People

Marlowe Mitchell Senior Associate

Santa Monica

Marlowe has worked on some of the largest and most complex P3 and infrastructure projects in Australia and the United States to date, as well as many first to market transactions.

In addition to her extensive infrastructure and projects knowledge, Marlowe also draws upon her experience working in two commercial and legal roles for major Australian public sector entities in providing her advice.

Marlowe is actively involved in the infrastructure community, including through her role as Chair of the IPFA North American Future Leader’s Committee. The IPFA is the go to association for infrastructure and energy professionals worldwide.

Allison Citron Senior Litigation Finance and Distressed Claims Trading Attorney

New York

Allison Citron is a Senior Litigation Finance & Distressed Claims Trading Attorney in Orrick’s Restructuring group. She advises international and domestic investment bank and hedge fund clients, broker-dealers, large financial institution creditors and secured lenders with respect to the buying and selling of domestic and international trade claims, bank debt, syndicated loans, post-restructuring equity, securities, notes and many other distressed assets. She serves both buy-side and sell-side clients as counsel in complex distressed investing transactions including in the arena of litigation financing. Additionally, she focuses on the primary and secondary documentation and negotiation arena under the Loan Syndications and Trading Association (LSTA) and the Loan Market Association (LMA) as well as multiple global jurisdictions. She also works under the International Swap Dealers Association (ISDA) regime and is an active participant in the loan trading market.

Allison has extensive experience in drafting, negotiating and reviewing transfer and commercial loan documentation relating to both par and distressed debt obligations, as well in cross border transactions, debtor-in-possession financings, restructurings and acquisition financings. Allison has advised multiple clients in connection with transactions relating to both distressed and par borrowers in a variety of industries including TXU, Lyondell, Lehman Brothers, MF Global, Peabody and Caesars Entertainment, among many others. She also frequently advises on claims transactions in connection with Madoff, both on a direct level as well as the multiple feeder funds. 

Allison is an active participant in The Loan Syndications and Trading Association and frequently weighs in on several existing and current issues. She has presented on several panels in connection with the new distressed debt regimes and global transferability issues as well as recently moderated a panel on the litigation finance market. She is also an inaugural member of the LSTA’s new Women’s Association.

Stephen Spitz Partner

San Francisco

Steve serves as bond counsel, disclosure counsel and underwriters’ counsel in a variety of municipal enterprise revenue bond issuances, including financing for water, wastewater, solid waste and airport facilities. His practice is, in addition, focused on single family and multifamily affordable housing financings. Steve also has extensive experience in higher education financings, interest rate swaps and swap based products in the municipal market. He often assumes a leading role in bond and disclosure work for new and complex clients.

Sara Little Managing Associate

Paris

Sara has worked with clients from the United States, Europe, and Asia on disputes governed by French, Swiss, Iranian, and US (Maryland, New York, Washington, Illinois) law and in most of the major arbitral forums, including the ICC, SCAI, and ICSID.

Prior to joining Orrick in 2020, Sara worked in the emerging companies department of another major international law firm in New York City, and prosecuted child abuse and neglect cases on behalf of the City of New York in family court.

Alexander Smith Senior Associate

London

Alexander has received recognition from numerous clients: one Founder / CEO in the BioTech sector commended his “persistence, professionalism, excellent attention to detail and very high level of responsiveness to questions.” Another Founder / CEO in the Artificial Intelligence sector shared, “Alec was impeccable throughout, always providing rock solid advice and working round the clock to hit aggressive deadlines.”

Prior to joining Orrick, Alexander trained and qualified with a boutique corporate and technology law firm. He also has notable experience in domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions.

Maiten Le Brishoual Senior Associate

Paris

Maïten advises clients on French and international development, mergers and acquisitions, restructurings and real estate investments. She also advises companies and high net worth individuals on the management and transfer of their assets, management incentives, tax audits and litigations.

She also has a strong experience on M&A Insurance/Contingent Tax Risk.

Prior to joining Orrick, Maïten worked in a leading French law firm.

Upnit K. Bhatti Senior Associate

Washington, D.C.

Upnit has served as litigation, trial, and appellate counsel for pharmaceutical, chemical, technology, cosmetics, and manufacturing companies. As a member of trial teams, she works on complex commercial matters to develop creative legal strategies for trial and subsequent appeals. As embedded counsel, Upnit takes the lead in drafting dispositive motions and pre- and post-trial filings and ensures that appellate issues are preserved. She has presented oral argument in state and federal courts and has co-authored countless briefs before state and federal trial and appellate courts, including the Supreme Court of the United States. In addition, Upnit maintains an active pro bono practice.

Prior to joining Orrick, Upnit focused on products liability and complex litigation work at Arnold & Porter LLP and a mid-size firm in Upstate New York. This included representing a consumer products company in the defense of thousands of personal injury cases in state and federal courts. She was the primary drafter of several motions and appellate briefs. She was also deeply involved in the firms’ pro bono practices and first chaired a trial dealing with First and Eighth Amendment claims.

Outside of the firm, Upnit serves on the Board of Directors of the DC Women’s Bar Association and serves as its Advocacy Committee Co-Chair. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of her law school’s Alumni Association.

Upnit previously clerked for the Honorable Theodore A. McKee of the Third Circuit Court of Appeals and interned for the Honorable Thérèse Wiley Dancks of the Northern District of New York. In law school, Upnit served as the Managing Editor of the Syracuse Law Review, and was an arguing member of the American Bar Association’s National Appellate Team. She received the Moot Court Honor Society’s Executive Director Award and the Syracuse Law Review Distinguished Leadership Award.

Keisha Whitehall Wolfe Counsel

Washington, D.C.

Her practice includes advising clients on:

• Federal and state compliance requirements, including Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE Act) and Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) compliance
• Licensing and regulation of residential and commercial mortgage lenders, brokers and servicers; consumer lenders; installment lenders; debt collectors; and payment processors, financial technology companies, money transmitters and other money services businesses (MSB)
• Origination and mortgage servicing rights-related state and federal laws and regulations; state mortgage loan originator work from home guidance; MSB-related activities; and advertising and collection practices
• Regulatory compliance, state examination and enforcement matters, and the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System & Registry (NMLS) functionality

Prior to joining Orrick, Keisha was counsel at Buckley LLP. She previously served as acting deputy commissioner at the State of Maryland Office of the Commissioner of Financial Regulation.

Adam Smith Partner

London; Singapore

Alexander Witt Managing Associate

London

Alexander has represented Latin American States in a variety of claims under domestic and international law, including high-profile and politically sensitive investment treaty cases, and the termination of large energy projects. In addition to his international arbitration experience, Alexander also advised clients in the fields of Public International Law and EU Competition Law. He is fluent in Spanish and has a good command of German.

Sean Whitney Associate

Santa Monica

Sean's practice focuses primarily on capital markets transactions, corporate governance and securities law compliance.

Julia Schmitz Counsel

Düsseldorf

She advises national and international clients on M&A/Private Equity transactions, intragroup cross-border restructuring measures and general corporate law. She has experience in a variety of industry sectors, with a focus on technology, energy & infrastructure and real estate.