Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe

Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe

Orrick was founded in San Francisco in 1863, making it one of the older law firms continuously operating in the United States. The firm's founding history is tied to the economic expansion of the American West, and it has since grown through a series of mergers — most notably with Herrington & Sutcliffe in the 20th century. Today, Orrick operates as a global partnership structured around sector-focused practice groups rather than a family office or investment management vehicle. The firm's core work spans litigation, corporate transactions, and regulatory advisory, with particular depth in technology, energy, and infrastructure finance. Orrick has represented clients in notable technology litigation and initial public offerings, and it maintains an active practice in public finance and bond counsel work across the United States. Its energy practice has been involved in renewable project finance, and the firm has a recognized presence in intellectual property disputes. Unlike asset managers or family offices, Orrick deploys legal capital, not financial capital. Orrick operates from more than 25 offices across the United States, Europe, and Asia. Its partnership governance structure places strategy and management decisions in the hands of an elected chairman and management committee. The firm has been recognized in industry rankings for its work in appellate litigation and technology transactions, and it runs an in-house technology lab focused on legal automation and data analytics, a structural feature uncommon among peer firms. What structurally differentiates Orrick from other large law firms is its internal tech lab and a long-running commitment to alternative fee arrangements with clients. The firm has invested in building proprietary software for case management and due diligence, and it publicly emphasizes a pricing model that moves away from the traditional billable hour in favor of fixed-fee and success-based structures for select engagements.