People

Craig Falls Partner

Washington, D.C.

Craig has cleared the way for high-profile and highly scrutinized mergers and defended such transactions in litigation when challenged by enforcers. Complementing his merger work, Craig also represents companies in exclusionary conduct investigations and related litigation brought by antitrust enforcers, rival companies, and classes of consumers.

Craig has been on the front lines of cutting-edge antitrust issues, including scrutiny of asset managers under the “common ownership” theory, investigations of patent assertion entities, scrutiny of e-commerce business models, and challenges to pharmaceutical licenses and patent settlements.

He regularly provides antitrust counseling, helping companies structure their joint ventures, licensing arrangements, and other commercial agreements to achieve their business goals at minimized antitrust risk. Craig has published frequently on questions concerning the application of antitrust law to vertical restraints, pricing practices and other relationships between companies operating at different levels of the supply chain.

Craig serves clients in a wide variety of industries, including life sciences, technology, energy, transportation, consumer packaged goods, and retail.

Passionate about pro bono work, Craig focuses on representing the interests of those experiencing homelessness and protects D.C. neighbors facing eviction. He has also represented victims of human trafficking and helped to obtain a trial victory for plaintiffs challenging Wisconsin’s photo identification voter law.

Diana Szego Fassbender Partner

Washington, D.C.

Diana’s experience in managing intricate, high-stakes litigation is evident in her innovative and cost-effective case strategies that consistently lead to favorable resolutions.

Diana's clients rely on her sophisticated, thoughtful approach to ensure solutions align with their overall business goals. Whether it’s through inception, trial, or appeal, Diana's involvement in all phases of litigation guarantees a seamless and effective process. When a business dispute requires aggressive action, Diana is equally adept at representing plaintiffs, showcasing her versatility and determination to achieve fair outcomes for her clients.

Though her experience spans a range of high-stakes commercial disputes, class action and product liability litigation are cornerstones of her practice. In addition to her skill in product liability, Diana has over a decade of experience litigating a variety of intellectual property matters. Her portfolio includes complex multi-defendant, multi-patent district court infringement actions, fast-paced Section 337 Investigations in the International Trade Commission, and high-stakes copyright and trademark cases.

Beyond her litigation success, Diana is dedicated to fostering talent and diversity within the legal community. She has served as a deputy to Orrick's Women's Initiative and played a key role in Orrick's recruiting efforts. Diana previously co-chaired the Associates Committee of Orrick's Washington, D.C., office, earning the Mentor of the Year award in 2011 for her outstanding contributions.

Since joining Orrick's New York office in 2007, Diana has been actively involved in community service. Before Orrick, Diana practiced law in Miami, where she was involved in the local legal community, serving on the Board of Directors of the Dade County Bar Association and participating in the Dade County eMentor program and the Women's Fund of Miami-Dade.

Debra Felder Chief Practice Officer of Finance

Washington, D.C.

As Chief Practice Officer, Debbie advises on strategic planning, operations, and management of Orrick's Banking & Finance, Public Finance, Real Estate, Restructuring, and Structured Finance practice groups, which comprise more than 200 attorneys globally.  Her responsibilities include oversight of the Finance Business Unit's financial performance, advancement of the Unit's strategic initiatives, business planning and execution, and lawyer recruiting.  

As a lawyer in Orrick's Restructuring group, Debbie represents secured and unsecured creditors, investors, lenders, asset purchasers, financial institutions, preference defendants, debtors and other parties in a wide variety of bankruptcy and restructuring matters, as well as in related litigation throughout the United States. In 2020 and 2021, Chambers USA named Debbie an Associate to Watch in the District of Columbia’s Bankruptcy/Restructuring category, and clients praised her as “extremely knowledgeable” and providing “very business-minded, practical advice in the most efficient manner possible.”

Debbie is currently the lead restructuring associate representing the court-appointed representative for future asbestos personal injury claimants in a complex Chapter 11 pending.

Debbie was the lead restructuring associate representing Toyota in the $30 billion bankruptcy of Takata Corporation. Takata and several of its subsidiaries filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the United States and sought bankruptcy protection in Japan and several other jurisdictions in the aftermath of a worldwide problem involving faulty airbag inflators that led to numerous deaths and the recall of millions of vehicles. Toyota was one of the largest creditors in the proceedings, with claims of over $7 billion. Orrick’s work in the Takata bankruptcy and restructuring matter – which included the sale of all of Takata’s assets except for the inflator business to the Chinese-owned, Michigan-based Key Safety Systems – was awarded the “2019 Cross Border Turnaround of the Year / Large” by Global M&A Network.

Debbie was also the lead restructuring associate in the representation of the Conflicts Committee of Seadrill Partners (SDLP) in the $14 billion Chapter 11 bankruptcy and associated restructuring proceedings of Seadrill Limited, SDLP’s parent company. This bankruptcy and related restructuring was awarded “2019 Cross Border Turnaround of the Year / Mega” by Global M&A Network.

Other recent notable engagements include representing counsel to a borrower in the restructuring of a toll road, representing financial institutions and others in the global Lehman insolvency proceedings, representing a lender in the restructuring of a performing arts center, representing a purchaser in a section 363 bankruptcy sale and representing a defendant in a preference and fraudulent transfer litigation.

Debbie is active in pro bono matters including advising distressed clients in corporate dissolution proceedings pursuant to state statutes. She recently drafted a white paper on “Pay for Success” (PFS) programs – a social services funding mechanism in which non-governmental investors fund social programs and receive returns on their investments from the government only if the programs are successful – which explores the feasibility of using PFS programs to provide civil legal aid to vulnerable populations. She also represents proposed guardians and adoptive parents in connection with guardianship and adoption proceedings involving abused or neglected children in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia.

In addition, Debbie serves as Orrick's Risk Management Counsel where she advises the Firm's management and more than 1,100 Orrick lawyers across the world on issues related to professional responsibility, risk management, and legal issues involving the Firm.

Debbie regularly presents CLE training programs to clients on bankruptcy-related topics, including best practices for creditors.

Prior to joining Orrick, Debbie was an associate at Swidler Berlin LLP. As an undergraduate, she spent four summers as an intern in the Clerk’s Office of the United States Supreme Court. During her time at the United States Supreme Court, Debbie researched and wrote a paper on the U.S. Attorneys General, which she presented to the U.S. Solicitor General.

Brenna Ferris Neustater Managing Associate

Washington, D.C.

Before joining Orrick, Brenna clerked on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Prior to clerking, Brenna was an associate at Covington & Burling LLP, where she focused on litigation and investigations.

Brenna graduated from the University of Michigan Law School, magna cum laude, and was elected to Order of the Coif. During law school, Brenna served as the Managing Online Editor for the Michigan Journal of Law Reform, a research assistant to Professor Nina Mendelson, and a student-attorney for the International Refugee Assistance Project and Criminal Appellate Practice Clinic.

Dougal Forrest Managing Associate

Washington, D.C.

Dougal has experience representing both lender- and borrower-side clients in connection with secured and unsecured credit facilities. He has worked on a variety of domestic and cross-border commercial finance matters, including acquisition financings, direct and syndicated lending transactions and debt refinancings.

Before joining Orrick, Dougal was a debt finance associate in the New York office of White & Case LLP.

Thomas Fu Of Counsel

Washington, D.C.

Thomas's practice sits at the intersections of two of his passions: legal advocacy and data. He helps companies facing issues involving data privacy and security to translate the complex issues they face into a message that is persuasive and understandable to courts and regulators. Prior to joining Orrick, Thomas served as a law clerk for Justice Elena Kagan of the U.S Supreme Court and Judge Merrick B. Garland of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Before that, Thomas received his J.D. and Masters in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford, where he helped teach and develop material for undergraduate computer science courses.

Sulina Gabale Partner

Washington, D.C.

As innovation pushes the limits of technology, those ideas challenge the boundaries of what is considered “personally identifiable information.” Sulina answers the question - how can we create tomorrow’s technology with yesterday’s privacy and consumer protection laws? Sulina works closely with innovators at all levels of a business – executives, engineers, marketing and product, HR and customer service teams – to gain a true understanding of their goals and the data they’re collecting, using and sharing. She places herself in her client’s shoes as well as in consumers’ mindset to devise creative privacy-by-design solutions, ensuring her client’s business and data innovation strategies withstand multi-national rules, government regulations, industry standards and consumer scrutiny.

With experience in both data privacy and consumer protection, Sulina utilizes a comprehensive approach to counsel clients on a myriad of issues affecting consumers and businesses. She routinely guides companies of all sizes through the existing patchwork of laws, self-regulatory standards and industry practice impacting data privacy and security. She advises clients subject to regulatory investigations and litigation involving a spectrum of federal and state laws, including:

• California Online Privacy Protection Act (CalOPPA)
• Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)
• Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and related state student data privacy laws
• Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)
• Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA)
• Illinois’ Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) and other biometric privacy laws
• Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act (FTC Act)
• U.S. state privacy laws in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, Virginia and other states

Sulina advises companies of all sizes on the development and deployment of cutting-edge technologies and services, including ad-tech, AI and machine learning, biometric tools, social media, robotics and IoT devices, marketing and promotions and more. Sulina began her legal career focusing on consumer protection. She continues to counsel clients on marketing and promotional issues, including interest-based ads; sweepstakes and promotions; automatic renewal and subscriptions; advertising substantiation; influencer programs and social media; SMS text messaging and telemarketing (including matters involving the Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR), the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA)); and other state and federal consumer protection laws.

Sulina’s practice is industry-agnostic. She has represented clients ranging from start-ups to Fortune 500s, non-profits, academic institutions and city governments across a range of industries from fashion and ecommerce, financial services, retail, food and beverage and technology services. Prior to law school, Sulina worked in the highly interactive fields of journalism, entertainment and digital media. This well-rounded background helps her connect with clients on a personal level, and ensure her advice integrates legal solutions with business practicality.

Before joining Orrick, Sulina was a member of the Privacy & Data Security Group; Entertainment & Media Group; and IP, Information & Innovation Group at Reed Smith, LLP in New York and Washington, D.C.

Magda Gathani Senior Associate

Washington, D.C.

Magda advises payments companies and commercial clients engaged in money transmission with regard to federal and state compliance, including the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), anti-money-laundering (AML) laws, licensing obligations and consumer compliance. She also counsels clients on consumer privacy issues arising from the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) and Regulation P, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) Cybersecurity Rules, and other state and federal laws that address data privacy and information security.

Prior to joining Orrick, Magda was an associate at Buckley LLP.

She is a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US).

Pariya Ghafoori Managing Associate

Washington, D.C.

Pariya represents issuers, sponsors, underwriters, servicers, and other market participants in connection with securitizations and asset-backed securities, in public and private offerings.

Preetha Gist Partner

Washington, D.C.

Banks and other capital market financial service providers, particularly those active in the structured finance markets, face a challenging and ever-changing regulatory environment. Preetha has deep structured/bankruptcy and bank regulatory experience. She is recognized and highly regarded in the industry as a true sale/non-consolidation lawyer and participates in industry-wide efforts to respond to regulatory changes in that area. Preetha also has highly valued knowledge in regulatory financial accounting issues, which affect the structuring of structured transactions.

Preetha is active in the Structured Finance Association and currently serves as the co-chair of the Structured Finance Association's Derivatives in Securitization Task Force. She regularly participates in industry advocacy efforts partnering with in-house government relations departments to educate and advise lawmakers on the real-world impacts of proposed legislative initiatives. She is also a thought leader and speaks frequently on regulatory issues relevant to the securitization industry.

Prior to joining the firm, Preetha was a partner in Chapman and Cutler's Asset Securitization Department. Before that, Preetha served as a general counsel for Capital Markets at a U.S. bank and prior to that, as in-house counsel in other financial institutions, supporting debt capital markets, loan capital markets, asset securitization and derivatives business units. She began her career as an associate at Orrick.

Darrin Glymph Partner

Washington, D.C.

His public finance practice includes representation of issuers or underwriters in long-term and short-term general obligation and revenue bond financings for municipalities, charter schools, educational facilities, and water and power authorities and advising clients on economic development incentives.

Before joining Orrick, Darrin was counsel within the Public Finance Group at Hunton & Williams LLP. He also has served as chairman, director or member of several boards and commissions including:

• Washington Economic Development Partnership
• DC Commission on Arts and Humanities
• Friendship Public Charter School, Inc.
• Small and Local Business Opportunity Commission (D.C.)
• EdBuild
• Center City Public Charter School
• Center for Youth and Family Investment
• D.C. Mayor's Task Force for Procurement Reform
• Industrial Development Authority of the City of Richmond, Virginia
• United Way of Greater Richmond, Allocations and Assessments Committee
• Boy Scouts of America (Richmond, VA)

Neil Golden Senior Counsel

Washington, D.C.

In recent years, Neil has worked extensively on transactions involving the acquisition and divestiture of both companies and assets, as well as the development and financing of renewable energy projects involving wind, solar, biomass and fuel cells, and on alternative fuels projects in the ethanol industry. He served as lead counsel for the sale of a large distributed solar, fuel cell and residential solar portfolio, named “2019 M&A Deal of the Year” by Power Finance & Risk Magazine. He has also worked extensively on the development and financing of conventional power generation facilities.

His corporate and financing experience has included representation of clients in syndicated bank financings, financings by multilateral and bilateral agencies, Rule 144A debt offerings, sale-leaseback financings, construction loans, formation of joint ventures and partnerships, equity investments, and the purchase and sale of equity interests in projects.

Internationally, Neil has represented sponsors of power projects and electric distribution companies in a number of countries including Brazil, Argentina, Jamaica, Honduras, Bangladesh, Nepal, Colombia, Turkey, the Dominican Republic and the People’s Republic of China.