Lina Thoreson Of Counsel

Sacramento

Lina M. Thoreson is of counsel in the Sacramento office and a member of the firm's nationally recognized Public Finance Department. She has broad experience acting as bond counsel, disclosure counsel and underwriter's counsel in tax-exempt financings for healthcare borrowers include large and small healthcare providers, healthcare systems and stand-alone healthcare facilities. She also acts as bond counsel or underwriter's counsel for other 501(c)(3) borrowers.

Lina has experience working on many types of public finance transactions, including fixed and variable, tax-exempt and taxable, liquidity supported bonds, conversions, reofferings and direct purchases.

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.

Jacob M. Heath Partner

Silicon Valley

With a focus on the intersection of cybersecurity, privacy, online safety and intellectual property, Jake is a trusted advisor to one of the largest technology companies in the world and a major cloud-based communication product and service provider. His recent experience includes representing a major social media platform in litigation related to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.

Jake is adept at helping clients develop cutting-edge legal strategies and connect with judges and juries to support their online services, platforms or products while threading the rapidly evolving regulatory landscape. As he sees it, every battle—whether it involves cybercrime, fraud, brand violations, IP infringement, trade secrets or a cybersecurity breach—is an opportunity to help clients problem-solve and future-proof their business. Jake brings a breadth of experience defending clients in a wide range of matters, including commercial and tech transaction litigation, in state and federal court and regulatory investigations.

Kelly A. Williams Senior Career Associate

Wheeling, W.V. (GOIC)

This experience includes commercial litigation, product liability matters, toxic torts, intellectual property litigation, defamation, unfair competition, and insurance coverage litigation. She also has experience with putative class action matters, e-discovery, and jury and non-jury trials.

Kelly is also dedicated to pro bono representation and community service. She has participated in child custody conciliation programs, criminal records expungement projects, and most recently assisted the Center for Secure and Modern Elections with evaluating the impact of COVID-19 regulations on state elections. She has also engaged in community service by serving on the board of Sojourner House, a faith-based residential recovery program for mothers and children in the Pittsburgh, PA, area, and by volunteering for community service-based projects such as distributing backpacks and school supplies for children in need.

Kelly has also served in multiple leadership positions for local and national bar associations, including the Allegheny County Bar Association and DRI - The Voice of the Defense Bar. Prior to joining Orrick, Kelly practiced as an associate in the Pittsburgh office of the global law firm McGuireWoods and as a Senior Attorney at Houston Harbaugh, P.C., in Pittsburgh.

Andy Bloom Senior Associate

Boston

Andy advises high growth technology companies, startup founders, private funds and other institutional investors on a broad range of corporate transactions across industries. He has extensive experience in a broad range of corporate and transactional matters, advising companies from formation to exit on formation, governance, and financing matters, and private funds and institutional investors on venture capital, growth equity and private equity investments. Andy works closely with clients to provide strategic insights and outside general counsel services, advising clients on day-to-day governance, equity compensation and general commercial matters.

Andy also has extensive experience advising sponsors of private investment funds on their formation, regulatory compliance, and fundraising activities, as well as institutional investors in connection with various aspects of their investment programs, including investments in private investment funds, co-investments and complex secondaries transactions.

Dao Huynh Chief Practice Officer of Energy & Infrastructure

San Francisco

She is formerly an Energy & Infrastructure attorney and her practice focused on project finance, mergers and acquisitions and project development for both traditional and renewable energy projects. Prior to joining Orrick, Dao was a legal fellow at TechSoup Global, a nonprofit technology organization. She also has previous experience working as an editor and contributing writer for Yahoo!, Inc.

Molly McCafferty Senior Associate

San Francisco

Molly has extensive experience in all phases of litigation. She has shepherded witnesses and defendants through all stages of state and federal investigations, government enforcement actions, and civil and criminal trials. She has served a pivotal role in multiple federal jury trials, including arguing motions and formulating effective direct and cross examination strategies. She has defended high-profile clients in the technology and finance sectors in securities class actions, and represents clients in shareholder derivative suits and other shareholder-related disputes.

Molly regularly represents companies and their officers and directors in connection with investigations by the SEC, DOJ, FINRA and other state and federal agencies. She has defended clients in SEC and DOJ enforcement actions. Molly's litigation experience also includes defending against allegations of securities fraud, the False Claims Act, and mail and wire fraud.

Molly's pro bono experience focuses on the assisted reproductive technology space, where she has become a go-to strategic advisor. In addition to representing individuals at all stages of the ART lifecycle, Molly regularly counsels organizations affected by assisted reproductive technology and third-party reproduction. Molly has appeared on The Doctors and in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and New York Magazine commenting on regulation and litigation in the gamete donation industry. Most recently, Molly secured a favorable ruling from the FDA on behalf of her clients.

Prior to joining Orrick, Molly was a Litigation and Enforcement associate in the San Francisco and Washington, D.C., offices of another international law firm. Prior to attending law school, Molly was a pianist and conductor on the national tour of Wicked and worked in the Massachusetts Legislature.

Mark Weitzel Partner

San Francisco

Mark has a finance, tax and corporate background, and focuses on structuring complex equity and debt investments, and negotiating investment, shareholder and joint venture agreements. He has a particular focus on tax and cash equity financing of renewable energy projects, including in the solar and wind space.

Mark is a recognized leader in the field. He is the former co-chair of Orrick’s Energy & Infrastructure practice, and has been named by Chambers as one of “America’s leading energy lawyers”, described by clients as “a standout.” He is also highlighted in The Legal 500 USA as a leading individual in the areas of energy: renewable/alternative and is highlighted in the conventional power category. Euromoney has recognized Mark as one of the “world’s leading project finance lawyers” and one of the “world’s leading energy and natural resource lawyers.” He has also been recognized by Best Lawyers in America for project finance law, by The Legal 500 as a leading project finance lawyer, and has been a Law360 Energy MVP. Mark is a frequent speaker on energy project and infrastructure investments.

Tobias Stephan Managing Associate

Düsseldorf

Being born a „digital native“, Tobias is fascinated by what technology has to offer. That’s why he chose to advise on how best to implement digitization while staying within the framework of the regulations we need in our society, something that has long become a sales argument customers value.

Tobias helps clients to navigate complex data protection issues and advises on the impact of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), data processing and transfer agreements as well as a wide range of further data and privacy implications.

Prior to joining Orrick, Tobias worked as a research associate in the data protection practice of a multinational pharmaceutical company, in the IT and data protection team of a large German accountancy and business advisory firm, as well as the corporate practice of a "big 4" firm.

Jae Kim Associate

New York

A member of the firm’s Litigation business unit, Jae is currently working with teams defending against claims brought by investors, trustees, and monoline insurance companies and state security actions for Orrick’s marquee clients. Jae has extensive experience supporting trial teams defending clients in bet-the-company complex litigation, mass torts, product liability matters, and financial services disputes, as well as working with teams guiding clients through government and agency regulations, compliance, investigations, and enforcement actions. Jae has worked with various global companies on their U.S. litigations, investigatory, and compliance matters. Jae also has experience working with a team in a high-profile white-collar matter and assisted manufacturers with various government filings.

Before attending law school, he served in the Republic of Korea Marine Corps and worked at a South Korean government security agency.

Geoffroy Berthon Partner

Paris

Geoffroy advises on public contracts, particularly in the context of concessions and PPPs. He has been involved in projects relating to the financing, construction and operation of the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille; the Sud Europe Atlantique high-speed line; the Athletes' Village for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games; the Grand Paris Express and the offshore extension of the Principality of Monaco. He has also worked on several French highway (A412, A69, RCEA, A88, A41, A150), port (Calais, Cannes) and airport projects (Nice, Lyon, Beauvais).

In the renewables field, he acts alongside the French government (Ministry of Energy Transition) in calls for tenders for the construction of offshore wind farms, including floating wind turbines, and advises operators in the realization of biomass and geothermal projects, as well as investors in the context of "M&A" operations concerning wind and solar assets and methanization. He also has experience in hydroelectricity matters. He advises both sponsors and lenders and works regularly with public entities and governments. He also advises on the drafting and negotiation of corporate PPAs, acting for both energy producers and buyers.

Geoffroy Berthon is recognised by clients as "a high quality lawyer whose analyses are very precise and rigorous and whose pragmatic approach is highly regarded" (Legal 500) and as a Leading Individual by Legal 500 (EMEA 2023) in public law and energy.

Geoffroy holds a doctorate in public law, was a lecturer in public contract law at Sciences Po, and frequently published in both English and French.

Benjamin Stafford Managing Associate

London

Ben is admitted as a solicitor advocate with rights of audience in all civil proceedings before the English higher courts. In addition to his core experience in international arbitration and litigation in the energy, construction and commercial spheres, previously Ben has also acted for energy & infrastructure clients and advised on mergers & acquisitions, private equity and venture capital transactions for clients based in Europe and the US.  Ben is currently deputy chair for the Association of International Energy Negotiators sub-group drafting a Green Hydrogen Sale and Purchase Agreement.