Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe has appointed a global co-head of its mergers and acquisitions and private equity practice in Silicon Valley.
Ed Batts, who joins Orrick from DLA Piper, advises companies on M&A, corporate governance, and fiduciary duties. Many of his deals are in the technology industry, and he also does some energy sector deals.
“I expect to be doing 95% tech work. I do mature large public companies that have been out of the gate for a long time,” Batts told IFLR1000.
The widely observed downturn in the energy sector is not bad news for everyone. It can, perhaps ironically, help transactional lawyers in certain sectors.
“In the energy space, when you get oil $30 and below, the giddy times of mega-mergers are over, but there is an opportunity for M&A workers in Houston. There will be a lot of workouts and corporate lawyers are integral to that process,” Batts commented.
"I’ve done four public company bankruptcies, and I think they’re a lot of fun. A 363 doesn’t have the handcuffs on it that a normal merger does. You walk into an auction, and it’s an auction! It’s much more dynamic than some deals,” he added.
Another sector where Batts sees opportunities is the fast-consolidating semiconductor space.
“Companies are looking at large significant deals being done, and asking, ‘Are we going to be the last standalone in our space, or do we need to tie up with someone?’” Batts continued.
Batts holds a J.D. from Stanford Law School and a B.A. from the University of California Los Angeles.