People

Jonathan Ayre Partner

Houston

Jonathan's recent experience includes representing note purchasers in securitizations of operated and non-operated oil and gas wellbore working interests with an aggregate value exceeding $6 billion. In addition to representing the note purchasers on the initial securitization of non-operated working interests, he has closed the first transactions that included operated working interests, overriding royalty interests, portfolios of primarily BLM leases, portfolios including tribal lands, and midstream gathering systems, and the first joint 144A / 4(a)(2) offering. Jonathan also has significant experience representing companies driving the energy transition, including representing project developers in connection with engineering, procurement and construction agreements, solar module purchase agreements, transformer purchase agreements, and operation and maintenance agreements.

Chambers Global has reported, "He knows the industry very well and takes a commercial approach to help resolve differences with the counterparty. He has a good bedside manner and cooperates well with others,” and ”he's very resourceful and he approaches the oil and gas and corporate sector with a true business sense." Jonathan also was recognized in 2020 by Law 360 as an Energy Rising Star.

Jonathan is an active supporter of the Houston Symphony, serving as Chairman of the Houston Symphony's Finance Committee, as a Governing Director on the Houston Symphony Society's Board of Trustees, and as chair of the 2021 Houston Symphony's Wine Dinner and Collector's Auction. He serves as a member of the Steering Committee of the Houston Men of Distinction Annual Awards Luncheon, an organization that recognizes Houston men who have distinguished themselves through excellence in community achievement, thereby providing support in superior biomedical research, education, and patient care in the Texas Medical Center.

John Azzopardi Managing Associate

New York

John Azzopardi is a Managing Associate in the Energy and Infrastructure team in Orrick’s New York office. His practice focuses on project finance and development transactions, with a focus on renewable energy. Since joining Orrick, John has advised sponsors on the financing of greenfield solar energy projects, navigating complex legal and commercial issues to achieve successful outcomes.

With a career spanning global law firms and senior in-house roles, John has developed deep expertise in drafting and negotiating finance documents and structuring cross-border transactions. His experience includes acting for both sponsors and lenders across a range of sectors.

John earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Melbourne and a Bachelor of Business from Monash University and is admitted to practice in New York and Victoria, Australia.

Allen Babajanian Senior Associate

Los Angeles

 Allen focuses on technology and intellectual property-related transactions, with a particular emphasis on drafting and negotiating complex commercial agreements, including:

• hardware, software, content, and data licensing agreements;
• IT-focused services agreements, including consulting, development, hosting, and cloud computing agreements, including software-as-a-service and platform-as-a-service arrangements; and
• technology and intellectual property development, acquisition, and disposition agreements.

In addition, Allen counsels clients on intellectual property issues in connection with mergers, acquisitions, and financing transactions.

Pia Baci Senior Associate

Santa Monica

Pia advises high-growth technology companies and venture capital firms in many areas, including venture financings, secondary transactions, corporate and securities law, governance matters, corporate formations, and day-to-day legal needs of executive teams. Pia represents companies and their investors across a variety of industries, including software, financial technology, consumer goods, aerospace, and life sciences.

While at Harvard Law School, Pia worked with a number of technology startups affiliated with the Harvard Innovation Lab and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

John Badalich Managing Associate

Los Angeles

John represents clients in complex litigation matters in both federal and state courts. In the span of less than 10 months across 2022 and 2023, John was a member of the team on three separate high-profile jury trial wins for the NCAA - including the first to take on claims the NCAA is responsible for concussions and CTE in college football. With significant experience in high-stakes litigation matters, John litigates cases on behalf of technology companies, sports associations, investment firms, retailers, colleges and universities, and individuals. John is also active in pro bono matters, primarily focusing his practice on representing veterans before the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.

James Badge Managing Associate

London

Regularly acting for early through to late-stage companies, as well as leading investors, operating within the technology and media sectors, James' practice primarily focuses on equity financings, secondary transactions, M&A, private equity and general corporate advisory work.

James was previously seconded to a leading global start-up accelerator, venture studio and early-stage investor for six months where he sat as Legal Counsel, advising some of the over 300 portfolio companies and acting on cross-border joint venture and partnership arrangements and transactions with prominent corporate investors.

Passionate about working with innovators and investors, James is motivated to provide commercially pragmatic advice and to deliver innovative solutions to aid the growth and success of his clients within the ecosystem.

Laura Bagarella Partner

New York

Laura’s practice focuses on the executive compensation and employee benefits aspects of domestic and cross-border public and private mergers and acquisitions, spin-offs, divestitures, IPOs, minority investments and other corporate transactions. She also regularly advises on the design, taxation, disclosure, negotiation, implementation and ongoing administration of equity and cash incentive programs, deferred compensation plans, severance and other change in control and retention arrangements for both public and private companies, including private equity backed companies. In addition, Laura routinely represents companies and executives in the negotiation of employment, consulting, separation, and other compensation arrangements.

Before joining the firm, Laura practiced at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP.

Kaitlin F. Bagby Partner

Silicon Valley

She advises high-growth technology companies in various sectors and has significant experience with venture capital financings, general corporate representation and complex corporate governance matters.

Kaitlin is known for her work with Y Combinator companies.

Samir R. Bakhru Partner

New York

Samir has represented early and late stage companies in over $7 billion worth of venture financings and has advised clients in over $5 billion worth of M&A transactions.  He has experience in advising founders on structuring their companies to maintain control and frequently counsels executive teams in maintaining and managing a successful board of directors.  

Samir’s notable company-side representations include K Health, Dataiku, Beacon Platform, Betterment, Chime, Vise Technologies, Warby Parker, Codecademy, Merama, Genius, ResearchGate, Spell, Frontier Car Group (until sold), Insomnia Cookies (until sold), Sailthru (until sold), Teachable (until sold), and Upworthy (until sold), among others.

In addition to his company-side representations, Samir has represented leading venture capital firms and other strategic investors, including Bessemer Venture Partners, Charles River Ventures, Coatue Management, Heavybit Industries, TPG Growth, Vista Equity Partners, Walden Venture Capital, Warburg Pincus, and Y Combinator Continuity Fund.

Before joining Orrick, Samir was an Associate at Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP in the General Corporate and M&A group.

Siddharth Balani Associate

London

Sidd trained at Orrick and has experience acting on the company- and investor-side of venture capital and growth equity transactions, including early-stage financings, institutional funding rounds, venture debt, bridge financings, secondary transactions, cross-border 'flip' transactions, and exits. Sidd also advises companies on the day-to-day and broader commercial matters that they encounter.

Taylor Ball Senior Associate

Santa Monica

Taylor’s recent sell-side experience includes having represented 

• 21st Century Fox, Inc.* in its acquisition by The Walt Disney Company
• E Trade Financial Corporation* in its acquisition by Morgan Stanley
• Rockwell Collins, Inc.* in its acquisition by United Technologies Corp.
• DPx Holdings B.V.* in its acquisition by Thermo Fisher

Her recent buy-side experience includes having represented 

• IAC* in its acquisition of Care.com
• French Multinational Luxury Goods Company* in its acquisition of Tiffany & Co.
• Exact Sciences Corporation* in its acquisition of Genomic Health, Inc.
• Hillenbrand, Inc.* in its acquisition of Milacron Holdings

Joshua Ballin-Goldsmith Associate

London

Joshua often works on cross-border disputes and has represented clients from the UK, US, Uruguay, Italy, Switzerland, Singapore and various other offshore jurisdictions. He has acted in arbitrations under the main arbitration rules including the ICC and LCIA, and on disputes governed by the laws of numerous countries including England & Wales, Italy and the British Virgin Islands.

He is also a published author and frequently writes about developing areas of law. Most recently, he wrote about the changes to the UK’s sanctions regime and DIAC’s arbitration rules.