Düsseldorf
Carsten advises on all sorts of German tax and accounting issues arising for industry clients, financial institutions and private equity funds. Mainly focusing on corporate and real estate transactions and restructurings. He also advises and represents clients with respect to tax field audits and in tax litigation against the fiscal administration and before German fiscal and civil courts. Prior to joining Orrick Carsten completed his legal traineeship in both national and international law firms.
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.
Orange County; Los Angeles
Orange County; Los Angeles
He is also a member of Orrick's Leasing Practice Group, Assessment/Mello-Roos Practice Group, and Revenue Practice Group. Don has extensive experience, as bond counsel, disclosure counsel and underwriter's counsel, in the financing techniques used by school and community college districts, cities and counties in California. His practice focuses on local governmental infrastructure financing, including general obligation bond financing, municipal lease financing, and land-secured financing, as well as tax and revenue anticipation note (TRAN), pension obligation and other post-employment benefit (OPEB) obligation financings. Don serves as the lead lawyer for the California School Boards Association's annual tax and revenue anticipation note pool.
San Francisco
San Francisco
He advises publicly held and privately owned (including sponsor-backed) companies, financial institutions, credit funds and other alternative lenders in connection with broadly syndicated loans, pro rata (bank-only) credit facilities and a wide variety of private credit transactions (including senior secured, junior lien, senior subordinated and mezzanine loans). His experience also extends to asset-based loans, project financings, debt restructurings and workouts. In addition, Zach regularly represents technology companies on various types of growth capital financings used to rapidly expand their businesses and to deploy new and market-disrupting products and services.
Zach has a particular passion for the digital infrastructure sector, stemming from his extensive experience representing data center operators, service providers, lenders and investors in the space. As one of the leaders of Orrick’s multidisciplinary data center practice, he is well-versed in traditional and increasingly bespoke financing structures to address the unique needs and challenges of clients in this ever-evolving industry.
In the 2025 California Banking & Finance category of Chambers USA, clients praise Zach as “a phenomenal” and describe him as “extremely aware of the market and a great resource when it comes to debt financing.” He is also recognized by IFLR1000, where clients note that Zach “is an outstanding business partner” and “his strengths are his creativity, accessibility, diligence and his ability to bring all of Orrick's resources to bear.”
Zach previously served a three-year term on the Commercial Transactions Committee (formerly called the Uniform Commercial Code Committee) of the Business Law Section of the State Bar of California, acting as its Co-Chair for the final year of his term.
London
He regularly counsels clients on a broad range of real estate matters, including the acquisition and disposal of investment property across asset classes; advice to corporate occupiers on lettings and office moves; real estate development; and the property aspects of corporate and financing transactions.
Simon also has extensive experience in the energy sector, where he has advised on the acquisition, sale, development and financing of a variety of projects. He has particular knowledge in renewable energy, with significant experience in offshore and onshore wind, solar and biomass. He is a member of the Orrick team that is adept in the disposal of offshore transmission assets as part of the OFTO tender process run by Ofgem.
New York
Her practice encompasses all aspects of commercial real estate transactions, including acquisitions and dispositions, equity investments and financings, joint ventures and leasing. She is skilled at drafting documents that bring complicated deal points to life.
Robin strongly believes in community engagement and is active in a local non-profit that provides shelter and services to the homeless in New York City.