Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP today announced that Melainie Mansfield has joined the Firm as a partner in the Business Reorganization & Restructuring Department. She is based in Willkie’s Chicago office. Ms. Mansfield has significant experience advising funds and financial sponsors on direct investments and distressed investment reorganizations inside and outside of bankruptcy.  Ms. Mansfield was previously a partner at Milbank LLP and DLA Piper.

“Melainie is a talented lawyer with substantial debt restructuring experience, particularly on behalf of fund and distressed financial sponsors, which enhances the offerings of our restructuring practice and complements Willkie’s global corporate, M&A and private equity platforms,” said Rachel Strickland, partner and Co-Chair of the Business Reorganization & Restructuring Department. “Melainie’s addition, which follows other recent restructuring partner hires, brings added strength and talent to our expanding team.”

Craig C. Martin, Chairman, Midwest for the Firm stated: “Since launching our office in Chicago about one year ago, we have already grown to more than 40 lawyers who are mainly focused on trials and appeals across a broad spectrum of substantive areas including antitrust, intellectual property, ERISA, investigations, governance and private client work. Consistent with our strategy of offering Willkie’s core practices in asset management, private equity, M&A and restructuring to Chicago, Melainie is our first resident finance and restructuring partner in our office and we are delighted to welcome her to our growing team.”

Representing investment funds, private equity firms, hedge funds, companies and various lending sources, Ms. Mansfield provides counsel on all aspects of their investments, including distressed investments, in- and out-of-court restructurings, mergers and acquisitions, and general corporate and securities law matters. Her practice encompasses direct lending and special situations financings, representing both borrowers and lenders. Her experience spans many industries, including technology and software, education, real estate, finance, healthcare, manufacturing, chemicals, retail, energy, and media and telecommunications.

Ms. Mansfield commented: “I am thrilled to be joining Willkie’s market-leading restructuring team. Willkie is highly regarded for its track record and integrated approach and I look forward to working together with attorneys across the firm to help clients achieve continued success.”

Ms. Mansfield is the sixth new restructuring partner to join Willkie over the past year. Last month, the firm welcomed Brett Miller, Dennis Jenkins and Todd Goren in New York. Outside of the U.S., additions include Wolfram Prusko in Frankfurt and Edward Downer in London.

Willkie’s Business Reorganization & Restructuring Department is a global practice with market-leading capabilities in all aspects of business and financial restructurings and insolvency matters. The team represents a broad spectrum of clients (both in and out of court) in the U.S., UK, France, Germany and other key European jurisdictions.

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Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP is an international law firm of approximately 850 attorneys with offices in New York, Washington, Houston, Palo Alto, San Francisco, Chicago, Paris, London, Frankfurt, Brussels, Milan and Rome. The Firm is headquartered in New York City at 787 Seventh Avenue.

Tel: 212.728.8000.