People

Mark Beeley Partner

London

Mark leads Orrick’s global international arbitration practice group, and acts as advocate and counsel whether in international arbitrations (both commercial and investor-state) or in litigation in the English and DIFC courts. He has particularly deep experience in energy disputes, but also regularly acts in construction, technology, insurance, shareholder and white-collar/civil fraud matters (including advising on sanctions and export controls).

Mark has acted in arbitrations under all the major arbitration rules in disputes seated around the globe involving a wide range of governing laws and sits as arbitrator (including both as chairman and sole arbitrator). He previously practiced in Dubai as a Registered Foreign Lawyer and maintains a practice as advocate (and solicitor) in both the English and DIFC Courts (along with supervising cross-border litigation in multiple other jurisdictions). He is recognised in the leading directories for arbitration, litigation and natural resources disputes (including Chambers & Partners, Legal 500, GAR and Who’s Who). In addition, he has been recognised as a foreign expert in disputes in both the UAE and India by Chambers.

He has a particular interest in energy sector disputes, including those in the upstream and LNG areas  he knows “oil and gas inside out” and is “as knowledgeable as anyone about international arbitration in the energy sector, specifically oil, gas and renewables” (Chambers & Partners UK ) and is recognised in Who's Who Legal for Energy, Chambers UK for Energy & Natural Resource Disputes and Legal 500 for Oil & Gas), but has dealt with matters across the industry, running the gamut from seismic acquisition agreements through to IP disputes involving refined products, carbon trading agreements and the construction and licencing of renewable projects. He recently led the AIEN Model Form Revision sub-committee focusing on the dispute resolution aspects of the model form JOA.

As illustrated below, beyond energy, Mark has acted in the infrastructure/construction, technology, insurance, fintech, pharmaceutical, telecoms, insurance and finance sectors (amongst others) and also advises extensively (both in the advisory context and in leading investigations/claims) in relation to white-collar/fraud matters, including money laundering, bribery, sanctions and export control issues.

Originally called to the English Bar and now practicing as a solicitor-advocate, Mark frequently publishes and speaks on arbitration and energy matters, including on questions of sovereign immunity, res judicata, arbitration procedure, the award of interest and other questions on damages. Mark serves as a member of the ICC's Commission on Arbitration & ADR, as well as on the ICC UK's Arbitration & ADR Committee. He also leads Orrick's London Office.

Isaac Sawlih Behnawa Managing Associate

Los Angeles

Isaac draws upon his technical background in contextualizing complex issues into the elements of legal claims. He has represented some of the world’s largest and most innovative companies in cases involving technologies including video-on-demand, tax depreciation and deferred tax software, and gaming systems. He also has assisted in prosecuting several patents, has advised on AI-related business strategy, and has worked on cases involving patented designs, false advertising, unfair competition, computer hacking, and securities fraud.

Prior to joining Orrick, Isaac served in the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Army National Guard.

Isaac is also an enthusiastic participant in Orrick's pro bono efforts. He has drafted international law memoranda, assisted in various civil rights litigation efforts for large pro-bono clients, analyzed noteworthy qualified immunity decisions to determine whether an appeal is necessary, and helped refugees with immigration paperwork.

Marshall Bell Partner

Washington, D.C.

He assists clients in relation to regulatory examinations and in enforcement actions by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Department of Justice (DOJ) and state regulators. He also represents clients in financial services transactions matters, including providing advice regarding regulatory due diligence, risk mitigation and obtaining any necessary regulatory approvals.

Marshall has been recognized by Legal 500 as a leading lawyer in Financial Services: Regulation. Prior to joining Orrick, Marshall was a partner at Buckley LLP. He was also in-house counsel for Ally Financial, providing advice regarding regulatory issues in connection with Ally’s auto finance operations and fair lending matters. Before going in-house, he was an associate at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP and Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP, where his practice focused on financial services litigation, regulatory and transactional matters.

Jedd Bellman Partner

Washington, D.C.

Jedd's solutions-based methodology allows clients to gather the appropriate intelligence and legal analysis they need so that they can make informed, risk-based decisions as they navigate the ever-changing state licensing and regulatory ecosystem. His collaborative and strategic approach is designed to maximize outcomes whether evaluating the merits of a transaction or responding to a multi-state enforcement action. 

Jedd was the Assistant Commissioner for Non-Depository Supervision in the Office of the Maryland Commissioner of Financial Regulation, where he coordinated the licensing and supervision of approximately 23,000 individuals and business entities covering the mortgage, student loan, consumer finance, sales finance, debt services, credit reporting and money services industries. He also managed the office’s regulatory investigations and enforcement actions, including playing a leadership role in every significant multistate enforcement matter handled by state regulators during his tenure. Additionally, Jedd oversaw numerous successful legislative and regulatory initiatives.

Prior to that, Jedd served as Counsel and Senior Policy Advisor at the U.S. House of Representatives, where he developed policy and legislative agendas in the areas of housing and financial services, small business and minority business.

Jedd also served as Assistant Attorney General for Maryland, where he handled mortgage fraud and payday lending enforcement prosecutions, as well as mortgage compliance, payday lending and money services business investigations.

Following law school, he served as law clerk to Judge John K. Olson of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of Florida.

Daniel Bellovin Counsel

Washington, D.C.

Prior to joining Orrick, Daniel was counsel at Buckley LLP. He also worked as an associate at a financial services law firm, where his practice focused on state and federal regulatory compliance issues for a diverse range of financial institutions.

Julien Beloeil Of Counsel

Paris

Julien assists listed and unlisted companies, financial institutions, investors and founders in cross-border or domestic transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, acquisition of stakes, strategic partnerships, as well as public tender offers.

Prior to joining Orrick, Julien worked on similar operations as a legal intern at international law firms in London and Paris. Julien also worked at the economic and financial section of the prosecutor’s office of the Tribunal de Grande Instance de Paris.

Anissa Benadda Managing Associate

Paris

Anissa advises French and international companies on all aspects of French employment and labor law. 

Prior to joining Orrick, Anissa worked on employment matters as a trainee at Allen & Overy, and as a legal intern and legal specialist at Skadden and CMS in Paris.

Emmanuel Benard Partner

Paris

Emmanuel represents numerous French and international companies on all aspects of employment law including international and cross-border issues.

His practice focuses on reorganizations, collective redundancies. He notably advised key players of the Financial, Metal, Food and Beverages, Pharmaceutical, Technology, Leisure and Music Industries in implementing economic dismissals and voluntary departures. He also assists these clients with employee representation and collective bargaining and sensitive individual cases.

Emmanuel has a strong proficiency in collective litigation as well as criminal litigation and currently handles a number of sensitive cases arising from works council and health and safety committee information consultation procedure, professional elections, collective bargaining agreements and employees performance appraisal system.

With a long-standing experience on landmark M&A, he regularly supports HR Directors in dealing with works council information and consultation procedures and transfer of employees triggered by such complex projects, helping them achieving their strategic objectives.

Co-author of an insightful and pedagogic book on all labor and employment facets of companies’ reorganization, Emmanuel is described by his clients as “a guru in the field of employment law” and praised for his “business sense”.

Before joining Orrick in 2016, Emmanuel was a partner at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in Paris, where he was in charge of the Employment, Pension and Benefits Department. Prior to that he was partner at the boutique employment law firm Bélier et Associés where he started his career.

David Benhamou Senior Associate

Santa Monica

David represents high growth technology companies and venture capital firms in many areas, including corporate and securities law, formation, ongoing corporate matters, and venture capital financings.

David began his legal career as a corporate associate at Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP. During his time at NYU School of Law, David worked with a number of startups.

Alan Benjamin Senior Counsel

Los Angeles; Santa Monica

He counsels clients nationwide on complex financial transactions and restructurings, including secured and unsecured loan transactions, project financings, leveraged buy-outs, dividend recapitalizations and insolvency matters.

In the California Banking & Finance category of Chambers USA, clients commend Alan, describing him as “a guru for gaming work" and noting “his extensive financing practice includes particular expertise in lending transactions involving Native American tribes.”

In addition to his practice responsibilities, Alan has held numerous firmwide positions, including recently as a member of Orrick's Board of Directors and as practice group leader of the firm’s Banking & Finance group. He was the Chair of the Firm’s Finance and Audit Committee from 2010 through 2019.

He is licensed to practice in California.

Delia Bennett Associate

New York

Megan Benton Managing Associate

Sacramento

Megan helps protect the interests of some of the world's most innovative public and private companies and their founders, officers, and directors. She has experience in a wide array of complex business litigation matters, including high-stakes securities class actions, shareholder derivative suits, regulatory investigations, and multi-district litigation. Megan has worked on a diverse range of other complex litigation matters, including contract disputes, civil RICO actions, and insurance insolvency proceedings,

Megan also maintains a robust pro bono practice, and has assisted in representing clients in matters related to the compassionate release program for federal prisoners, drafting a petition for habeas corpus and clemency petition for a state prisoner, and in bringing a class action suit challenging agency violations of law and policy on behalf of disabled asylees. In 2022, she helped secure a client's release from prison after forty years behind bars based on proportionality concerns under the U.S. and California Constitutions.

Prior to joining Orrick, Megan graduated from University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law with great distinction. During law school, Megan served as the Managing Editor of The University of the Pacific Law Review, published articles relating to the commercialization of space and to sanctuary states and immigration policies, and was recognized for writing a Best Appellate Brief in the school-wide moot court competition. Megan also served as a judicial extern to the Honorable Allison Claire at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California. Megan earned a bachelor's degree in history from Boston University.