Orrick and Buckley team up to form financial center for legal services and fintech

Orrick and Buckley have jointly announced a strategic alliance that addresses growing demand from the most innovative companies and financial institutions for forward-looking regulatory and enforcement advice.

• It also responds to demand from fintech innovators, technology companies and their financial backers for end-to-end solutions to the opportunities and risks arising from the convergence of finance and technology.
• This adds a top notch white-collar team inside the Beltway and eight top litigation lawyers to Orrick’s financial services litigation platform.
• It brings together two firms well known for their industry focus, innovative service delivery and culture of the best place to work.
• Orrick will also launch a new business unit, Strategic Advisory & Government Enforcement (SAGE).
• The deal is expected to close by the end of January, subject to resolution of the conflict and approval of the partnership.

“Our financial and technical clients are innovating in the face of growing regulatory and enforcement uncertainty, one of their top business risks. As these sectors merge, the combined firm will offer valuable regulatory and industry insights to these innovators and their investors who need to look beyond regulatory angles in implementing their strategies.” said Orrick chairman Mitch Zuckley. “This kind of forward-thinking advice is key to Orrick’s strategy and we are extremely fortunate to add Buckley’s talent and reinforce our culture with the collaborative, innovative and entrepreneurial DNA of the Buckley team.”

The combined firm will represent most of the leading consumer banks, over 700 fintech players, leading funds, over 4,000 growth companies and 10 of the Fortune 20 tech companies.

“This is a tipping point as the consumer finance and technology markets merge. This transformation creates many new and unprecedented regulatory, transactional and litigation risks and opportunities for our clients, and by joining forces with Orrick, we will be able to work closely with our clients on high-quality end-to-end solutions.” Buckley co-managing partner Clint Rockwell said.

“Buckley was founded on a vision to reimagine both the business opportunities and challenges of our clients and the practice of law – and at Orrick we have an outstanding partner to deliver on that vision.” said Buckley co-managing partner Chris Witek.

Buckley’s team brings to Orrick the practices described Chambers & Partners as “the best in their field in the country”, including top ranked teams in Consumer Finance Compliance, Consumer Finance Litigation, and Consumer Finance Law Enforcement and Investigations. It adds top litigators with a strong track record in white-collar, investigative, and class action lawsuits, as well as regulatory and transactional advisors.

This talent will complement the Orrick platform, which is one of the top three in the world for venture capital (Pitchbook), top 10 in ABS and MBS (Asset Warning), No. 2 for American lawyer Bailiff of the week wins in 2022, Chambers Band 1 nationally for data and privacy, and was recently named Law360 like fintech and banking groups of 2022.