Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe’s global chair of mergers and acquisitions and private equity and a corporate partner in Houston have jumped to Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, the firm announced this week.
Ed Batts, who is based in Palo Alto, had led Orrick’s M&A and private equity practice since 2016. Houston deal lawyer Charles Walker has worked with Batts for the past eight years. Prior to Orrick, the two attorneys practiced at DLA Piper, where Walker was a senior associate.
Batts and Walker are known for representing public and private technology companies and businesses in other sectors that are acquiring intellectual property and tech-based businesses, according to Gibson Dunn leaders.
“Ed and Chuck are strong additions to our firm’s corporate practice,” Mike Darden, managing partner of Gibson Dunn’s Houston office, said in a statement. “In particular, Chuck’s private equity background fits well with our continued focus on financial sponsors as well as strategics. As a result, we see excellent synergies between their client base and the firm’s client base in our Bay Area, Houston and Denver offices.”
Walker was minted a partner at Orrick in 2017. The Harvard Law School graduate started his career at Kirkland & Ellis in Chicago before moving to Houston for DLA Piper in 2012.
In 2019, Walker advised Schlumberger on its $250 million joint venture with Rockwell Automation called Sensia. The Texas Lawbook reported on the announcement of the joint venture in February and it closed in October.
– Claire Poole contributed to this report