Orrick Adds White-Collar Trio, Including Ex-Theranos COO's Lawyer
Jeff Coopersmith, who is defending former Theranos COO Ramesh "Sunny" Balwani against federal criminal charges, has left Davis Wright Tremaine to join Orrick's Seattle office.
October 01, 2019 at 01:45 PM
3 minute read
Jeff Coopersmith of Orrick.
Davis Wright Tremaine litigator Jeff Coopersmith, who is defending former Theranos president and COO Ramesh "Sunny" Balwani, is making a move to Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, along with two other Davis Wright lawyers.
Coopersmith officially joined Orrick's Seattle office Tuesday as a partner in the firm's global white-collar and investigations practice. He will continue to represent Balwani in the criminal prosecution, which is set for trial next summer in federal court in San Jose, Orrick confirmed.
Coopersmith was not available to comment on his move to Orrick. In a statement, he said he is honored to join the Orrick team and practitioners such as John Wolfe, Walt Brown, Melinda Haag and Aravind Swaminathan.
"Orrick has a clear commitment to civil and criminal trial work," he said. "And I look forward to being part of that distinctive platform."
Joining Coopersmith at Orrick are former Davis Wright partner Steve Cazares and associate Amanda McDowell. Cazares, who is based in Los Angeles, will be of counsel at Orrick. He has previously served as a former supervisor in the U.S. attorney's office in Los Angeles.
McDowell is joining Orrick as an associate in the Seattle office.
Davis Wright did not respond to a request for comment regarding the lawyers' departure.
"We have a very strong white-collar practice," Walt Brown, head of Orrick's global white-collar and investigations practice, said in an interview. "It is a destination white-collar practice. And we want to add strength on strength."
Brown said he has known Coopersmith for 18 years and has tried to recruit him to the firm in the past. In a statement, he noted that together with partner John Wolfe, Coopersmith creates "a formidable defense team in Seattle."
"This is an incredibly high-quality lawyer, who was a known quantity," Brown said.
Coopersmith served as an assistant U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington for eight years until 2005. He then joined DLA Piper as a member of the firm's white-collar and corporate crime practice group, and in 2012 he moved over to Davis Wright Tremaine.
Orrick expanded its white-collar and securities practice on the East Coast last year by adding a 15-lawyer group from litigation boutique Morvillo in New York and Washington, D.C. Firmwide, Orrick has about 90 attorneys in the white-collar and securities practice.
Read More
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