Prior to joining Orrick, Leslie was counsel at Buckley LLP. She also completed a six-month secondment at a large financial institution, working as a member of the private banking legal advisory group and the litigation department. Leslie is a Professorial Lecturer in Law at the George Washington University Law School, and maintains an active pro bono practice focused on criminal justice and immigration matters.

Dr. Lars Mesenbrink Partner

Düsseldorf

His background in economics, Chinese language skills and extensive international experience add to his excellent legal knowledge and allow him to advise his clients on a comprehensive basis.

Lars has represented clients before the European Commission and the German Federal Cartel Office in all areas of competition law, inter alia including mergers, compliance, cartels, litigation and abuse of dominance.

In these areas, he provides companies with innovative solutions on high-profile complex matters including private damages actions and cartel investigations, often involving multiple jurisdictions.

Lars also pursues international trade and compliance matters, including matters involving foreign investment filings in Germany.

Brianna Messina Managing Associate

New York

Brianna has litigated cases on a broad range of labor & employment topics including those relating to discrimination, harassment, retaliation, non-competition agreements, and whistleblowing in state and federal court, arbitration, and before administrative agencies. Brianna is passionate about counseling clients on pertinent issues related to leave, terminations, accommodations, employee speech issues, and related policies and practices.

Brianna maintains an active pro bono case load in which she assists several non-profit organizations.

Laura Metzger Partner

New York

She regularly represents financial institutions, direct lenders, funds, and investors involved in bankruptcies, out-of-court restructurings, foreclosures, distressed sales and acquisitions, loan and claims trading, bankruptcy litigation and refinancing involving syndicated loan facilities, debtor-in-possession financing and exit financing. She also represents start-up and later stage venture companies (with a focus on technology, blockchain and crypto) and venture capital investors in connection with liquidity crunches, rescue financing, wind-downs and negotiated resolutions with key stakeholders and investments or claims against insolvent counterparties.

Recognized as “outstanding” by The Legal 500 US, Laura was also named a Recognized Practitioner by Chambers USA, which praised her “very commercial and solution oriented” approach. She is “a very capable lawyer who gives great advice,” according to clients. Her clients include Royal Bank of Canada, UBS O’Connor, Red Rock Biofuels, Jade Mountain Partners, ECN Capital Corporation, Equinor, Portigon AG, Macquarie, PwC,Transurban, the Bank of Nova Scotia, and Erste Abwicklungsanstalt among others.

Laura has been involved in many prominent bankruptcy and out-of-court restructuring cases, including FTX, Talen Energy, Celsius Networks, Three Arrows Capital, restructurings related to the collapse of Tera and Luna, Mt. Gox, Legacy Reserves, White Eagle, Cobalt, Chesapeake Energy, Shopko, The Weinstein Company, Lily Robotics, Seadrill, Chaparral, CHC Helicopters, Erickson, GT Advanced Technologies, Hostess, Pocahontas Parkway, Indiana Toll Road, Eagle Bulk, Fresh & Easy, American Airlines, Chemtura Corporation, Lazare Kaplan, Hawker Beechcraft, Metro Fuel, Claim Jumper Restaurants, Abitibibowater, Nortel, Fabrikant, Scotia Pacific, VICORP, Sea Containers, Lyondell, Foxwoods, Delta, US Air, Northwest, Star Diamond, and Ritchie Risk-Linked Strategies Trading (Ireland) Limited. She handles cross-border restructuring matters in major international jurisdictions such as Canada, Europe, Cayman Islands and B.V.I.

Laura also has expertise in the esoteric asset class, life settlements. She represents clients in the life settlement and premium finance markets, acting for buyers, sellers and owners of life settlements and premium finance loans, and has extensive experience with the various legal issues impacting such assets.

Sebastian Meul Partner

Munich

His professional focus is on providing legal advice in complex post-M&A and shareholders' disputes, in which he can particularly make use of his many years of experience as an M&A lawyer.

In addition, Sebastian advises his clients in disputes relating to major construction projects, manager liability cases and in other commercial disputes.

He also has extensive experience in advising clients on M&A transactions and corporate law matters.

Besides the above, Sebastian particularly deals with Legal Tech and Blockchain technology developments and frequently shares his knowledge by publishing articles in legal and social media.

Before joining Orrick, Sebastian worked in the Munich office of a renowned German law firm and in the Toronto office of a major Canadian law firm.

Andrea Mezzetti Of Counsel

Rome

Andrea has been working for 20 years in the Information Technology & Communications sector advising national and international clients on both regulatory and commercial issues.

Andrea is well recognized in the market for his commercial and transactional skills in Tech transactions. He works alongside leading Tech players with a focus on the regulatory aspects of new technologies and the drafting and negotiation of strategic contracts for the launch of new types of services and industry-specific agreements.

As a recognized expert, Andrea is often invited to take part to technical committees established at independent Authorities and Ministries and is a member of several sector-specific associations. He is also regularly invited to give speeches on technology law issues by prestigious Italian Universities.

Andrea is the author of numerous papers and in-depth studies on the matter. He regularly contributes to numerous national and international journals, writing articles on topics related to telecommunications, consumer protection and technology. He participates as a speaker in several conferences, seminars and master's degrees concerning the TMT sector in Italy.

Chloe Michaelidis Associate

Los Angeles

Benedikt Migdal Partner

Düsseldorf

Benedikt advises on structuring and negotiating the IP aspects of corporate transactions, including M&A, divestments and venture investments as well as of commercial transactions where intellectual property rights and know-how are key assets. His work encompasses, for example, IP licensing and technology transfer agreements, engineering services agreements, transition services agreements, R&D collaborations, and IP aspects of contracts throughout the life sciences sector.

Benedikt is also an experienced patent and trade secret litigator and has represented German and international clients from a range of industries in complex disputes, especially concerning patents and know-how in the fields of mobile telecommunication/connectivity and the life sciences.

Based on his extensive experience in both IP transactions and litigation, he deeply understands the full range of legal and economical issues that technology-driven companies are challenged with in context with IP. This also includes IP-related competition law issues, such as FRAND-requirements for licensing and enforcing standard essential patents as well as issues arising in connection with EU regulations concerning technology transfers.

Andrew W. Miller Senior Associate

San Francisco

As a Senior Associate in Orrick’s Technology Companies Group, Andrew leverages his experience as a general counsel, operator and investor to guide clients through all stages from startup to exit. He is a trusted advisor on board governance, venture capital transactions, general employment and commercial matters, conflict resolution, mergers & acquisitions and public offerings. Andrew also counsels venture funds in structuring deals and assists them in identifying and managing the various risks associated with their investments.

 
Prior to re-joining Orrick in 2022, Andrew was employee number 2 at a venture-backed food technology/CPG startup where, in addition to acting as General Counsel, he established the finance, accounting, HR and operations management functions of the company and served on the executive management team responsible for defining and executing the company’s strategic initiatives.

Andrew began his legal career as an associate with Orrick’s Technology Companies Group in 2016 and is the recipient of the Firm’s 2019 Alan Talkington Mentorship Award. He also has experience working for venture funds and technology startups and is an active angel investor.

 
Andrew lives in Colorado with his wife, daughter and labradoodle. In his spare time, you can often find him hiking, fly fishing and skiing.

Rudi Miller Associate, Currently on client secondment

Los Angeles

Rudi has experience representing large commercial clients in complex and high-value litigation in federal and state courts across the country. She has advised clients in all stages of litigation from receipt of pre-litigation demands through discovery, expert work, summary judgment, trial preparation, and trial. In her pro bono practice, Rudi has provided services to ICE detainees and low-income veterans. 

Tyler Miller Senior Associate

New York

Tyler has represented clients in the federal district courts, before the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and at the United States Patent and Trademark Office in IPR and CBM matters.  He has experience in matters involving a wide range of technologies, including software, consumer electronics and biotechnology.

Rachel Miller Managing Associate

Washington, D.C.

Rachel regularly advises clients on the applicability of federal and state laws governing internet gambling, sports-betting, fantasy sports and other forms of gambling and non-gambling gaming. She has experience preparing gaming license applications in over a dozen states for individuals and entities involved in sports wagering, internet gaming and advance deposit wagering industries. She also has represented non-gambling gaming companies in consumer class action litigations and arbitrations implicating gambling considerations. She counsels clients on the “gamification” of their non-gaming products and services, including NFTs and other blockchain technologies, and advises with respect to the laws governing contests, sweepstakes, and other types of promotions.

Before joining Orrick, Rachel was an associate at another global law firm. She also has experience counseling clients on trade controls, including CFIUS, sanctions and export controls, and responding to congressional investigations.