People

Debra Felder Chief Practice Officer of Fin

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.

Mark Franke 顾问律师

New York; Boston

Recognized as a rising star by Super Lawyers and the Legal 500, the market has increasingly turned to Mark for advice on matters across a variety of industries, including aviation, shipping, oil & gas, chemicals, renewable energy, digital assets, agriculture & farming, construction & engineering, telecommunications, sports, commercial real estate, entertainment and leisure, and digital and traditional media.

Mark is highly practical, placing emphasis on commercial solutions to disputes while also at home in contentious litigation and contested motion practice. He thrives in contexts that require engineering creative approaches to problems involving multiple players with competing interests. In all things, he prioritizes relational and intellectual integrity with his colleagues and adversaries.

Preetha Gist 合伙人

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.

Manny Grillo 合伙人

New York

In addition to troubled companies, his clients include investment funds, sponsors and other financial institutions, whom he counsels on insolvency and restructuring matters related to complex financings and securitizations. He also represents sellers and purchasers in distressed merger and asset transactions.

With significant experience across industries such as power, energy, real estate, transportation, technology, healthcare and financial services, Manny negotiates rescue and recapitalization financing transactions on behalf of both lenders and borrowers, including debtor-in-possession loans. He also litigates disputes arising in or from plan confirmations, lender liability matters, avoidance actions and liability management transactions. In addition, Manny represents clients in commercial litigation involving financial instruments and internal investigations in both state and federal courts.

Active in industry and civic organizations, Manny is involved with the American Bankruptcy Institute and the Microenterprise Project of Volunteers of Legal Services (VOLS) in New York City. He also recently served as a member of the Complex Chapter 11 Case Committee for the US Bankruptcy Court for the S.D. of Texas and the Editorial Advisory Board for Bankruptcy Law360.

Jonathan Guy 高级顾问律师

Washington, D.C.

Chambers USA has variously described Mr. Guy as someone who is a "zealous advocate for his clients," is "valued for his quick and practical advice," "makes fantastically impressive presentations in court," is able to "listen to a large amount of information" in court and "reduce an argument to its essence," and is an "expert in commercial and bankruptcy-related litigation."

Mr. Guy is ranked in Chambers USA as a Senior Statesperson for District of Columbia Bankruptcy/Restructuring and in the Thomson Reuters Washington, D.C. Super Lawyers category for business litigation. He is the former Chair of the Community Responsibility Committee for the Washington, D.C. office and was long active in numerous pro bono cases.

Jeffery Hermann Counsel

Los Angeles

He regularly represents secured and unsecured creditors, purchasers of assets from bankruptcy estates, bondholders, secured lenders and creditor committees, including debtor-in-possession financings and Chapter 11 exit financings.

Before joining Orrick, Jeff practiced law for 23 years at the Los Angeles offices of Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison LLP, the last 17 years as a partner of the firm.