People

Behnam Dayanim Partner

Washington, D.C.

Behn advises gaming and gambling providers, large media companies, Fintech, blockchain and more traditional financial services participants, and other technology and consumer-focused companies on issues at the intersection of gaming, financial services, data privacy and governance and related regulatory areas. Clients turn to him for his ability to advise on the whole frame of issues they may encounter, and he is equally comfortable guiding emerging companies in the early stages of their lifecycles and mature, multinational public companies. Behn is at home in the courtroom – representing clients in cutting-edge gaming litigations, before regulatory bodies – helping the crypto industry address growing sanctions and other financial services obligations, and in the boardroom – assisting in the formation of significant commercial partnerships, brand licenses, acquisitions and other combinations.

Daniel Dunne Senior Counsel

Seattle

Chambers USA observed Dan’s “enviable client roster includes major corporates and financial institutions, as well as company directors, officers and accountants. He is particularly active in securities-related litigation, with additional experience in shareholder disputes. Adept in the courtroom, has tried more than a dozen cases to verdict in state and federal courts.” One client characterized his cross examination of a Nobel-Laureate economist as simply “amazing.”

Dan has enjoyed considerable success in high-profile national matters with the finest law firms in the country from coast to coast, from the Delaware Court of Chancery to New York Supreme Court to the Washington Supreme Court, where he recently argued an issue of first impression under the Washington State Securities Act. Dan has active matters advising Washington’s most sophisticated legal clients with respect to securities and shareholder matters.

Dan has also been a key part of the winning Orrick team leading the defense of Credit Suisse in against an avalanche of litigation related to claims involving residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS). Dan has acted as co-lead partner on a number of successful constitutional challenges to state and local taxes and legislation.

Alison Epperson Senior Associate

New York

Alison represents individuals and corporations in a broad range of white collar criminal defense, anti-corruption, regulatory, and trade matters across the globe with a focus on the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and other anti-corruption laws and regulations. Alison's practice involves conducting internal investigations, representing clients in matters before the U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission, and U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Controls, and enhancing corporate compliance programs. Alison has extensive experience responding to subpoenas and information requests from government entities and has trial and litigation experience in multiple federal district courts. She has also helped clients navigate shareholder books and records inspection demands and shareholder derivative lawsuits. Alison has represented companies around the world in the oil and gas, medical technology, digital entertainment, pharmaceutical, education, blockchain, technology, and financial industries.

Alison's practice also includes online safety issues, including advising companies on compliance with online safety-related obligations and best practices in the US and conducting online safety compliance risk assessments, especially as it relates to user safety on internet dating platforms. Alison's experience includes representing clients in connection with criminal and civil investigations conducted by state attorneys general related to state online safety legislation. 

Alison remains committed to serving her community through pro bono representation and has experience in reproductive rights cases and policies, immigration and asylum matters, death penalty cases, policing and racial justice cases and policies, and a range of other constitutional issues. Alison has represented clients on civil and criminal matters in federal court, including a domestic violence survivor in a Hague Convention proceeding. Most recently, Alison helped achieve a meaningful settlement on behalf of the family of a man killed by police officers in Greenville, Mississippi after convincing the district court to deny qualified immunity for the officers involved.

Prior to joining Orrick, Alison graduated from Case Western Reserve University School of Law. In addition, while pursuing her undergraduate degree from Centre College, Alison worked on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., specifically in the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions committee. In 2016, Alison co-founded the non-profit, CTE Hope, an organization dedicated to addressing the issues and research of traumatic brain injures and chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

William J. Foley Partner

New York

His practice focuses on the representation of financial institutions, investment advisors and other public and privately-held companies in corporate and securities litigation, and other complex business litigation matters. In particular, he has wide-ranging experience representing clients in stock-drop class actions, shareholder derivative actions, M&A and hostile takeover disputes, and complex contractual and business tort cases before federal and state courts and the Delaware Court of Chancery.

Justin Giovannettone Senior Career Associate

Sacramento

Justin has represented individuals, corporations and public entities in connection with civil lawsuits, government investigations, insurance conservatorships, and compliance monitorships.  He has managed civil litigation matters and corporate internal investigations relating to accounting fraud, harassment, securities laws, and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.  He has also been a member of two government-appointed SEC and DOJ Monitorships, and helped represent a medical device company under a multi-year Monitorship ultimately resulting in dismissal of the criminal Information against the company. 

In October 2018, Justin represented the victim of a sexual assault in a jury trial in Yolo County Superior Court.  Sitting first chair at trial, Justin obtained a unanimous verdict and full damages for this pro bono client.

Prior to attending law school, Justin served on active duty for nine years in the United States Air Force.  He is currently a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force Reserve.

Jackson Hagen Managing Associate

Washington, D.C.

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

Meg Hennessey Of Counsel

San Francisco; Orange County

Meg helps online service providers comply with online safety and consumer protection laws by marrying her knowledge of the data-driven environment with a decade of experience in white-collar and regulatory investigations. She also advises her clients on developing Trust & Safety compliance programs to manage the risks of misleading or harmful content online such as child exploitation or hate speech that could lead to investigations or litigation.

As a crisis responder, Meg assists clients at every stage, from starting a dialogue with regulators to responding to formal inquiries to managing investigations. She has led diverse teams of lawyers and consultants in conducting investigations, including those initiated by the DOJ, SEC, FTC, OIG, State AGs, and Congress. She has also acted on both sides of corporate Monitorships, serving on two Monitorship teams, and representing two international companies undergoing years-long scrutiny of an external Monitor. This experience provides her with unique insight into best practices in the assessment and development of ethics, integrity, and online safety trust and compliance programs.

Meg co-leads Orrick’s Orange County women’s inclusion network. Early in her career, she worked with LGBTQ+ youth at the National Center for Lesbian Rights and in the Juvenile Unit at the Santa Clara County Office of the Public Defender. She works pro bono for immigration and women's health organizations. She lives in California with her spouse and kids.

Benjamin Hutten Partner

New York

Ben has a deep understanding of sanctions and AML regulations and enforcement. In addition to his client work, he has participated in numerous financial industry group regulatory initiatives related to sanctions and AML issues, including The Clearing House Guiding Principles for Anti-Money Laundering Policies and Procedures in Correspondent Banking, initiatives to address “de-risking” and related to BSA information sharing. Ben also conducts international trainings in AML and sanctions issues for the Financial Services Volunteer Corps.

He has been recognized by Best Lawyers in America as "One to Watch" and by Super Lawyers as a "Rising Star." Prior to joining Orrick, Ben was counsel at Buckley LLP and an associate at Sullivan & Cromwell LLP.

Sunny Hwang Senior Associate

Los Angeles

A natural advocate, Sunny has first chaired litigation from inception through favorable resolution and successfully briefed and argued dispositive motions and appeals. Sunny is adept at all stages of discovery, comfortable with cross-border disputes, and experienced in both government and internal investigations. Sunny also has particular knowledge regarding the nuances of alternative dispute resolution, including drafting and enforcement of both B2B and B2C arbitration provisions.

Sunny jumpstarted his career by honing his research and writing skills as law clerk to Chief Judge Kimberly J. Mueller of the federal District Court in Sacramento and judicial extern to the late Judge Harry Pregerson of the Ninth Circuit. Before law school, Sunny served for several years as a trade attache for the French government, covering the oenology and viticulture sector.

Sample engagements include:

• Representing the outside directors of one of the largest pharmaceutical distributors in the United States in multi-district opioid litigation
• Representing the co-founder of one of the largest ENDS companies in the United States in a government investigation and in multi-district vaping litigation
• Representing a special committee of the Board of Directors of a Bay Area startup in an internal investigation involving the founder and CEO
• Representing a Russian rail conglomerate against a former executive in multi-district trade secret litigation
• Representing a Chinese investor and entrepreneur in a dispute over control of a Delaware corporation
• Representing one of France's largest multinationals in a dispute over payment of an earnout

Richard Jacobsen Partner

New York

Rich serves as lead counsel for Credit Suisse’s entire residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) docket in federal and state courts throughout the country. He is lead counsel for Goldman Sachs in two RMBS cases in the SDNY. For nearly a decade, he has been lead counsel for Ocwen Financial Services in all matters concerning its market-leading business servicing loans in residential mortgage-backed securitizations. He is currently lead counsel for Nationstar Mortgage LLC d/b/a Mr. Cooper in a breach of contract action pending in the Delaware Court of Chancery. Rich has also frequently represented companies with respect to disputes involving the distressed debt trading market, including Jefferies and Citibank, and frequently tries nine figure disputes in the most important bankruptcy jurisdictions in the United States for clients such as UBS and Blackstone.

He and his Orrick team bring to each representation a combination of deep financial markets knowledge, holistic litigation strategy and a problem-solving mentality. In an industry where many cases are settled, he has established a formidable record at trial and on appeal, while achieving regulatory settlements at a small fraction of the industry benchmarks.

Named Litigators of the Week by The American Lawyer for his representation of Credit Suisse that yielded a precedent-setting decision from the New York Court of Appeals that will change the future of RMBS litigation, clients laud Rich telling Chambers (2022), “He makes my job easier by deploying a combination of impeccable legal skill, excellent judgment and a knowledge of the financial services industry.” “I would recommend Rich to anyone.”  (2024) "He makes my job easier by deploying a combination of strengths - impeccable legal skills, excellent judgment, knowledge of the finance sector and a formidable reputation."  Echoing that praise, clients say (2021) “I would recommend Richard Jacobsen in the highest terms,” he is (2020) “an exceptional litigator” and “a master of navigating commercial disputes.” Chambers also reports that clients regard him as “a commercial disputes wizard.” Clients hold Rich in high regard, telling Legal 500 our commercial disputes team is (2021) “brilliant,” while the publication calls out his “business critical disputes” work for Credit Suisse and Goldman Sachs. Clients further endorse Rich when speaking to Legal 500, noting he (2020) “is always available and willing to do what is necessary in any situation. His knowledge of the industry and more importantly where we fit in the industry has paid tremendous dividends from a legal representation perspective. I have not dealt with an attorney from any other firm that had the combination of knowledge, ability, reputation and judgment that Rich has.” Another client called out Rich’s “razor sharp intellect” which sets him apart from other disputes and trial lawyers.

A first-chair trial lawyer recognized as one of Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Litigators in America, Rich has litigated commercial, securities and product liability disputes for clients in many other industries in venues across the country. His clients have included: Amazon, Caesars Entertainment, Inc., The Dow Chemical Company, Microsoft, DISH Network, Acer and Wyeth. He has argued numerous appeals at the state and federal levels and frequently represents clients before state and federal regulators. He has argued multiple times before seven of the eight current justices in the Commercial Division of New York’s Supreme Court, New York County, and has arbitrated before the American Arbitration Association and London Court of International Arbitration.

David Krakoff Partner

Washington, D.C.

His clients are investigated and prosecuted by the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Treasury Department and other domestic and foreign enforcement agencies. They face prosecution for potential violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), and the laws regulating securities enforcement, accounting fraud, public corruption, antitrust, tax health care, export control, False Claims Act (FCA), trade secrets and the environment. In addition, his clients are often involved in high-stakes shareholder class action litigation. He has had primary trial responsibility in more than 50 cases.

David is a recognized leader in the field of white collar and complex litigation. He is a Fellow in The American College of Trial Lawyers. Chambers USA has ranked him as a leading Litigation lawyer (2006-2022), and described him as "one of the best trial lawyers in the city … a genuine lion of the white-collar Bar ... extremely thoughtful and imaginative in developing investigation and trial strategy … He really knows his way around the court and the justice system. One of his greatest strengths is that he is unflinching in his willingness to try cases." Chambers also noted his FCPA work: “He is a shrewd tactician and always thoroughly prepared … great tactical judgment and a sense for strategy." Other accolades include: Legal 500 (2012, 2015-2022), which recognized him as the leader of Buckley’s "terrific" team that is “highly active in a number of regulated industries, with noted expertise in the financial services sector." Benchmark Litigation 2019 named him as a top practitioner in White Collar and General Commercial Litigation. In 2015 he was named a Law360 Trial Ace and a National Law Journal White Collar Trailblazer.

Prior to joining Orrick, David was a partner at Buckley LLP. In addition to his experience in private practice, he served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia for 10 years.

James N. Kramer Partner

San Francisco; Silicon Valley

Recognized as a leader in Securities Litigation by Chambers USA, clients praise Jim as, “a spectacular relationship manager” and tell the publication, “Jim is one of the first people I will call to think through an issue. I would use him for any securities matters.” Jim is also regularly featured among Benchmark Litigation’s list of the nation’s Leading Litigators.

Jim is a frequent lecturer on securities and class action litigation and an editor for the Securities Reform Act Litigation Reporter. Jim is past chair of the Embarcadero YMCA Board of Managers and remains active in YMCA philanthropy. In his spare time, he enjoys time with his family and is a recreational long course triathlete.