People

Lorraine McGowen Partner

New York

Lorraine brings 30+ years of legal experience in bankruptcies, out-of-court restructurings, sovereign debt restructurings and creditors' rights controversies. She interfaces with auditors, government regulators, investment bankers and others, and develops and implements mediation and litigation strategies, and negotiates reorganization plans and complex corporate and finance documents. She also regularly provides commercial law and bankruptcy advice in connection with securitization, M&A, energy & infrastructure and general corporate transactions.

Lorraine has represented various stakeholders in bankruptcies, workouts, distressed debt transactions, sovereign debt restructurings, bankruptcy litigation, derivatives and distressed acquisition matters such as Suriname, Belize, Puerto Rico, Takata Corporation, Windstream, GTT, Brazos Electric Power Cooperative, Lehman, MF Global, Indiana Toll Road, Chemtura Corporation, Tronox Incorporated, South Bay Expressway, American Dream School, Detroit, General Motors and Stone & Webster.

Lorraine is Partner in Charge of Orrick’s global Inclusion & Belonging Initiatives. She previously served two terms on the firm’s 11-member Board of Directors and as a member of the Management Committee, and she also previously chaired the Restructuring Group.

As a leading Inclusion & Belonging advocate, Lorraine creates programs for the legal profession and the community. She was selected as a 2019 Rainmaker by the Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA), 2025 Private Practitioner of the Year by the Metropolitan Black Bar Association, as one of Savoy Magazine’s Most Influential Lawyers for 2024, 2022, 2018 and 2015, and received Legal Outreach’s Pipeline to Diversity 2017 Champion Award and the New York City Bar Association Diversity and Inclusion 2012 Champion Award. IFLR1000 Rankings named Lorraine a leading lawyer in the U.S. She was selected by Direct Women to be a 2016 Board Institute member. She is a frequent speaker and author on bankruptcy and insolvency and diversity and inclusion.

Among her community involvement, she is a former Vice President and Board Member of the New York City Bar Association and currently co-chairs the City Bar's Digital Assets Task Force. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession and the New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, where she is chair of the board, and on the Advisory Committees for Legal Outreach and the Vance Center for International Justice of the City Bar, where she serves as co-chair of the Advisory Committee of the Vance Center.

Laura Metzger Partner

New York

She regularly represents financial institutions, direct lenders, funds, and investors involved in bankruptcies, out-of-court restructurings, foreclosures, distressed sales and acquisitions, loan and claims trading, bankruptcy litigation and refinancing involving syndicated loan facilities, debtor-in-possession financing and exit financing. She also represents start-up and later stage venture companies (with a focus on technology, blockchain and crypto) and venture capital investors in connection with liquidity crunches, rescue financing, wind-downs and negotiated resolutions with key stakeholders and investments or claims against insolvent counterparties.

Recognized as “outstanding” by The Legal 500 US, Laura was also named a Recognized Practitioner by Chambers USA, which praised her “very commercial and solution oriented” approach. She is “a very capable lawyer who gives great advice,” according to clients. Her clients include Royal Bank of Canada, UBS O’Connor, Red Rock Biofuels, Jade Mountain Partners, ECN Capital Corporation, Equinor, Portigon AG, Macquarie, PwC,Transurban, the Bank of Nova Scotia, and Erste Abwicklungsanstalt among others.

Laura has been involved in many prominent bankruptcy and out-of-court restructuring cases, including FTX, Talen Energy, Celsius Networks, Three Arrows Capital, restructurings related to the collapse of Tera and Luna, Mt. Gox, Legacy Reserves, White Eagle, Cobalt, Chesapeake Energy, Shopko, The Weinstein Company, Lily Robotics, Seadrill, Chaparral, CHC Helicopters, Erickson, GT Advanced Technologies, Hostess, Pocahontas Parkway, Indiana Toll Road, Eagle Bulk, Fresh & Easy, American Airlines, Chemtura Corporation, Lazare Kaplan, Hawker Beechcraft, Metro Fuel, Claim Jumper Restaurants, Abitibibowater, Nortel, Fabrikant, Scotia Pacific, VICORP, Sea Containers, Lyondell, Foxwoods, Delta, US Air, Northwest, Star Diamond, and Ritchie Risk-Linked Strategies Trading (Ireland) Limited. She handles cross-border restructuring matters in major international jurisdictions such as Canada, Europe, Cayman Islands and B.V.I.

Laura also has expertise in the esoteric asset class, life settlements. She represents clients in the life settlement and premium finance markets, acting for buyers, sellers and owners of life settlements and premium finance loans, and has extensive experience with the various legal issues impacting such assets.

Thomas C. Mitchell Senior Counsel

San Francisco

He has represented secured and unsecured creditors, indenture trustees and others in bankruptcies and workouts in a variety of industries, including technology, rail transportation, air transportation, securities trading, commodities trading, supermarket, automobile sales, construction (including solar energy), retailing, convenience store, health care, telecommunications, film and television production, restaurant, home construction, real estate development, and equipment manufacturing.

He also has extensive experience in the structuring of asset securitization transactions to resolve bankruptcy and commercial law issues, representing issuers, underwriters, and credit enhancers with respect to many asset types, including mortgage loans (residential and commercial, U.S. and foreign), credit cards (secured and unsecured), trade receivables (U.S. and foreign), consumer and marketplace loans, property assessed clean energy (PACE), delinquent property tax receivables, tobacco settlement payments, attorneys’ fee payments in connection with the tobacco settlement, whole business securitization, home equity loans, auto loans, time share loans, excess servicing fees, manufactured home loans, aircraft leases, home relocation receivables, defaulted receivables, electric utility stranded costs, franchise loans, dealer floorplan loans, equipment leases, mutual fund fees, limited partnership interests, bank funds flows, annuity fees, health care receivables, insured student loans, repackaged securities, viatical loans, and insurance premium receivables. In addition, he has been responsible for commercial law and bankruptcy structuring of collateralized debt obligations, municipal derivatives, lease to service contracts, Indian tribe financings, and a wide variety of public finance transactions and project finance transactions. He also represents borrowers and lenders in secured transactions.

IFLR1000, US and California Restructuring and Insolvency, Notable Practitioner, 2021

Mentioned in the Structured Finance: Securitization category of The Legal 500 US 2021

Amy Pasacreta Of Counsel

New York

She advises investment banks, broker-dealers, hedge funds and other financial institutions on legal issues related to the purchase and sale of domestic and international par and distressed assets, including bilateral and syndicated loans, loan participations and derivative structured products. Amy also works with clients to structure deals involving preference, administrative and unsecured trade claims and assists clients in enforcing their rights in the bankruptcy case after the claims are purchased. She represents buy side and sell side clients in connection with private transfers of debt and equity securities, special situations investments, and transactional matters relative to in-court and out-of-court restructurings. Amy also has experience representing lenders on secured and unsecured financing transactions across a wide array of industries, including shipping, airline, energy and infrastructure.

Amy is a consensus builder with industry knowledge and working relationships with all major market players. She has extensive experience in the preparation and negotiation of bespoke documents under the LSTA and LMA regimes, and is routinely involved with cross-border transactions throughout Europe, Asia, Latin America and the United States. A seasoned practitioner, she coordinates efforts and resources across the firm to ensure transactions are handled efficiently.

Amy is an active member of the industry’s loan associations and provides training for in house counsel and operations teams at financial institutions.

Margaux Romano Managing Associate

Parigi

Margaux’s practice focuses on restructuring and insolvency advising all the stakeholders (alternative investors, lenders, creditors, debtors, buyers etc.) whether in an amicable or judicial context. whether in an amicable or judicial context.

Margaux has worked as an intern in the restructuring departments of leading international and French law firms.

Prior to joining Orrick, she was an associate in a UK law firm.

Nick Sabatino Senior Associate

Sacramento

Nick represents a diverse range of stakeholders throughout the capital structure in complex restructuring scenarios. His practice encompasses representing institutional creditors, financial institutions, funds, direct lenders, and strategic investors in bankruptcy proceedings, out-of-court workouts, and distressed asset acquisitions.  He has significant experience with debtor-in-possession financing, pre-packaged Chapter 11 proceedings, Section 363 sales, and contested bankruptcy litigation matters.

Nick has developed particular expertise in distressed M&A transactions across multiple industries, including energy and infrastructure, life sciences, cryptocurrency, and retail sectors. He regularly works with clients to structure and execute credit-bid acquisitions, private sales, and strategic investments in distressed companies. His cross-practice approach allows him to collaborate effectively with Orrick’s M&A, Banking & Finance, and Energy & Infrastructure teams to deliver comprehensive solutions to complex distressed situations.

Beyond traditional restructuring work, Nick’s experience extends to non-distressed transactions, including real estate purchases and syndicated loan refinancing. He brings a strategic and detail-oriented approach to each matter, working collaboratively with clients to navigate challenging financial circumstances and achieve business objectives.

Elodie Tancray Managing Associate

Parigi

Elodie’s practice focuses on restructuring and insolvency advising all the stakeholders (alternative investors, lenders, creditors, debtors, buyers etc.) whether in an amicable or judicial context. whether in an amicable or judicial context.

Elodie has worked as a trainee in leading French law firms.

Prior to joining Orrick, she was an associate at a UK law firm.

Michael Trentin Senior Associate

New York

Michael has been recognized as a Rising Star in Bankruptcy by Super Lawyers since 2021. His practice spans a broad range of roles, serving stakeholders across a company's capital structure, including lenders, creditors committees, debtors and asset purchasers.  Beyond his core restructuring practice, Michael is an avid litigator. He regularly represents clients in contentious matters within bankruptcy courts, as well as in chancery and federal district courts.

Before entering private practice, Michael served as law clerk in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey.  

Robert Trust Partner

New York

The principal focus of his practice has been the representation of private credit lenders, private funds, and other alternative lenders in providing credit to borrowers in special situations in a wide range of businesses and industries, including pharmaceuticals, maritime, aviation, healthcare, automatic, energy, steel, retain, financial, media, entertainment and telecom. In addition, Robert regularly represents ad hoc groups of creditors in chapter 11 restructurings and out-of-court workouts.

Francois Wyon Partner

Parigi

His practice focuses on restructuring and insolvency proceedings, in relation to which he advises all stakeholders (alternative investors, lenders, creditors, debtors, buyers etc.) whether in an amicable or judicial context.

François also advises companies, entrepreneurs and investment funds on their corporate and transactional matters.

He has recently acted for investors and creditors in the restructuring of listed and mid/upper mid companies. He has also advised financially distressed industrial actors, as well as investors seeking to acquire stressed and distressed assets and business activities.

François is a member of the Paris Bar, holds a Master 2 - DJCE from the University Jean Moulin Lyon 3 and is a graduate of HEC Paris. He is a regular lecturer in the Master's degree in Restructuring and Treatment of Distressed Companies (ALED accred.) at Université Jean Moulin Lyon 3.

Prior to joining Orrick, François was a lawyer at major international law firms.