People

Lynne Hermle Partner

Silicon Valley

Lynne led the trial team that obtained a complete defense verdict for Kleiner Perkins in Pao v. Kleiner Perkins, the high-stakes gender discrimination and retaliation case that garnered intense international media scrutiny. In naming Lynne “Litigator of the Week” for this victory, American Lawyer described her effective voir dire and how she “steadily poked holes in Pao’s testimony.” The Recorder called Lynne’s cross-examination “masterful” and Bloomberg reported that her “charismatic, intimidating oratory made her the trial’s breakout star.”

Following Pao, Lynne secured a complete defense verdict for SpaceX in an $8 million gender discrimination and retaliation suit. The Daily Journal called the outcome “another triumph for Hermle,” observing that her “string of successes for tech clients fighting off gender harassment and discrimination claims got longer.” The publication also pronounced Lynne to be “arguably the most feared employment defense attorney in California.” Eight months later she followed that up with another jury defense verdict for SpaceX in a wrongful discharge and retaliation case.

Lynne has significant experience successfully defending complex discrimination and wage-and-hour class actions for global leaders in the retail and technology sectors including Microsoft, X (formerly Twitter), The Gap, Genentech, Sears, Burlington Coat Factory, Gymboree, Spencer’s Gifts, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Williams Sonoma and Pottery Barn Kids, among many others.

In recognition of these successes and her high-profile career trial work, Lynne was inducted into the American College of Trial Lawyers in 2017. She is a fellow in the International Academy of Trial Lawyers and many other trial related organizations.

Necia Hobbes Senior Employment Career Assoc

Wheeling, W.V. (GOIC)

Necia’s employment law practice focuses on federal court discrimination litigation, as well as complex litigation and class actions, including pay equity claims, wage and hour disputes, and OFCCP administrative claims. She handles cases from inception through to appellate briefing and strategy, and assists companies with a variety of compliance-related challenges including internal investigations, pay equity analyses, and government investigations and audits.

Prior to joining Orrick, Necia handled all aspects of general litigation cases at another global law firm including acting as lead counsel in approximately 50 cases in federal, state and administrative courts.

Additionally, Ms. Hobbes served as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable D. Michael Fisher of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and obtained a graduate degree from Carnegie Mellon University’s H. John Heinz III School of Public Policy & Management. She previously consulted with the Office of High School Reform for the Pittsburgh Public Schools, served as a Coro Fellow in Public Affairs with the Coro Center for Civil Leadership in Pittsburgh, PA, and worked as a project manager and writer at a market research firm.

Ms. Hobbes is dedicated to pro bono and community service, and has volunteered advising non-profit organizations through employment law challenges related to COVID-19, developing resources on international anti-trafficking laws, and litigating immigration cases assisting refugee children fleeing violence in Central America, civil cases helping prisoners pursue their constitutional rights, and state court petitions for transgender legal name changes.  She has volunteered in the past with women’s rights and immigration advocacy organizations, and teaching English in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Alice Hoesterey Senior Associate

Silicon Valley; Seattle

Alice has experience representing public and private companies in litigation across multiple industries including entertainment, technology, automotive, and retail. Alice regularly counsels clients on complex litigation strategy in multiple venues, including federal and state court, arbitration, and before government tribunals. She has successfully drafted numerous dispositive motions, managed all aspects of fact and expert discovery, and has substantial experience taking and defending depositions and arguing critical motions. Alice has litigated all types of disputes, including complicated trade secret actions,  whistleblower and discrimination claims, enforcement of non-compete agreements, and class actions, reaching favorable resolutions for her clients. 

Alice maintains an active pro bono practice, focusing primarily on issues relating to criminal justice reform.  

Prior to joining Orrick, Alice worked as an associate in Latham & Watkins’ Century City office. She earned her Juris Doctor degree from Harvard Law School where she graduated cum laude.

Jillian Victoria Kaltner Senior Associate

Silicon Valley

Before joining Orrick, Jillian clerked at the San Francisco Superior Court, where she honed her skills and passion for civil litigation. 

Jillian graduated Magna Cum Laude and Order of the Coif from UC Hastings College of the Law.  During law school, Jillian won multiple awards for both brief writing and oral advocacy with the school's nationally-ranked Moot Court program.  Jillian also served as the Executive Editor of the Hastings Women's Law Journal.  

Anastasia Kerdock Counsel

New York

Anastasia advises and defends clients with respect to a wide range of employment matters including:

• Allegations of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation
• Pattern or practice, class, and collective actions
• Diversity and inclusion initiatives and pay equity

Anastasia also counsels clients on a variety of legal issues and best practices related to the employee life cycle, including:

• Recruitment
• Hiring
• Performance management
• Separation of employment
• Negotiation of employment and severance agreements

Ernan Kiselica Managing Associate

Orange County

Before joining Orrick, Ernan served as a law clerk for the Honorable Mary H. Murguia of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and the Honorable David G. Campbell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona.

Ernan earned his law degree from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, where he served as Executive Editor on the California Law Review. He also earned a Masters in Advanced International Studies from the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna (Austria) and a B.S. in Justice Studies from Arizona State University.

Alexandra Kleemann Managing Associate

San Francisco

Alex draws on her experience representing clients at all stages of development on a variety of matters, including litigating employment and contract disputes; conducting internal investigations; guiding clients through complex executive terminations and large-scale reductions-in-force; defending clients before state agencies in wage-and-hour, discrimination, and labor-related disputes; drafting internal policies; conducting due diligence for mergers and acquisitions and other corporate transactions; and advising clients on compliance with the complex web of federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations.

Esther Lander Partner

Washington, D.C.

Esther also regularly advises on diversity and inclusion initiatives, such as pay equity studies, intentional recruiting and lawful affirmative action plans and goals.

In addition to her litigation practice, she counsels clients on all areas of federal, state and local employment law, including executive terminations; severance agreements; workforce reductions; and compliance with federal and state obligations such as the WARN Act and the Older Workers Benefit Protection Act.

She also provides advice regarding the proper validation of employment selection procedures to ensure compliance with Title VII and other applicable employment laws. Esther has specific expertise in testing validation and she routinely reviews validation and adverse impact studies to provide clients with strategic advice regarding the defensibility of selection devices, including algorithmic decision-making tools used to assess applicants and employees.

She previously served as the principal deputy chief of the Employment Litigation Section within the Civil Rights Division of the DOJ.

Lauren Leibovitch Senior Associate

Santa Monica

Lauren focuses on defending employers in complex wage-and-hour lawsuits, including class, representative, and collective actions in both federal and state courts. She is a persuasive writer and experienced litigator who leverages her substantial wage-and-hour knowledge to develop creative strategies and solutions. Lauren has been a key player in successfully defeating class certification and securing dismissals of PAGA actions. Through smart litigation, Lauren ensures favorable outcomes for her clients.

Lauren has authored numerous articles and client alerts, providing valuable insights on various aspects of employment law. Before joining Orrick, Lauren served as co-editor of Morrison & Foerster's Employment Law Commentary blog, which covers judicial, litigation, and legislative developments, their implications for employers, and strategies to ensure compliance and avoid lawsuits.

Lauren graduated cum laude from the University of California, San Francisco (formerly UC Hastings), where she was Senior Articles Editor for the Hastings Law Journal and received CALI Awards for earning the highest grade in Legal Writing & Research, E-Discovery, and Critical Studies I: Writing. During pursuit of her J.D., she served as a judicial extern for the Honorable Mary E. Wiss and the Honorable Curtis E.A. Karnow in the San Francisco Superior Court of Complex Civil Litigation, and for the Honorable Consuelo B. Marshall in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. In undergrad, Lauren was an NCAA Division I coxswain on UCLA’s rowing team.

Herbert Levine Counsel

New York

He has represented U.S. and multi-national corporations engaged in a wide variety of industries, including retailing, radio and television broadcasting, automotive parts, printing and publishing, refining and packaging of petroleum products, manufacturing and distribution of wines, spirits and related products, hotels, food service, financial institutions, passenger airline, and freight forwarding companies.

Herbert has extensive experience in negotiating collective bargaining agreements, and has represented clients in a broad range of labor matters, including: union election and unfair labor practice cases, arbitrations and strike related matters. His practice also includes federal and state court and administrative agency litigation covering employment discrimination, wrongful discharge, ERISA, and wage-and-hour matters.

He has participated in establishing security programs for clients, helped design benefit plans, employment handbooks, and worked with clients on affirmative-action compliance reviews and safety and health matters. He has drafted and negotiated employment agreements, and has done extensive work in counseling and representing clients in merger and acquisition problems including negotiations with adverse parties, unions, and insurance carriers.

Herbert started his practice as an attorney for the National Labor Relations Board, and then worked for Proskauer, Rose, Goetz, & Mendelsohn. From 1972 to 1990, Herbert was a partner at the firm of Baer, Marks & Upham, where he chaired the employment law department, and was instrumental in building a labor and employee benefits practice. 

He joined Orrick in 1991, and continued as a partner until 2002, when he retired from the partnership in order to devote more of his time to family obligations. He has continued to practice with Orrick since that time as counsel.

Joseph Liburt Partner

Silicon Valley

Clients turn to Joe again and again as a creative problem solver and trusted advisor in helping them achieve their goals quickly and efficiently.

For example, in a wage class action for Sears, Joe quarterbacked an unusual strategy to dismiss the case. The team discovered that the plaintiff had filed for bankruptcy, and filed a motion to dismiss because the plaintiff no longer owned the lawsuit, the bankruptcy trustee did. But the plaintiff argued he might re-acquire the lawsuit in bankruptcy court, and the district court allowed him to try. In the bankruptcy court, Joe had Sears buy the lawsuit (an asset of the plaintiff’s bankruptcy estate) for a nominal amount, and then returned to the district court where Sears, now the owner of the class action against itself, dismissed the case with prejudice.

In Pao v. Kleiner Perkins, the high-stakes gender discrimination and retaliation case that garnered intense national scrutiny, Joe led the trial team's work on jury instructions and expert witnesses.

Joe is praised by clients, co-counsel and colleagues for his collaborative approach and ability to bring out the best work from the team.

Christopher Lippert Associate

London

Chris is a solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales with experience acting for and against States, commercial parties and individuals in commercial arbitration and litigation. He often works on cross-border disputes, spanning the UK, Canada, Peru, Brazil, Romania, Italy and France.