Firm Profiles
IN-DEPTH RESEARCH REPORT
on Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP
- - Financial Information
- - Compensation
- - Billing Rates
- - Lateral Partner Moves
- - Pro bono
- - Key Contacts
Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe
- Designation: National
- Head Count: 977
- Gross Revenues: $866,000,000
- Revenue Per Lawyer: $885,000
- Profits Per Partner: $1,630,000
- Year Over Year Change: 1
Orrick didn’t build California, it just helped finance the construction. From putting together the companies that formed Pacific Gas & Electric, to helping Firemen’s Fund Insurance find a way to pay off claims from the devastating 1906 earthquake, to preparing and defending the bonds that financed the Golden Gate Bridge, Orrick was present at the creation of the Golden State. But the firm’s ambition outgrew its status as the West’s leading pubic finance firm. With the selection of employment partner Ralph Baxter as chairman in 1990, Orrick set off on a massive expansion campaign, one that led it to 23 offices, billion dollar annual revenues, and a ubiquitous O marketing campaign more typical of a client than a stuffy bond firm.
Baxter, who steps down in 2013, is the most influential Orrick partner whose name isn’t on the firm’s door. On his watch, he raised the firm’s profile, maneuvered until New York and Paris were its second and third largest offices, and became famous for mergers that might have been. Over the decades, he explored combining with a litany of national and New York firms, conversations that sometimes ended with lateral partner hires. It’s easy to see why a union might look tempting: Long a leader in structured finance, Orrick was hit hard during the recession. Between November 2008 and March 2009, the firm laid off 140 associates and counsel—a staggering, and sobering, 20 percent of its nonpartner ranks. But even during the downturn, Orrick regularly appeared on The American Lawyer’s A–List, which homes in on the nation’s premier law firms by looking at both economic (revenue per lawyer) and noneconomic measures (diversity, pro bono work, and associate satisfaction levels), though it slipped off in 2011.
In our 2011 Diversity Scorecard, Orrick ranked twenty–third of 194 firms (with nearly 20 percent of its U.S.based attorneys identifying themselves as minorities). And it did even better on our 2011 Pro Bono Report, with lawyers averaging around 95 hours of volunteer legal work.
Orrick boasts a highly regarded litigation group as well. It earned honorable mentions in The American Lawyer’s Litigation Department of the Year competition in 2012, 2010, and 2006 (the contest is held every two years). Some of the clients for whom Orrick has obtained key wins include MGA Entertainment, Inc.; EchoStar Corporation; and Facebook, Inc.
—Updated as of 1/1/12
Firm Rankings
| Survey | Rank | Year Over Year Change | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Am Law 100 | 27 | 1 | Gross revenue |
| Am Law 200 | 27 | 1 | Gross revenue |
| NLJ 250 | 19 | 1 | Lawyer head count |
| The A-List | 24 | 2 | Overall excellence |
| Pro Bono Scorecard | 15 | 4 | Pro-bono commitment |
| Diversity Scorecard | 31 | 8 | Minority head count |
| Midlevel Associates Survey | 42 | 55 | Job satisfaction |
| Summer Associates Survey | 48 | 15 | Summer programs |
In the News
For IP Litigator, Move to DLA is Ninth Stop in Peripatetic Career
Victor Li : The Am Law Daily : April 24, 2013
After stints at eight other firms during his nearly 40-year legal career, intellectual property litigator Paul Gupta has landed at DLA Piper. The 63-year-old Gupta, who was most recently with Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, chalks up the moves to the changing nature of his practice over time.
BAA Taps Wilmer for Possible Attack-Related Legal Matters
Brian Baxter : The Am Law Daily : April 22, 2013
A week after a pair of bomb blasts marred this year's running of the Boston Marathon, the Boston Athletic Association, which hosts and organizes the 116-year-old event, is relying on its longtime outside counsel from Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr to handle any legal issues that may arise from the brutal attack that claimed three lives and injured more than 170 people.
Introducing 50 California Lawyers on the Fast Track
: The Recorder : April 19, 2013
Zynga Rival Fires Back in Trade Secret Suit
Max Taves : The Recorder : April 18, 2013
McCarter & English Bond Fortunes Soar High, Fueled by State Issues
David Gialanella : New Jersey Law Journal : April 18, 2013
A spike in issues by New Jersey government entities helped McCarter & English leap to No. 5 nationwide in bond counsel rankings for the first quarter of 2013, up from 47th place in the same quarter last year.
Mark Zemelman
Lisa Holton : The Recorder : April 18, 2013
With the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, Kaiser's GC says it's a fascinating time to be in health care.
Detroit council OKs $3.4M Jones Day pact
Sara Randazzo : The Am Law Daily : April 18, 2013
The Detroit City Council voted to approve a $3.35 million contract to hire Jones Day as the financially crippled city's restructuring counsel, but the vote came only after suspending the proceedings Tuesday for an hour amid a raucous protest by a group of angry city residents.
Irell & Manella Spinoff Shows Rapid Growth in First Year
Leigh Jones : The National Law Journal : April 17, 2013
Goldberg, Lowenstein & Weatherwax, founded in Los Angeles one year ago by three partners from Irell & Manella, has since expanded to 25 lawyers in three locations.
In SCOTUS Rarity, Orrick Associate to Handle Oral Arguments in High Court Case
Claire Zillman : The Am Law Daily : April 17, 2013
Robert Yablon, a senior associate in Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe's Supreme Court and appellate practice was a little hard to reach on Friday. "Sorry," he said when The Am Law Daily finally caught up with him. "I've been really busy."
Go on the offensive to stop cybercriminals
Gabriel Ramsey, Mark Mermelstein, James Hsiao : Corporate Counsel : April 17, 2013
Cybercrime is neither rare nor isolated these days. Every company with an online presence or even a connection to the Internet has become fair game.
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