MEET THE TEAM
James Burnham is the President and founder of Vallecito Capital LLC. Before founding Vallecito Capital, James was a litigation partner at Jones Day, a senior official in the Department of Justice’s Civil Division and Office of the Attorney General, and a Senior Associate Counsel to the President. James clerked for Justice Neil Gorsuch on the U.S. Supreme Court and Judge Alex Kozinski on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He graduated with high honors from the University of Chicago Law School and earned his bachelor's degree at the University of Texas at Austin. James is also a Governor Youngkin appointee to the Gunston Hall Board of Visitors and a member of the Edward Coke Appellate Inn of Court.
Pierce Babirak is the General Counsel and Executive Vice President of Vallecito Capital LLC. Before joining Vallecito Capital, Pierce practiced law as a corporate and financial services attorney at Cooley LLP and Mitchell Sandler PLLC. He also clerked for Judge Alice Batchelder on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Prior to practicing law, Pierce worked in finance for a variety of financial institutions and had a brief career in the education sector. Pierce earned his MBA in Finance from the University of Virginia Darden School of Business, a law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law, a master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania, and a bachelor’s degree from Grove City College. Outside of Vallecito Capital, Pierce serves as a Captain in the United States Army Reserves.
Arielle Goldberg is the Vice President of Vallecito Capital LLC. Before joining Vallecito Capital, Arielle worked at CRC Advisors, a Virginia-based public-affairs firm. Prior to that, she served as Justice Neil Gorsuch’s Judicial Assistant at the U.S. Supreme Court. Arielle holds a master’s degree from the Naval War College and bachelor’s degree from American University.