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.

John Eliason Partner

Washington, D.C.

John advises major financial institutions (tax equity investors and infrastructure funds), lenders, developers, and sponsors, particularly those in the wind, solar, storage, biomass and energy tech space. He helps clients structure financings for their projects to take advantage of federal and state tax incentives, like the Federal production tax credit (PTC), energy investment tax credit (ITC) and accelerated depreciation (MACRS and “bonus”) using partnership flips, sale-leasebacks, public/private partnerships, and other structuring options. He has been particularly focused on providing clients with the latest guidance and opportunities relating to the Inflation Reduction Act, including with respect to Section 6418 tax credit transfers and Section 6417 direct pay opportunities.

Recognized by Chambers USA and Chambers Global in Band 2 for Projects: Renewables & Alternative Energy, clients describe John as “extremely knowledgeable, flexible and can put technical jargon into plain terms.” Client sources also state “he knows the tax equity markets very well and is very commercial.”

Prior to law school, John founded an information management company based in Austin, Texas. He is also a veteran of the Texas Army National Guard.

Dr. Johannes Rüberg, EMBA Partner

Munich

This includes venture and growth financings in all stages and general corporate counseling. His practice further focuses on advising strategic and financial investors on mergers and acquisitions.

Germany's leading legal directory JUVE lists Johannes as frequently recommended for both corporate law and venture capital, including a competitor's testimonial "very good expertise, pleasant cooperation" (2024/2025). Legal 500 Deutschland lists Johannes as a "recommended lawyer" for venture capital (2024), including the testimonials "very supportive and a pleasure to work with", "extremely conscientious", and "quick response time" in its 2022 edition. Since 2021, he has been recognized by Germany's leading business daily Handelsblatt as a "Ones to Watch" lawyer for corporate law.

In addition to his work as a lawyer, Johannes has completed the joint Executive MBA program by U.S.-based Kellogg University and WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management, Germany’s leading startup university.

Tori Downey Data Privacy & Cybersecurity Innovation Attorney

Boston

Tori advises clients on enhancing their data privacy and security profiles and building comprehensive global data protection programs. She provides guidance on issues relating to a vast array of state, federal and international privacy and cybersecurity laws, including:

• Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)
• EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
• Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Act
• Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA)
• U.S. surveillance-related laws
• U.S. state data breach notification laws
• U.S. state privacy laws in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah and Virginia (CCPA, CPRA, CPA, CTDPA, UCPA, VCDPA)

Tori also supports clients in developing strategies to reduce the risk of security incidents, regularly advises on general consumer protection issues, and counsels on sweepstakes, marketing, and advertising matters.

Prior to joining Orrick, Tori served as an in-house data privacy and security law clerk at a pharmaceutical company in Boston, at a large nonprofit corporation in New York City, and at an international oil and gas company in Beijing. She also worked on data privacy matters in the Office of the General Counsel of Northeastern University. Having worked across diverse business sectors, including life sciences, technology and energy, Tori brings an in-house perspective to her client matters.

Christopher Moore Partner

New York

His practice focuses on financing renewable energy projects with a particular emphasis on tax equity transactions with and without construction and back-leverage debt. Chris's experience includes structuring and documenting tax equity transactions (e.g., disproportionate partnership flip and other structures utilizing PTCs and ITC), a wide variety of debt financings (including construction, back-leverage, holdco, and other types of portfolio financings) and leasing transactions (both single investor and leverage leases).

With more than 25 years in the energy and power sector and over 20 years in the renewables market, Chris represents many of the leading and most active players in the renewable sector and the power market generally. Having been across the table from almost all the tax equity and debt participants in the renewables market, Chris’s deep understanding of their motivations and objectives enables him to anticipate their concerns. While Chris typically represents sponsors, developers and strategic investors, he has also represented public power authorities, electric cooperatives and other types of investors.

Alexis Savini Senior Associate

Silicon Valley

Alexis advises high growth technology companies in general formation, venture capital and private equity financings, capital markets and mergers and acquisitions transactions.

Mark Thompson Senior Associate

New York

Orrick’s Employment Law and Litigation group was recently named Labor & Employment Department of the Year in California by The Recorder, the premier source for legal news, in recognition of their significant wins on behalf of leading multinational companies on today’s most complex and challenging employment law matters.

In addition to his litigation practice, Mark advises clients regarding a broad range of employment issues, including human resource policies and procedures, severance agreements and employee terminations.

Prior to joining Orrick, Mark was a judicial law clerk and gained experience litigating a wide range of civil and criminal cases.

James Hargrove Partner

Geneva; London

James has a particular specialization in arbitrations relating to energy, commodities, trading, finance and technology (he is particularly active in thought leadership on tech and arbitration issues).

Prior to joining Orrick, James practiced international arbitration and litigation at several international law firms in Geneva and London. James was, among other things, head of the Russia and CIS dispute resolution practice and has deep proficiency in Russia related-disputes and investigations and associated offshore litigation, applications and asset identification, tracing and enforcement.

Neil Golden Senior Counsel

Washington, D.C.

In recent years, Neil has worked extensively on transactions involving the acquisition and divestiture of both companies and assets, as well as the development and financing of renewable energy projects involving wind, solar, biomass and fuel cells, and on alternative fuels projects in the ethanol industry. He served as lead counsel for the sale of a large distributed solar, fuel cell and residential solar portfolio, named “2019 M&A Deal of the Year” by Power Finance & Risk Magazine. He has also worked extensively on the development and financing of conventional power generation facilities.

His corporate and financing experience has included representation of clients in syndicated bank financings, financings by multilateral and bilateral agencies, Rule 144A debt offerings, sale-leaseback financings, construction loans, formation of joint ventures and partnerships, equity investments, and the purchase and sale of equity interests in projects.

Internationally, Neil has represented sponsors of power projects and electric distribution companies in a number of countries including Brazil, Argentina, Jamaica, Honduras, Bangladesh, Nepal, Colombia, Turkey, the Dominican Republic and the People’s Republic of China.

Jeremy Peterman Senior Associate, Currently on a Racial Justice Fellowship

Seattle

Jeremy represents clients from a wide range of industries in high stakes appeals across numerous subject areas. He has helped major tech companies, biomedical manufacturers, universities, and state governments successfully resolve appeals with novel issues involving intellectual property, employment law, administrative law, class actions, criminal law, sovereign immunity, and securities law.

Jeremy is especially experienced in intellectual property appeals where he employs his generalist background to simplify complex technology for generalist judges. He helped develop the successful appellate strategy in what legal observers have dubbed “The World Series of Copyright Suits.” He also draws from his administrative law background to develop novel strategies for clients to challenge the PTO’s administration of the inter partes review process.

Jeremy has authored merits briefs, cert. petitions, and briefs in opposition in the U.S. Supreme Court, dozens of briefs in both federal and state courts of appeals, and dispositive motions in trial courts. He also maintains an active pro bono practice.

Prior to joining Orrick, Jeremy served as a law clerk to Judge David Tatel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and to Judge David Hamilton of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.

Nathan Dullum Claims Counsel

San Francisco

Nathan represents and advises the firm on all issues regarding claims and is responsible for managing the firm’s complex litigation strategies. He retains and supervises outside defense counsel, coordinates coverage and related issues with the firm’s insurance carriers, and ensures the effective and efficient defense of claims against the firm. Nathan is also a member of Orrick’s Risk Management Committee, responsible for promoting risk awareness and prevention through risk management training, internal firm publications, and risk management audits.

Prior to taking on his current role, Nathan was a member of Orrick's Complex Litigation and Dispute Resolution group. With over two decades of litigation and trial experience, Nathan has practiced before state and federal courts and has arbitrated matters before The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority and the International Center for Dispute Resolution.

Nathan joined Orrick as a summer associate in 2001. In 2007, he took a brief leave of absence to work as a prosecutor in the San Francisco County District Attorney’s Office.

Alyssa Ohanian Of Counsel

Santa Monica

Alyssa advises public company clients across a broad range of industries regarding equity offerings, compliance with federal securities laws, and requirements of the major U.S. stock exchanges. She assists in-house counsel, management, and boards of directors on SEC and stock exchange disclosure and reporting requirements, director and executive compensation, and corporate governance matters. 

Alyssa also counsels both public and private companies on the design, implementation and taxation of executive compensation and equity compensation arrangements, including executive employment agreements, change in control and severance plans, and cash and equity incentive programs, along with other compensation and benefits matters in the context of ongoing business operations, M&A transactions, spin-offs, and venture capital financings.