Drinker Biddle Names Cheryl Orr to Lead San Francisco Office

Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP today announced that Cheryl D. Orr has been appointed Regional Partner in Charge (RPIC) of the firm’s San Francisco office. Orr’s appointment took effect on May 24, 2019.

Orr, a labor and employment litigator, succeeds partner Vernon I. Zvoleff.

“I’m delighted to take on this role,” Orr said, “particularly given the incredible lawyers, professionals and staff I’m fortunate to work with here in San Francisco. As a firm, Drinker Biddle is both steeped in tradition and compelled by innovation when it comes to meeting the needs of our clients, not unlike the Bay Area itself. This is an enthusiastic and engaged team and it’s an honor to succeed Vern. For me and for my colleagues in San Francisco, this is an exciting time.”

Orr joined Drinker Biddle in 2007. She is one of 12 elected managing partners, who collectively serve in a similar role as a board of directors, and chair of the firm’s national Labor and Employment Practice Group.

“Cheryl has set the standard for excellence and we are grateful to have her heading our San Francisco office,” said Drinker Biddle Chairman and CEO Andrew Kassner. “In addition to a rigorous practice, she contributes incredible time and energy to the success of our firm. We look forward to what lies ahead in San Francisco under Cheryl’s thoughtful guidance.”

Kassner also took the opportunity to thank outgoing RPIC Zvoleff, a products liability and mass torts litigator.

“Vern has done an excellent job leading the office. An accomplished trial lawyer, he has been in every sense ‘first chair’ for us in San Francisco and we cannot thank him enough,” Kassner said.

Opened in 2002, Drinker Biddle’s San Francisco office includes more than 40 lawyers and staff at Four Embarcadero Center.

Orr concentrates her practice on defending employers nationwide against complex wage and hour class, collective, and representative actions arising in industries including retail, health care, education, insurance, finance and manufacturing. She also has a long history of resolving wrongful termination, unfair competition and discrimination cases through a winning motion practice.

Named by the Daily Journal as one of California’s Top Labor & Employment Lawyers for five consecutive years and one of the state’s Top Women Lawyers for four consecutive years, Orr has been recognized by Chambers & Partners as a leading employment lawyer, and regularly chairs the American Conference Institute’s national wage and hour class action conference.

In addition to Orr, the firm announced that Daniel H. Aiken has been appointed RPIC of Drinker Biddle’s Philadelphia office.