Behnam Dayanim Joins Orrick as Global Head of Digital Commerce and Gaming

• Behn Dayanim joins the firm as a partner in DC to lead the firm’s Digital Commerce & Gaming practice
• He joins from Paul Hastings, where he chairs both the Advertising, Gaming & Promotions and Data Privacy & Cybersecurity practice groups.
• Combining Behn’s skills with our market leading gaming practice will create one of the most comprehensive and experienced teams advising the gaming industry on legislation and regulation, corporate and financing transactions, cybersecurity and privacy and other commercial matters.
• Behn will also collaborate closely with our Fintech team to advise crypto companies, exchanges and payment processors on the fast changing regulatory landscape– he is the fourth addition to our Fintech team since June.

“Our strategy is focused on helping our clients navigate an environment in which innovation is outpacing regulation,” observed Orrick Chair Mitch Zuklie. “There are few practitioners in the market able to do so with as broad and insightful a perspective as Behn and we are thrilled to add his leadership to our team.”

Behn is well known for advising the world's most innovative fintech and financial services businesses, most prominent social media and tech companies and the full range of gaming industry participants, including internet gambling, sports-betting, fantasy sports, mobile gaming and e-sports. His experience includes gaming regulation, digital advertising, privacy and cybersecurity and fintech and financial services regulation. He has advised in connection with some of the gaming industry's largest acquisitions, partnerships and public offerings, including U.S. Department of Justice reviews. He also handles class action litigation related to gambling and consumer protection issues.

“Behn is a transformational hire for our Tech & Innovation team in gaming, fintech and beyond,” said Jeremy Kudon, head of Orrick’s public policy practice, which has served as leading advisers to professional sports leagues and the fantasy sports industry in shaping sports betting legislation and regulation. “I am thrilled to team up with him and build something truly special for our clients.”

“Orrick’s model of offering synthesized, multidisciplinary advice with deep domain expertise is exactly what innovators seek in their counsel,” Behn said. “That’s what’s most exciting about practicing today and it’s why I’m excited to do it at Orrick.  I am greatly looking forward to collaborating with Jeremy’s preeminent state legislative practice in the gaming space. The firm’s leadership in both tech and finance is an unmatched value proposition for fintechs.”

Behn has been recognized as a Leading Fintech Data Protection & Cybersecurity lawyer by Chambers USA from 2019-2021, as Top Gaming and Gambling lawyer by Chambers Global and Chambers USA over a seven-year period and recently was named Best Regulatory Lawyer of the Year by Gambling Compliance. He is currently a finalist for Vixio Gambling Compliance Best Regulatory Lawyer of the Year.

Law360 earlier this year named Orrick Sports & Betting Practice Group of the Year for a second time, recognizing our pioneering efforts shaping sports betting legislation in dozens of states around the country. We represent more than 150 fintech clients globally, and our cyber, privacy and data innovation practice is ranked Band 1 nationwide by Chambers.

Behn is our 15th hire in DC since the beginning of 2021, including our addition this week of Anna Aryankalayil, who joined our antitrust team after serving as attorney adviser to FTC Commissioner Noah Phillips, and fintech regulatory advisers Melissa Guidorizzi, a former CFPB enforcement attorney, and Dave McGill, a litigator with deep experience in DOJ, SEC and other enforcement matters.