Debevoise & Plimpton LLP

Alexander Cochran

Alexander Cochran is a corporate partner and a member of the firm’s Financial Institutions Group. He focuses on corporate transactions in the insurance industry, including mergers and acquisitions, financings and pension risk transfer transactions. Mr. Cochran is a frequent author and speaker on legal developments affecting the insurance industry. He is a member of the team that authored the 2025 update of “Insurance and Investment Management M&A Deskbook,” published by Practising Law Institute, which provides attorneys with an essential reference to keep up with emerging trends in insurance and investment management M&A. He is the co-author of numerous publications, including “Federal Reserve Publishes Advance Notice Of Proposed Rulemaking On Capital Requirements For Insurers,” FC&S Legal (July, 2016); “Federal Reserve Proposes Enhanced Prudential Standards For Insurance SIFIs,” FC&S Legal (July, 2016); “Developments At The NAIC Spring Meeting,” Law360 (April, 2016); “Financial Buyer Participation In The Insurance Industry: An Update For 2015,” FC&S Legal (July, 2015); and the Insurance and Investment Management M&A Deskbook (Practising Law Institute, 2023). His recent speaking engagements include “Insurance M&A: Evolution or Revolution?,” S&P Global Webinar 2017 and “Financial Reinsurance as Alternative Capital” at the Hanover Re Experience 2015. Mr. Cochran received his J.D. cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 2005, where he was a senior editor of the Law Review, and his B.A. magna cum laude from Bucknell University in 2002. Prior to joining Debevoise in 2006, Mr. Cochran was a law clerk to the Hon. Mary McLaughlin of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. · Mergers and Acquisitions

Ali Nierenberg

Ali Nierenberg is a corporate partner and a member of the Investment Management Group. Her practice focuses on advising sponsors of private investment funds, co-investment vehicles and separately managed accounts, covering numerous sectors and strategies, including buyout, infrastructure and real estate. Ms. Nierenberg’s recent experience includes acting for clients such as Bain Capital, Breakthrough Properties, EIG Global Energy Partners, Global Infrastructure Partners, Leeds Equity Partners, JP Morgan and Tishman Speyer. Ms. Nierenberg joined Debevoise in 2017. Ms. Nierenberg received a J.D. from New York University in 2017, where she was an articles editor for the Annual Survey of American Law. She received a B.A. magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania in 2014. · Private Investment Funds

Andrew Bab

Andrew Bab is a corporate partner, member of the firm’s Mergers & Acquisitions and Private Equity Groups and Co-Chair of the Healthcare & Life Sciences Group. Mr. Bab has worked extensively on public and private acquisitions, divestitures and joint ventures, including cross-border transactions for both private equity and corporate clients, as well as licensing arrangements and other corporate transactions. He has experience across many industries but is particularly active in the healthcare and life sciences sectors. In addition, he frequently advises Deutsche Bank, Guggenheim Securities, J.P. Morgan Securities, Morgan Stanley and other investment banks on major M&A transactions. · Mergers & Acquisitions

Andrew Ceresney

Partner · Litigation

Andrew Ford

ndrew Ford is a corporate partner based in Debevoise's New York office and a member of the firm’s Investment Management Group. Mr. Ford represents U.S. alternative asset managers on the structuring and establishment of a variety of global and geographically specific private alternative investment products, including the organization of traditional private investment funds and co-investment structures and the establishment of bespoke separately managed accounts and platforms. He has experience in raising private alternative investment funds, targeting investments in the private equity, infrastructure and natural resources sectors, as well as investment products sourcing distressed investment opportunities and engaging in loan origination activities. Mr. Ford is recognized by both Chambers Global (2023) and Chambers USA (2023), with the guides describing him as “an extremely strong advisor,” who is “really detail-oriented” and “hyper-focused on delivering the best client service.” He is also said to be “extraordinarily business-focused,” “an excellent lawyer,” a “very effective negotiator” who is “technically superb” and a “very clever and astute operator” with a “burgeoning reputation” in the funds arena. He is praised for his “encyclopedic knowledge” of the structuring and establishment of private equity funds, with clients noting that he is “a very smart negotiator. He is able to craft convincing arguments to advance his client’s interests.” Mr. Ford joined the firm in 2019. He received his LL.B., with honors, from the University of Nottingham in 2003 and a Diploma in Legal Practice from Nottingham Law School in 2004. Mr. Ford is admitted as a solicitor of the Senior Courts of England & Wales and is also admitted to the bar in New York. · Investment Management

Andrew Jamieson

Andrew G. Jamieson is a corporate partner in the firm’s Financial Institutions and Insurance Groups. His practice focuses on advising private equity firms and corporate clients in connection with mergers and acquisitions, reinsurance transactions and other complex transactions in the insurance industry. · Mergers and Acquisitions

Andrew Levine

He is well recognized in the region and elsewhere for defending companies and individuals in criminal, civil and regulatory enforcement matters and for conducting internal investigations. Mr. Levine serves as the go-to anti-corruption adviser to numerous leading global companies and represents many clients on corruption-related matters in Latin America, including the Lava Jato, Zelotes, Carne Fraca and FIFA scandals. He has led important representations in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela, among other countries. · White Collar & Regulatory Defense

Avi Gesser

Mr. Gesser is Co-Chair of the firm’s Data Strategy & Security Group. His practice focuses on advising major companies on a wide range of cybersecurity, privacy and artificial intelligence matters. · Cybersecurity

Benjamin Pedersen

Ben Pedersen is a partner in the firm’s Capital Markets Group and member of the Special Situations and Public Company Advisory teams. His practice focuses on a broad range of capital markets transactions, regularly representing issuers, private equity firms and underwriters in public and private offerings of debt and equity securities, and advising public and private companies on securities laws, disclosure, corporate governance and general corporate matters. He has led transactions across many industries, including insurance, media and telecommunications, healthcare, technology and industrials, among others. · Capital Markets

Brett Novick

Brett M. Novick is a partner in the firm’s Finance and Private Equity Groups. His practice focuses on complex acquisition finance, leveraged finance and structured finance transactions. Mr. Novick represents private equity firms, their portfolio companies, corporate clients and debt investors in a broad range of complex financing transactions across various industries. Mr. Novick is a regular contributor to the Debevoise & Plimpton Private Equity Report. Mr. Novick joined Debevoise in 2014. Mr. Novick received a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School magna cum laude in 2014 and a B.S. summa cum laude from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 2011. · Acquisition Finance

Brian Liu

Brian E. Liu is a corporate partner and a member of the firm’s Aviation Practice Group. His practice focuses on all aspects of aviation and equipment finance, and he regularly represents airlines, leasing companies and financial institutions. Mr. Liu’s extensive experience includes advising clients on enhanced equipment trust certificate and secured notes issuances, securitizations, syndicated credit facilities, second lien facilities, warehouse facilities, sale/leasebacks and restructurings. A number of transactions on which he has worked have been selected for “Deal of the Year” industry honors; these complex structured financings, encompassing portfolio securitizations and U.S. and foreign carrier EETCs, have been recognized within the aviation finance industry for their innovation and significance. Mr. Liu joined the firm in 2017. Prior to joining Debevoise, he served as partner at an international law firm, focusing on equipment finance matters. Mr. Liu earned his J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 2006 and received his B.A. from Northwestern University in 2003. · Aviation Finance

Bruce Yannett

White Collar Criminal Defense

Bruce Yannett

He focuses on white collar criminal defense, regulatory enforcement and internal investigations. He represents a broad range of companies, financial institutions and their executives in matters involving securities fraud, accounting fraud, foreign bribery, cybersecurity, insider trading, and money laundering. · White Collar Criminal Defense

Caroline Swett

Caroline Swett is a partner and member of the firm’s Financial Institutions Banking, Special Situations and ESG Groups. She advises domestic and foreign banks and other financial institutions on a wide range of regulatory, enforcement and transactional matters. Ms. Swett has particular experience advising financial institutions on complex Regulation W issues, governance mechanisms and practices, supervisory examinations and downgrades, regulatory permissibility, charter formations and Fintech acquisitions. · Financial Institutions Banking

Catherine Amirfar

Public International Law

Christopher Anthony

Christopher Anthony is Co-Chair of the firm’s Mergers & Acquisitions Group and a member of the Private Equity Group. He has worked extensively on acquisitions, divestitures and joint ventures for both private equity and corporate clients. · Mergers and Acquisitions

Christopher Ford

Christopher S. Ford is a counsel in the Litigation Department who is a member of the firm’s Intellectual Property Litigation Group and Data Strategy & Security practice. Mr. Ford has litigated trademark, trade dress, and false advertising cases in federal court and before the Trademark Trial and Appeals Board, and regularly advises clients on issues relating to their trademark and brand management. He is a member of the International Trademark Association’s Non-Traditional Marks committee and has been the chair of its U.S. Litigation task force since 2020. He has guest lectured on trademark and trade dress issues at New York University School of Law and Rutgers School of Law. · Intellectual Property Litigation

Daniel Priest

Daniel Priest is a tax partner in our New York office. His practice concentrates on advising clients on a broad range of M&A and financing transactions, with a focus on corporate transactions in the insurance industry, as well as advising sponsors on the formation of U.S. and international private equity funds. · Tax

David G. Sewell

Counsel · Banking Regulation

David Grosgold

His practice focuses on domestic and cross-border corporate transactions in the financial services and insurance industries, including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, reinsurance and bancassurance transactions in the U.S., Latin America and Asia. · Corporate and M&A

David H. Bernstein

David H. Bernstein is one of the world’s most prominent trademark lawyers. Many of the world’s most recognizable brands have relied on him to help them navigate high-stakes IP claims. Mr. Bernstein is also one of the world’s leading domain name arbitrators, an active mediator in trademark cases, an adjunct professor of law at New York University and George Washington University, a faculty member at the Federal Judicial Center and the World Intellectual Property Organization, the author of amicus briefs in many of the leading trademark cases in the United States, and an active leader of the International Trademark Association, where he has served as Counsel, a member of the Board of Directors, Co-Chair of the Annual Meeting, and Chair of the International Amicus, Emerging Issues and Meetings Committees. He is described by various legal directories as a “rockstar,” “the dean of the IP litigation bar,” and “indisputably one of the very best trademark lawyers in the country.” Mr. Bernstein is recognized in the "Hall of Fame" by The Legal 500 US (2025). · Trademark Law

David O'Neil

His practice focuses on white collar criminal defense, internal investigations, anti-corruption and FCPA defense and congressional investigations. · White Collar Criminal Defense

David O’Neil

David O’Neil is Co-Chair of the White Collar & Regulatory Defense Group and a partner in the Washington, D.C. office. · White Collar Criminal Defense

David Schwartz

David Schwartz is a corporate partner in the Investment Management Group and a leader in the firm’s Alternative Assets Transactions and Liquidity Solutions Group. He is also a member of the Private Equity Group. Mr. Schwartz represents sponsors of, and institutional investors in, private investment funds, including buyout, emerging markets, funds of funds, infrastructure, real estate and venture capital funds, as well as separate and other managed accounts. He also advises sponsors and investors in connection with complex secondary transactions, including traditional sales and purchases of fund interests, listed fund transactions, secondary direct transactions, “manager for hire” arrangements, synthetic secondaries, “stapled” primary and secondary transactions and fund recapitalizations and restructurings. Mr. Schwartz represents numerous private equity clients, including Capital International, Ford Foundation, HarbourVest Partners, Morgan Stanley and major sovereign wealth funds. · Corporate

Dietmar Prager

International Arbitration

Donald F. Donovan

He serves as Co-Chair of Debevoise’s Public International Law Group and for some 20 years also served as Co-Chair of its International Disputes Group. He serves as counsel in international disputes before international courts, international arbitration tribunals, and courts in the United States. · Public International Law

Drew Dutton

Drew Dutton is Co-Head of the firm’s UK/European insurance practice. He is a London-based corporate insurance partner who regularly represents financial institutions, private equity sponsors, pension funds and multinational corporations in a broad range of cross-border transactions, including mergers and acquisitions. Mr. Dutton is also a leader of the firm’s Private Fund Transactions Group, where he regularly advises investors and general partners on a wide range of anchor investments, co-investments, acquisition and investment platforms, bespoke joint ventures and secondaries transactions. · Corporate Insurance

Edward M. Rishty

Eddie Rishty is a corporate partner and member of the firm’s Real Estate Group. He regularly advises private equity funds, hedge funds, real estate developers, prominent family offices and sovereign wealth funds on the acquisition, disposition, financing and development of various types of real estate, as well as joint venture and capital market transactions involving real estate. Mr. Rishty is recognized by The Legal 500 US (2024), IFLR1000 (2024) where he is listed as a Notable Practitioner for Real Estate Acquisitions and Real Estate Finance, and Chambers USA (2025), where clients say he is “a true expert in his field” and “a highly skilled and well-respected attorney” who “always brings a very high level of creativity, professionalism and knowledge to his work.” Sources note that he “demonstrates tremendous attention to detail and is very pragmatic in his approach.” They highlight his “strong legal acumen and incredible interpersonal skills” and note that he is “a trusted ‘go-to’ for [the] most complex and challenging assignments” and “a sophisticated thinker and problem solver.” He is also described as “an extremely thorough and very detail-oriented attorney who doesn't miss a beat,” and who “makes sure every issue is thoroughly vetted and well understood by his clients.” Mr. Rishty recently taught a course on real estate transactions at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law as an adjunct professor. Mr. Rishty joined Debevoise in 2004. He received his J.D. from New York University School of Law in 2004 and his B.S. cum laude from the NYU Stern School of Business in 2001. Mr. Rishty is a member of the Bar of New York. · Real Estate

Elliot Greenfield

Mr. Greenfield is a highly regarded civil litigator who focuses his practice on securities and shareholder disputes, FinTech and digital asset litigation, consumer class actions, mergers and acquisitions litigation and complex commercial disputes. · Securities Litigation

Emily Huang

Emily Huang is a corporate partner and a member of the firm’s Mergers & Acquisitions Group. Her practice focuses on advising private equity firms and corporate clients in connection with mergers and acquisitions and other corporate transactions across a broad range of industries, including sports, media and telecommunications, technology, consumer and industrials, among others. · Corporate Law

Erez Liebermann

Erez Liebermann is a litigation partner and a member of the firm’s Data Strategy & Security Group. His practice focuses on advising major businesses on a wide range of complex, high-impact cyber-incident response matters and on data-related regulatory requirements. With decades of experience in data issues as a litigator, federal prosecutor and senior in-house counsel at a global insurance company, Mr. Liebermann regularly advises clients at the C-suite and board level on building strategies to reduce their data-related regulatory and reputational risks, and on navigating high-profile government investigations following data incidents. · Litigation

Eric Dinallo

Eric Dinallo is Chair of the firm’s insurance regulatory practice and a member of its Financial Institutions and White Collar & Regulatory Defense Groups in New York. Mr. Dinallo is a broad-gauged financial services lawyer who focuses on developing and executing regulatory strategies for clients involved in transactions in the insurance sector. He also counsels financial institutions, including banks and insurers, facing investigations or enforcement actions from insurance regulators, state attorneys general and prosecutors. Mr. Dinallo received his B.A. in Philosophy in 1985 from Vassar College and his M.A. in 1987 from Duke University School of Public Policy. Mr. Dinallo earned his J.D. from New York University in 1990, where he was Review and Essay Editor of the New York University Law Review. He clerked with the Hon. David M. Ebel of the U.S. Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit in Denver (1990–1991). Mr. Dinallo is Chair of the American Institute for Stuttering. · Insurance Regulatory

Eric Juergens

Capital Markets

Erica Weisgerber

Erica S. Weisgerber is a partner in the Litigation Department and a member of the Special Situations team whose practice focuses on restructuring and distressed investment litigation. Ms. Weisgerber has advised clients on restructuring- and litigation-related issues arising in bankruptcy cases, out-of-court restructurings, intercreditor and lender disputes, and other distressed situations across a diverse range of industries. Her extensive experience includes litigation relating to out-of-court financings and restructuring transactions, clawback claims arising out of domestic and international insolvencies, intercreditor claims, post-bankruptcy litigation trustee claims, and debtor and creditor representations. Ms. Weisgerber’s bankruptcy experience includes a range of debtor and creditor representations, adversary proceedings and contested matters in cases under Chapters 11 and 15 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code and cross-border insolvency proceedings. Ms. Weisgerber also regularly represents investment banks in their retentions by major constituencies in Chapter 11 proceedings. She was named to Bloomberg Law’s nationwide “The Top 40 Under 40”, Law360’s 2023 Top Attorneys Under 40 for Bankruptcy and was recognized in 2020 by Turnarounds & Workouts in their annual list of twelve Outstanding Young Restructuring Lawyers in the United States. She was also selected as a member of the 2020 Class of the American Bankruptcy Institute’s 40 Under 40 and was awarded The M&A Advisor’s 2021 Chapter 11 Reorganization of the Year (over $1B) for her role as counsel to Canada Pension Plan Investment Board as co-sponsor of Neiman Marcus in its Chapter 11 restructuring. Ms. Weisgerber is ranked by Chambers USA (2024) as a leading lawyer in Bankruptcy/Restructuring, where clients describe her as “extremely hard-working and very knowledgeable about the subject matter as well as the wider industry” and have praised her “ability to distill complex issues into simple concepts when arguing in front of the court.” Ms. Weisgerber is recognized as one of the “500 Leading Litigators in America” by Lawdragon (2024). Ms. Weisgerber’s broader commercial litigation practice also includes significant experience in federal and state courts litigating complex commercial and antitrust litigations. Her antitrust practice includes representing plaintiffs and defendants in civil litigation, representing clients before antitrust agencies in government reviews of proposed transactions and counseling clients with respect to antitrust issues associated with mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and competitor’s exchange of information. Ms. Weisgerber is recommended for her antitrust litigation and merger control practice in The Legal 500 US (2024), and ranked as a leading antitrust lawyer by Chambers USA (2024). She also maintains an active pro bono practice and is a 2012 and 2013 recipient of The Legal Aid Society’s Pro Bono Publico Award for outstanding service to The Legal Aid Society and its clients. She has also been recognized as Empire State Counsel by the New York State Bar Association for her pro bono contributions. Most recently, she represented The Big Apple Circus, as a pro bono client, in litigation arising during the course of its Chapter 11 case. Ms. Weisgerber is a member of the Bar of New York and is admitted to appear before the U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York; the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Second, Third and Tenth Circuits; and the U.S. Supreme Court. Ms. Weisgerber is also a member of the American Bankruptcy Institute and the International Women’s Insolvency and Restructuring Confederation, for which she serves on the membership and programming committees. Ms. Weisgerber is an active speaker and author on issues relating to restructuring and bankruptcy litigation. Ms. Weisgerber is a member of the New York State Bar Association, for which she serves as vice chair of the Antitrust Section. She previously served on the executive committees of the New York State Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Section and the Commercial & Federal Litigation Section. She is also an active member of the American Bar Association’s Antitrust Section and Litigation Section. She serves as an editor of the Antitrust Law Journal and previously served as a Vice Chair of the Antitrust Section’s Legislation Committee. She is also a member of the National Association of Women Lawyers, for which she has served as chair of programming for NAWL’s Annual Meeting and chair of NAWL’s membership committee. Ms. Weisgerber also serves as an editor-in-chief of the Debevoise Women’s Review. Ms. Weisgerber joined the firm in 2008. From 2009 to 2010, she clerked for the Hon. Joseph Bianco of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Ms. Weisgerber received a J.D. magna cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center in 2008, where she was Order of the Coif and managing editor of the Georgetown Law Journal. She received an A.B. magna cum laude from Georgetown University in 2005. · Bankruptcy And Restructuring

Erin Cleary

Erin Cleary is a tax partner and a member of the firm’s Tax Department and Investment Management Group. Her practice focuses on advising private equity and corporate clients on a broad range of M&A transactions, as well as advising sponsors on the formation of U.S. and international private equity funds. Ms. Cleary is a member of the Executive Committee of the Tax Section of the New York State Bar Association. Ms. Cleary joined Debevoise in 2008. She received a J.D. magna cum laude from Rutgers School of Law-Newark in 2008, where she was a member of Order of the Coif, editor-in-chief of the Law Review and a recipient of the Alumni Senior Prize. Ms. Cleary received her undergraduate degree with high honors from Douglass College, Rutgers University in 2002. Ms. Cleary is a member of the Bars of New York and New Jersey. · Tax

Franklin Mitchell

Frank Mitchell is a tax partner and a member of the firm’s Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Group. Mr. Mitchell’s practice covers a broad range of executive compensation and employee benefits matters. He advises clients on disclosure, governance, taxation, design and negotiation of executive compensation agreements and arrangements as well as the executive compensation and employee benefits aspects of mergers and acquisitions; pension investment and ERISA fiduciary matters (with significant experience on these issues in the private equity, asset management, insurance and real estate sectors); private equity compensation and governance matters at both the upper tier and portfolio company levels; and employment law and related issues. · Tax

Gordon Moodie

Gordon Moodie is a partner in the firm’s New York office and member of the Mergers & Acquisitions Group, Private Equity Group and the Technology, Media and Telecommunications Group, as well as the Public Company Advisory Group and Corporate Governance practice. Mr. Moodie focuses on representing public and private companies across a variety of industries and transactions, including domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, spin-offs, initial public offerings, securities law matters and corporate governance. His practice also includes serving the needs of financial institutions and entities that invest in those institutions. · Mergers and Acquisitions

Gregory Lyons

His practice focuses on serving the needs of financial institutions, as well as private equity and other entities that invest in financial institutions, with a particular emphasis on domestic and cross-border bank regulatory, transactional and examination matters. His practice includes U.S. and foreign bank regulatory, formation, merger, conversion, structuring securities and securities finance work, risk capital and trust matters and corporate and securities law matters. Mr. Lyons has represented banking and other financial institutions before the Federal Reserve Board, the Office of Comptroller of the Currency, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and state banking and securities regulatory agencies. He has extensive experience counseling clients in the securities, securities finance, insurance and other non-banking financial service sectors regarding acquiring, leveraging and ongoing ownership of banking institutions, as well as advising banking organizations with non-traditional banking activities and assisting clients in the analysis of associated business and regulatory risks. · Banking Regulation

Guilherme Recena Costa

Mr. Recena Costa has a particular focus on disputes arising in the mining, energy and financial sectors, as well as broad experience of matters involving Latin America in general and, in particular, Brazil. He has represented clients in matters under the ICC, ICSID, LCIA, NIA and UNCITRAL Rules and under various substantive laws and has also advised on ancillary court proceedings in a number of jurisdictions. Mr. Recena Costa has recently represented clients in disputes concerning the expropriation of mining rights, breaches of mining investment agreements and various M&A, commercial and tax-related agreements. He has worked closely with mining industry experts to deal with complex technical issues, with valuation experts to assess damages and with tax experts to address tax claims and structures. · International Dispute Resolution

Harry Zirlin

Harry Zirlin is a member of the firm’s Corporate Department and Environmental Practice Group. His practice concentrates on environmental matters with special emphasis on CERCLA liability, environmental insurance coverage and environmental issues in corporate and real estate transactions. Recommended by The Legal 500 US (2024) for his environmental practice, clients have noted that he is “an accomplished lawyer in all respects.” Mr. Zirlin is admitted to appear before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, the U.S. District Courts for the Southern District of New York and the Eastern District of New York. Mr. Zirlin received his B.F.A. and M.F.A from Pratt Institute and his J.D. summa cum laude from New York Law School in 1989 where he was an executive articles editor of the Law Review. · Environmental Law

Helen Cantwell

Helen V. Cantwell is Co-Chair of the White Collar & Regulatory Defense Group and a litigation partner with extensive trial experience. Her practice focuses on white collar criminal defense, regulatory enforcement actions and internal investigations for a wide variety of corporations, financial institutions and non-profits. In addition to advising clients on their responses to state and federal investigations, she also advises these clients on their compliance obligations. · White Collar Criminal Defense

Henry Lebowitz

His practice focuses on leading the IP and technology aspects of mergers and acquisitions, financings, capital markets and other corporate transactions. Mr. Lebowitz has advised companies on complex transactions, litigation, portfolio development and other IP matters in an array of industries. He also regularly assists clients in evaluating patents, trademarks and other intellectual property, developing effective IP portfolios, assessing the merits of IP-related litigation and other disputes and implementing strategies to avoid or favorably resolve such disputes. · Intellectual Property

Ina Popova

International Arbitration

Iryna Nikolaieva

Iryna V. Nikolaieva is a counsel based in the New York office and is a member of the firm’s Corporate Department and Aviation Practice Group. She concentrates her practice on a wide variety of domestic and international financing projects, including corporate financing and aircraft financing. She recently co-authored “How the EETC Structure Has Changed,” Airfinance Journal (May, 2010). Ms. Nikolaieva joined the firm in 2000. She received a J.D. with honors in 1996 from Zaporozhye State University (Ukraine). She is fluent in English, Russian and Ukrainian. Ms. Nikolaieva is a member of the New York Bar. · Corporate Finance

Jane Engelhardt

Jane Engelhardt is the head of the primary investor-side practice. She is a partner and a member of the Investment Management and Private Equity Groups, as well as a leader of the Private Fund Transactions Group. Her practice involves a wide variety of private equity and venture funds and focuses on representations of clients in connection with primary investments and secondary transactions, including traditional sales and purchases of fund interests, and “stapled” primary and secondary transactions, fund structured co-investments, anchor/seed investments and platform arrangements. Her clients include Citigroup, HarbourVest Partners, The Ford Foundation, J.P. Morgan, Liberty Mutual Insurance, The Nature Conservancy, PSP Investments, Prudential Insurance Company, Sequoia Capital, Silk Road Fund, Pantheon Ventures, OMERS and Zurich Alternative Asset Management as well as sovereign wealth funds and family offices. Ms. Engelhardt is ranked in Band 1 by Chambers Global (2023) and Chambers USA (2023), where clients note that she is “analytical and practical while providing a great market perspective.” Sources say she is “a total superstar,” “one of the best in the industry,” “amazing” and “her depth of knowledge is very thorough, she’s very practical and her customer service is great.” She has also been described as a “very experienced campaigner who makes points with vigor and makes a very sound legal argument.” Ms. Engelhardt joined the firm in 1996. She received a J.D. from Columbia Law School in 1996, where she was a Stone Scholar all three years, and an M.A. and an M.Phil. from Columbia University in English and Comparative Literature. Ms. Engelhardt received her A.B. from Bryn Mawr College. · Investment Management

Jared Kagan

Jared Kagan is a counsel in the firm’s Intellectual Property group. His practice includes litigation and counselling on trademark, false advertising, copyright, and defamation matters, and has litigated cases in both state and federal court, before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board and before the National Advertising Division of the Better Business Bureau. · Intellectual Property

Jasmine Ball

Jasmine Ball is a corporate partner and member of the firm’s Restructuring Group. Ms. Ball regularly represents debtors, investors, creditors and other parties in distressed mergers & acquisitions, workouts, debt and equity financing and refinancing, complex restructurings and Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. Ms. Ball is recognized by The Legal 500 US (2014–2023), where she is praised for her “extensive knowledge of the bankruptcy code, combined with in-depth knowledge on how to leverage and negotiate matters with a broad range of often competing stakeholders,” and her “strong management skills and critical thinking.” She is also noted as “calm, focused,” and “thoughtful and smart.” She is listed as a Notable Practitioner for Restructuring and Insolvency by IFLR1000 (2022) Ms. Ball is among the winners of The M&A Advisor’s 2022 Restructuring Community Impact Award and Restructuring Deal of the Year Award (Over $5B), as well as AirFinance Journal’s Asia-Pacific Deal of the Year Award and Airline Economics’ Asia Pacific Restructuring Deal of the Year Award, each for her role as restructuring counsel to Philippine Airlines. She was previously among the winners of The M&A Advisor’s 2021 Chapter 11 Reorganization of the Year (over $1B) for her role as counsel to the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board as co-sponsor of Neiman Marcus in its Chapter 11 restructuring. Ms. Ball was among the winners of Turnaround Management Association’s 2018 International Restructuring of the Year, Global M&A Network’s Turnaround Atlas Awards 2018 Corporate Turnaround of the Year and M&A Advisor’s 2017 Restructuring Deal of the Year ($1B to $5B) for her role as aircraft counsel to CHC Group in its successful Chapter 11 proceedings, as well as Turnaround Management Association’s 2016 Transaction of the Year: Large Company Award for her role in advising Altegrity in its Chapter 11 proceedings and successful restructuring of more than $1.8 billion in funded indebtedness. She was also a recipient of Turnaround Management Association’s 2014 Transaction of the Year: Mega Company Award for her role in advising American Airlines and AMR, as special aircraft counsel, in their highly successful Chapter 11 proceedings. Ms. Ball has been named a 2015 recipient of the Outstanding 50 Asian Americans in Business awards and recognized as an Outstanding Young Restructuring Lawyer (2013) by Turnarounds & Workouts. Ms. Ball is an author of the Collier Business Workout Guide (Matthew Bender, 2022) and a contributing author to the Collier Guide to Chapter 11: Key Topics and Selected Industries (Matthew Bender, 2016). Other publications include: “Recent Court Decisions Add Potential Risks in Workout Transactions,” Journal of Corporate Renewal (2016); “Restructuring Aircraft Leases in Bankruptcy,” Jetrader (2014); “Rules of the Road: Buying Distressed Assets,” Bankruptcy Law360 and Corporate Finance Law360 (2010); “In the Zone,” The Deal (2009); “Duties of Directors of Distressed Companies: Avoiding an Intrinsic Fairness Review,” Debevoise & Plimpton Private Equity Report (2009); “The Duties of Private Equity Directors of Distressed Companies,” Directors & Boards Boardroom Briefing (2009); “Caution Ahead: Rules of the Road for Buying Assets from Distressed Companies,” Debevoise & Plimpton Private Equity Report (2009); “Alert: Duties of Directors of Distressed Companies: An Update and Refresher,” Debevoise & Plimpton Private Equity Report (2008); “Section 363 Sales: How to Play the Game,” Debevoise & Plimpton Private Equity Report (2007); “Distressed Deals: Section 363 M&A: How to Play the Game,” The Deal (2007); and “The Globopar Financial Restructuring: A New Model for International Workouts,” International Corporate Rescue (2006). Ms. Ball has presented at the International Air Transport Association, Airline Economics’ Aviation and Finance Leasing School, the American Bankruptcy Institute, the American Bar Association, the Practising Law Institute, the American College of Investment Counsel, the Association of the Bar of the City of New York and the International Women’s Insolvency & Restructuring Confederation, among others. Ms. Ball is a member of the Bar of the State of New York and is admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Ms. Ball is Board Advisor of the International Women’s Insolvency & Restructuring Confederation (IWIRC) New York Chapter and serves on the Board of Directors of the Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY). She is also a member of the American Bankruptcy Institute, the Turnaround Management Association, the TMA New York Academic Relations Committee, the International Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the New York State Bar Association, the Association of the Bar of the City of New York and the Advisory Board of Practical Law Bankruptcy. She is also a member of the firm’s Diversity & Inclusion Advisory Council and is active in various Asian legal associations, including Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund and Asian American Bar Association activities. Ms. Ball received her B.S. from Princeton University and her J.D. from the University of Michigan, where she was an executive editor of the Journal of International Law. · Restructuring

Jason Auerbach

Jason Auerbach is a partner based in the New York office and a member of the firm’s Investment Management Group. His practice focuses on advising sponsors of private investment funds, co-investment vehicles and separately managed accounts covering numerous sectors and strategies including buyout, fund of funds, secondaries and growth capital funds. Mr. Auerbach’s recent experience includes acting for clients such as Clayton, Dubilier & Rice and HarbourVest Partners. Mr. Auerbach is recommended by Chambers Global (2024) and Chambers USA (2024), where clients note he is “thoughtful, responsive, smart and commercial,” with “deep institutional knowledge and broader market views.” He has also been described as “experienced, super sharp and an incredibly aggressive advocate but in a nice way.” He is recognized by The Legal 500 US (2024), where sources have noted that he is “extremely smart, commercial, and focused on getting the deal done.” Mr. Auerbach was also named to The American Lawyer’s “Dealmakers of the Year” list (2024). Mr. Auerbach joined the firm in 2008. He received a J.D. cum laude from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in 2008, where he was a member of the Order of the Coif and a Dean’s Distinguished Scholar. He also served as an articles editor for the Cardozo Law Review. He received a B.A. summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania in 2004. Mr. Auerbach is a member of the Bars of New York and New Jersey. He served on the Board of Trustees for the Moriah School of Englewood. · Investment Management

Jeffrey Robins

His practice focuses on representing broker-dealers, swap dealers, banks, securities exchanges, industry associations and buy-side institutions in regulatory and transactional matters. Throughout his career, Mr. Robins has carved out a reputation as a leading broker-dealer and derivatives lawyer with a sophisticated practice. He has substantial experience helping clients navigate registration, margin, capital, custody, and sales and trading issues, cross-border transactions, structuring transactions using multiple regulated entities, the development of compliance and supervisory policies and procedures, the regulatory characterization of securities and derivatives transactions and a number of other regulatory issues. He also has extensive transactional experience in bilateral financing and derivatives transactions, particularly those that are heavily regulated. · Broker-Dealer Regulation

Jeffrey Rosen

Jeffrey Rosen, Senior Chair of the firm’s Corporate Department, is one of the leading M&A lawyers in New York. Mr. Rosen is a member of the Mergers & Acquisitions, Private Equity and Capital Markets Groups. In addition to mergers and acquisitions, his practice has focused on complex joint ventures, restructurings and securities offerings, and corporate governance matters. He also counsels boards and senior management on critical governance issues, including risk management, activist challenges and restructurings. · Mergers and Acquisitions

Jim Pastore

He is a recognized leader in the field, is regularly quoted in the press, and has extensive experience responding to, investigating and litigating data breaches, both in private practice and during his tenure as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York. He holds a dual degree in English and computer applications, and served as an adjunct professor of cybersecurity at Cardozo Law School. Clients across a range of industries have called on Mr. Pastore to assist with cybersecurity and data privacy advice, with a particular focus on breach response. · Data Strategy & Security

Jim Pastore

Jim Pastore is a litigation partner and a member of the firm’s Data Strategy & Security practice and Intellectual Property Litigation Group. From 2009 to 2014, he served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Criminal Division of the Southern District of New York, where he was assigned to the Complex Frauds Unit and Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property Section. He successfully litigated eight jury trials to verdict and was the lead prosecutor in United States v. Monsegur, a/k/a “Sabu” and Operation Cardshop, both of which were named to the FBI’s top 10 cases of 2012. Mr. Pastore also led Operation Dirty R.A.T., which targeted the creators and users of Blackshades ransom and malware, resulting in the largest ever worldwide law enforcement action against cybercriminals. In connection with the so-called “doomsday virus,” Mr. Pastore obtained a unique order to prevent catastrophic Internet outage. · Litigation

Joe Binder

Joe Binder is a corporate partner and a member of Debevoise's Investment Management Group. His practice focuses on advising established and emerging sponsors on all aspects of private investment funds, including fund formation and ongoing fund and management company operations. Mr. Binder’s experience includes acting for clients such as Sequoia Capital, Lightspeed Venture Partners, HarbourVest Partners, Crescent Capital Group, Stone Point Capital, Morgan Stanley, and One Rock Capital. Mr. Binder first joined Debevoise as an associate in the tax and investment management groups in 2013, and later spent time as Associate General Counsel at Debevoise client, Sequoia Capital. He rejoined the firm as a counsel in 2022. He earned his J.D. from Brooklyn Law School summa cum laude in 2013. Mr. Binder is the co-author of “A Model for Measuring the Expected Value of Assuming Tax-Partnership Liability,” an article published by the Brooklyn Journal of Corporate, Financial & Commercial Law in 2013. He received a B.A. magna cum laude from Northeastern Illinois University in 2008. Prior to law school, Mr. Binder worked as a communications consultant to nonprofit organizations in New York, Washington, D.C., and Chicago. · Corporate Law

John Gleeson

Judge John Gleeson is a trial and appellate lawyer and company advisor who, before joining the firm in 2016, was a federal judge for 22 years and, prior to that, a federal prosecutor for ten years. He is a litigation partner in the White Collar & Regulatory Defense and Commercial Litigation Groups. A fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, Judge Gleeson’s practice focuses on white collar defense, complex civil litigation, internal investigations, and dispute resolution. · White Collar Defense

Jonathan Adler

Jonathan Adler is a corporate partner based in Debevoise's New York office and a member of the firm’s Investment Management Group. His practice focuses on advising sponsors of private investment funds, including buyout, growth capital, energy, infrastructure and credit funds. In addition to his work with U.S. and European funds, Mr. Adler has also advised clients in establishing private equity funds, offices and joint ventures in various emerging markets, including Africa, India and South America. Mr. Adler’s recent experience includes acting for clients such as The Carlyle Group, Carmel Partners, Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, Crescent Capital Group, Global Infrastructure Partners, JP Morgan, KKR, Prudential Capital Group, Trimaran Capital Partners and Vinci Partners. Mr. Adler is ranked as a leading lawyer for private equity funds by Chambers Global (2023) and Chambers USA (2023), where clients note that he is “a very smart practitioner who has a strong knowledge of the market” and he has “an incredible ability to synthesize complex information.” Sources have also said that “he cuts to the heart of a problem quickly and he’s quick thinker.” They have described him as “a supremely talented fund formation lawyer providing thoughtful and commercial advice; he is very creative.” Clients have also noted that he has a “fine combination of really good technical skills and a really good sense of the commercial and practical realities” and that he is “an extraordinary lawyer; he's very thoughtful and brings a commercial, get-things-resolved attitude.” He was named to Private Funds Management’s “30 Under 40”, which recognizes the top private equity funds lawyers under the age of 40. He was also named a Rising Star by Law360 (2017) and is recommended by IFLR1000 (2022). Mr. Adler joined the firm in 2005. He received a J.D. magna cum laude from New York University in 2005, where he was a member of the Order of the Coif, and a B.S. from Cornell University in 2002. Mr. Adler is admitted to the bar in New York. · Corporate

Jonathan Levitsky

Jonathan Levitsky is a corporate partner and member of the firm’s Mergers & Acquisitions, Private Equity, Corporate Governance and Technology, Media & Telecommunications Groups. Mr. Levitsky has a broad-based transactional practice advising public and private companies and private equity sponsors on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and corporate governance matters. He has led transactions across many industries, including media and telecommunications, healthcare, technology, consumer and industrials, among others. · Mergers And Acquisitions

Jonathan Lewis

Jonathan F. Lewis is the Chair of the firm’s Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Group and co-leads the People Solutions Group in New York. His practice encompasses all aspects of executive compensation and the deployment of human capital. The scope of his practice includes: Public and private mergers and acquisitions, with an emphasis on the special issues raised in the private equity, healthcare and insurance sectors. The design and operation of compensation plans and programs for both public and private companies, including related tax, accounting, governance and disclosure concerns. The investment of the assets of ERISA pension plans in funds and separately managed vehicles, with significant experience of these issues in the private equity, insurance and real estate sectors. Counselling public and private companies on sensitive matters relating to senior executives and their compensation, including hirings, departures and compensatory arrangements. For a summary of the considerations raised by these matters, please click here. Representation of individual executives and management teams. · Executive Compensation

Justin Storms

Justin Storms is a corporate partner based in Debevoise's New York office and a member of the firm’s Investment Management Group. Mr. Storms represents clients in a wide range of activities in the private alternative investment space, including the organization of traditional private investment funds and co-investment structures, the establishment of bespoke separately managed accounts and platforms, the development of “house” governance and compensation structures, and select representations of institutional investors. Mr. Storms’ recent experience includes acting for clients such as Carlyle, HarbourVest Partners and KKR, among others. Recognized as a leading individual for private equity funds by Chambers Global (2023) and Chambers USA (2023), sources highlight Mr. Storms’ ability to provide “practical and insightful advice for challenging issues.” They say “he understands his clients’ needs and cuts through issues to find a solution.” He is also said to be “a thoughtful adviser,” “a resourceful and hands-on partner,” and “a sophisticated, savvy, commercial lawyer who works tirelessly to deliver high-quality work.” The guides have also described him as “detail-orientated,” “a premier negotiator,” “technically very strong,” “incredibly insightful” and as a “fount of knowledge in fund formation matters.” He receives further praise from clients for his “incredibly deep understanding of the issues at hand” and for being “an extremely commercial and practical lawyer” who is “able to come up with smart and creative solutions.” Mr. Storms joined the firm in 2019. He received his B.A. summa cum laude from The University of Texas in 2000 and a J.D. magna cum laude from New York University School of Law in 2003. He is admitted to practice in New York. · Corporate

Jyotin Hamid

Joe Hamid is the Co-Chair of the firm’s Litigation Department, Co-Chair of the Employment Litigation Practice and co-leader of the People Solutions Group. He has previously served as the firm’s Chief Financial Officer and a member of its Management Committee. · Employment Litigation

Kara Brockmeyer

Litigation