Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, known as Orrick, is a law firm primarily focused on the technology, energy, infrastructure, finance, life sciences, and health tech sectors. It was founded in 1863 in San Francisco, California, where it is headquartered, and operates over 25 offices in the United States, Europe, and Asia.[2]
The firm traces its origins to the 1863 organization of the German Savings and Loan Society (later joined to First Interstate Bank of California), with John R. Jarboe as general counsel.[3] Jarboe and partners W.S. Goodfellow and Ralph C. Harrison, later dissolved San Francisco firm, Jarboe, Harrison & Goodfellow in 1891, following Harrison's election as justice to the California Supreme Court. Jarboe died two years later at age 57.[4] Goodfellow subsequently joined Charles Eells to form Goodfellow & Eell.[5] Ells helped organize the Fireman's Fund Insurance Company, in the aftermath of the San Francisco earthquake and fire of 1906. William H. Orrick joined the firm in 1910, followed by George Herrington and Eric Sutcliffe.[4]
Orrick's earliest work included funding the Golden Gate Bridge construction; shaping the California Corporate Securities Act; the first offerings under the Securities Act of 1933; and litigating over hydroelectric power and water development rights in the Lake Tahoe region.[6][7]
After establishing an outpost in Singapore in 1996, the firm opened an office there in 2001, but closed it in 2003, attributed to a poor economy in Southeast Asia;[10] In 2021, Orrick again established an office in Singapore.[11] The firm opened a Tokyo office in 1997 and a London practice in 1998.[12]
In 2003, the firm added a team from the Venture Law Group.[16] In 2005, Orrick expanded its London office and opened offices in Hong Kong, Beijing, and Shanghai with alumni of subsequently defunct law firm Coudert Brothers.[17]
In 2006, the firm engaged in merger negotiations with legacy Wall Street firm Dewey Ballantine;[18] the proposed merger was unsuccessful.[19] The same year, Orrick expanded its Paris office through a combination with Rambaud Martel, a French firm.[20]
In 2008, Orrick expanded into Germany by combining with Hölters & Elsing (Partnerschaft von Rechtsanwälten);[21] establishing offices in Düsseldorf and Munich. That year, the firm admitted almost two dozen partners in its London, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C., offices from the San Francisco firm Heller Ehrman, including 27 hired after Heller's September 26, 2008, announcement of dissolution.[22]
In 2013, Mitch Zuklie, a Silicon Valley tech lawyer, assumed the role of the firm's chairman and CEO.[23][24] The same year, Orrick was the first global law firm to establish an Impact Finance & Social Enterprise practice.[25][26][failed verification]
On Veterans Day in 2014, the firm announced the 2015 launch of its Veterans' Legal Career Fair, to match employers with lawyers who are veterans, active-duty service members, or military spouses.[27] The annual event has run since 2015 and has been enlisted by over 8500 active duty members.[28]
In 2018, Orrick started a legal tech investment initiative.[29] In 2023, it launched Orrick Tech Studio, a free technology startup website,[29]
In 2023, Orrick merged with AmLaw 200 Buckley.[31][32] This grew Orrick's financial regulation, enforcement, and litigation services, and doubled the firm's footprint in Washington, D.C. The combination expanded Orrick's business to consumer banks, fintechs, and the payment arms of major global tech players.[32]
In 2025, Orrick hired a 13-lawyer tech company and venture capital team from Gunderson Dettmer in Los Angeles.[33]
From 2015 to 2025, Orrick established offices in Geneva,[34] (2015–2025);[11] Houston in 2016,[35] Austin in 2018, Boston in 2019,[36] Singapore in 2021, and Miami in 2025.[37][38][39]
In 2024, the firm launched an AI Law Center, with a free state AI law tracker and a guide to the EU AI Act, as well as the Orrick Online Safety Law Center, for clients to monitor related online safety, privacy, and harmful content laws.[40]
Legal representation
Orrick aquired asylum for three members of the Albanian Demiraj family from the U.S. Supreme Court in 2012.[41]
The firm worked on the legislation enacted in California in October 2017 to criminalize sexual extortion, part of a national effort on behalf of pro bono client Legal Momentum.[42]
Orrick lawyers provided legal and technical assistance to the Public International Law & Policy Group on issues related to countries in the Middle East, including Egypt, Libya, Syria, and Tunisia.[43]
In 2025, the firm represented Intersect Power on an $800 million investment and partnership with Google and TPG Rise Climate to provide energy and storage to new data centers.[48][49]
The firm has advised the City of New York on multi-year infrastructure projects, including a $13 billion project to replace Rikers Island with community-based jails and the Hudson Tunnel, a key part of the $30 billion Gateway Development rail project.[50]
Orrick helped Gilead Sciences overturn a record $2.5 billion patent verdict against Merck’s Idenix Pharmaceuticals in 2018, and later secured a Federal Circuit invalidation of the patent. The firm also helped Gilead subsidiary Kite Pharma reverse a $1.2 billion CAR T patent verdict against Juno Therapeutics, with the U.S. Supreme Court denying review in 2022.[51][52]
Orrick represented Sonos in multiple patent litigation cases against Google, including a 2022 ITC ruling that found Google infringed five Sonos patents and barred the importation of certain Google smart speakers.[53]
In 2022, Orrick secured a New York Court of Appeals reversal for Credit Suisse in a mortgage-backed securities case.[54]
Orrick represented UBS Asset Management and certain funds in a bankruptcy dispute in 2024, in which the judge ruled that UBS was owed more than $100 million under various loan agreements.[55]
In 2024, Orrick prevailed in the Court's overturning of a $2 billion trade secrets verdict for Pegasystems, with the Virginia Court of Appeals ordering a new trial due to jury errors, reversing the largest damages verdict in the state's history.[56]
Recognition and rankings
The Financial Times, between 2016 and 2024, named Orrick among North America's most innovative law firms.[57][58][24]
Global Arbitration Review (GAR) included Orrick in its 2024 list of the world's top 30 international arbitration practices.[71]
The Bond Buyer ranked Orrick #1 bond counsel in 2024.[72]
Orrick was named one of the "50 Best Law Firms for Women" by Working Mother magazine in 2017.[73][74]
Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA) awarded Orrick with the 2020 Thomas L. Sager Award.[75]
Yale Law Women ranked Orrick the top firm for Diversity in its Top Firms Report 2024,[76][77] and Diversity Lab named Orrick a Mansfield Certified firm in 2024.[78]
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$1.59 billion (2024) [1] 
