People

Xiang Wang Partner

Beijing; New York

Xiang is a Guiding Expert of the China Overseas IP Dispute Response & Guidance Center.

He also serves several consultancy roles for local regulatory authorities, including as IP Guiding Expert of Shenzhen IP Protection Center; IP Guiding Expert of Zhejiang Province IP Protection Center; IP Consultant of Technology Innovation Bureau of Nanjing Jiangbei New Area Management Committee (Jiangsu Province); Expert of IP Dispute Investigation and Appraisal of Foshan Market Supervision and Administration Bureau (Guangdong Province); and Expert for Overseas IP Protection and Assistance of Foshan Intellectual Property Bureau (Guangdong Province).

Dr. Wang is an arbitrator of Beijing Arbitration Commission and Beijing International Arbitration Center.

Xiang has extensive experience in assisting local and foreign-based multinational companies with all aspects of their IP rights in the U.S. and China, including IP litigation and arbitration, patent infringement, industrial espionage, trade secret misappropriation, copyright and trademark infringement, ITC Sec. 337 investigations, patent office proceedings including inter partes reviews (IPR), IP due diligence and portfolio counseling, technology export control, mass torts and product liability, securities litigation, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and other investigations and compliance. These matters have implicated a vast array of technologies, from software and electronics to renewable energy and medical devices as well as agricultural and building materials, to name just a few.

Xiang also works extensively on cybersecurity investigations and data privacy compliance matters for both Chinese and international clients.

Xiang has been particularly active in Chinese state-owned enterprises related U.S. litigation. Clients turn to his strategic and innovative advice thanks to his in-depth understanding of their business needs and political risks. Clients appreciate that he “understood the environment in the China legal system and can give nuanced advice”.

Xiang has developed the region’s premier IP practice based on his reputation as one of the few IP lawyers who has a doctorate in electrical and computer engineering, a Juris Doctor, a Chinese Certificate of Laws, and admission to practice law in New York, Indiana and before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Due to its success in patent disputes in the United States and China, involving both foreign and Chinese companies, Orrick IP team was exclusively featured in a documentary film “Patent Wars” by the China Central Television (CCTV).

Xiang is highly regarded for his practical legal advice that results from more than ten years of experience at medical and electronic device businesses before becoming a lawyer. He also has received four U.S. medical-technology patents in his name.

Scott Ward Partner

Washington, D.C.

Scott has spent years working in the political arena on both the federal and state level, promoting political and policy agendas via a national network of elected officials, policy makers and outside influence groups.

He has comprehensive experience in federal and state campaign finance, ethics, lobbying and compliance law, and assists clients in all aspects of compliance with rules related to engaging in the political process.

Prior to joining Orrick, he was the President and General Counsel of the Republican State Leadership Committee, a $30 million national political organization focused on electing Republicans to the state offices of Attorney General, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, and State Legislator. Under his leadership, the Republican State Leadership Committee made historic gains in the 2010 elections, netting a record 700 plus state legislative seats, flipping 20 state chambers to Republican control as well as netting six Attorneys General, seven Secretaries of State and three independently elected Lt. Governors.

Scott was previously in private practice with Holtzman Vogel Josefiak PLLC and Arent Fox LLP in the areas of Political law and Litigation. He advised numerous IRS § 527 political organizations, federal and state political action committees, federal and state candidates, state parties, associations, corporations and non-profits in all aspects of fundraising, organization, compliance, disclosure and reporting under federal and state campaign finance laws.

He was General Counsel and served on the Executive Committee of the District of Columbia Republican Party from 2004 to 2012. Prior to his legal career, Scott served as Field Director for Americans for a Republican Majority Political Action Committee (ARMPAC) and worked on the majority staff of the U.S. House Budget Committee for Chairman John Kasich.

Kelli Ward Associate

San Francisco

Kelli's current practice consists of securities, employment, antitrust, and complex litigation.

Montana Ware Senior Associate

Austin

Montana primarily represents emerging growth companies, venture capital funds and other strategic investors in a wide array of corporate matters, including early and late-stage venture funding rounds, formation and corporate governance, securities issuances and mergers and acquisitions.

Select engagements Montana has advised on include:

• Represented Stripe in its $6.5 billion Series I round
• Represented Solugen in its $350 million Series C and $200 million Series D financings
• Represented Merama in its $225 million Series B and $80 million Series B follow-on financings
• Represented Next Insurance in its $250 million Series C financing, $250 million Series D financing and $250 million Series E financing
• Represented Coatue Management in its investment in the $100 million Series B financing of Mercury Technologies
• Represented D1 Capital Partners in its investment in the $450 million Series D financing of Andruil
• Represented Inspire Semiconductor in its $2.5 million Series A financing and acquisition of Greenfield Acquisition (TSX:GAC.P), a publicly-traded SPAC, by way of a reverse merger
• Represented Codecademy in its $525 million acquisition by SkillSoft (NYS: SKIL), a New Hampshire based provider of educational software
• Represented Envisics in its $50 million Series C financing
• Represented Supabase in its $30 million Series A and $80 million Series B financings
• Represented Coatue Management in its $17 million investment in LiveControl
• Represented a Brazilian digital entrepreneurship platform in its Series A financing
• Represented a cloud software company in its Series C investment in an enterprise blockchain company
• Represented a talent management software provider in multiple financings
• Represented a cloud software company in its $30 million Series B investment in an open source SQL database
• Represented the investment arm of a global financial services company in its Series A investment in an intelligence platform using AI and predictive modeling
• Represented the venture financing division of a large insurance company in its participation in the $29 million Series E financing of an insurance claims technology provider
• Represented a voice-controlled mobile platform in its $20 million Series C financing
• Represented the venture financing division of a large technology company in its Series C investment in an application traffic manager
• Represented Calibrate Ventures in its investment in the $20 million Series A financing of GrayMatter
• Represented Coatue Management in its investment in the $35 million Series B financing of Crivello Technologies
• Represented Fintual, a Chile based company that provides savings and investment options through an online platform, in its $39 million Series B financing
• Represented Flex Capital in its investment in the $23 million Series A financing of GoFreight Inc.
• Represented InsideSherpa in its $25 million Series B financing
• Represented Gym Class in its $8 million Series Seed financing
• Represented Keen Technologies, an AI startup, in its financing
• Represented Radiant in its $12.6 million Series A financing
• Represented Red Sea Ventures in its investment in the $25 million Series A financing of Accrue Savings, Inc.

*Please note: Montana’s experience includes that prior to joining Orrick.

Jason Warrington Managing Associate

Washington, D.C.

His practice focuses on project finance transactions in the energy and infrastructure sectors.

Nick Weaver Senior Employment Career Assoc

Wheeling, W.V. (GOIC)

Nick has experience with a broad range of commercial and civil litigation matters, including multi-district litigation, class actions, healthcare disputes, qui tam lawsuits, securities and financial industry litigation, white collar investigations, and corporate internal investigations. He assists with all aspects of the discovery process, including:

• coordinating the preservation, collection, review and production of information;
• negotiating and applying search terms to structured and unstructured ESI;
• conducting custodian interviews;
• advising clients on TAR and implementing related methods to streamline discovery;
• managing privilege reviews, creating privilege logs, and advising clients on complex privilege issues;
• negotiating and structuring ESI protocols;
• participating in or spearheading meet and confer negotiations;
• advising how to navigate complex data sources and evolving communication tools and platforms;
• addressing data privacy and cybersecurity issues; and
• responding to written discovery.

He also has extensive experience retaining and supervising outside vendors on behalf of clients who will handle sensitive client data while coordinating eDiscovery services, including negotiating pricing and the terms of their service agreements to obtain the best possible arrangements for clients. Nick has been a part of trial teams, and has managed case teams during trials and arbitrations. His goal is to provide clients and Orrick lawyers with innovative solutions providing streamlined processes, leveraging technology and novel products, and identifying tailored solutions to any set of issues.

Nick also devotes a portion of his practice to pro bono matters including issues related to the Covid-19 pandemic, wrongful criminal convictions, and complex immigration issues.

Prior to joining Orrick, Nick worked as an attorney in the Business and Tort Litigation group at Jones Day in Pittsburgh, PA. His practice focused on complex commercial disputes, class action defense, and related eDiscovery issues.

Lauren Weber Senior Associate

Seattle

Lauren represents clients in high-stakes appeals, with a focus on patent litigation. Lauren also joins trial teams as embedded appellate counsel to guide the team's legal strategy and draft important briefs. She has argued in the Ninth Circuit, where she won relief from removal for an immigration client seeking asylum. She also has co-authored briefs in the Second, Ninth, Tenth, D.C., and Federal Circuits, as well as the U.S. Supreme Court at both the certiorari and merits stages. Lauren has an active pro bono practice focused on immigration matters and civil rights.

Before joining Orrick, Lauren served as a law clerk to Judge Susan P. Graber of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and Judge John R. Blakey of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Lauren graduated summa cum laude from the University of Wisconsin Law School, where she received the Salmon Dalberg Award for outstanding member of the graduating class and was a Managing Editor for the Wisconsin Law Review. Before law school, Lauren worked for a major software company in the healthcare industry.

Devin Weber Associate

New York

Devin’s practice focuses on representing corporations and individuals in a variety of industries in complex business litigation and disputes. Devin represents financial institutions, technology corporations, and other entities in a range of civil disputes.

L. Mark Weeks Senior Counsel

New York

He concentrates his practice on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, clean technology, life sciences, IT and telecommunications asset transfers, strategic investments, and general corporate representation for U.S., Japanese and other Asian companies.

Mark speaks, reads and writes fluent Japanese.

Brian Wegrzyn Counsel

New York

Prior to joining Orrick, Brian was counsel at Buckley LLP, where he served as a member of the firm’s Pro Bono Committee. He also previously worked as a litigation associate at O’Melveny & Myers LLP, clerked for the Honorable Richard J. Sullivan in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (SDNY) and was an associate with Winston & Strawn LLP. Brian also has served as an adjunct professor of law at Fordham University Law School.

Alfred Weightman Partner

London

Alfred represents major corporate purchasers and developers in negotiating renewable energy PPAs. His advice helps buy-side clients to reduce their energy costs and meet their clean energy targets. He also advises developers in securing long-term project revenues by structuring and negotiating bankable PPAs. His experience covers all major European jurisdictions, including Spain, the Netherlands, Poland, France, Germany, Sweden, Italy and the UK.

Alfred’s experience also extends to grid connection arrangements, energy storage, energy regulation and other energy transition matters.

Prior to joining Orrick, Alfred was a Senior Legal Director at a leading solar developer and, before that, was the EMEA Region Lead for Energy at Amazon Web Services, the world’s largest buyer of renewable energy. He also spent nearly a decade at an international law firm, assisting clients in meeting their net-zero climate targets.

Robert Weinhold Counsel

Düsseldorf

Robert has always been fascinated by new technologies and digitization. Pursuing his fascination, he focused his legal studies on media law, intellectual property law and data protection law. Prior to working at Orrick, he also gained experience by founding a company that provided a software as a platform solution and working for a German venture capital investor. His legal advice on technology transactions—in particular, SaaS and IP agreements, e-commerce-related topics, related assistance in mergers and acquisitions or core data privacy—thus reflects not only his legal experience but also his experience and fascination with new technology. Being an IT and IP lawyer with a very commercial mindset, Robert drafts and negotiates all sorts of IT and IP agreements, for small to medium companies and large multinationals. He advises on privacy compliance—in particular drafts, privacy policies, and national as well as international data processing agreements—or provides his knowledge with the assessment of the IP/IT and privacy matters in M&A transactions.

He joined Orrick in 2017 after working as a scientific researcher in the field of Data Privacy.