Ropes & Gray Takes Restructuring Practice to the Next Level with Addition of Rachel Strickland and Team of Three Partners

Global law firm Ropes & Gray announced today that top business restructuring lawyer Rachel Strickland has joined its restructuring practice as Global Chair of Restructuring. In addition, Daniel Forman, Andrew Mordkoff, and Andrew Minear are joining as partners. This 4-partner group brings a broad suite of first-class restructuring and debt finance capabilities, amplifying the current Ropes team’s scope and scale, and further enhancing its elite market stature. All four new partners will be based in New York.

“Rachel is a proven leader with deep experience and a true clients-first approach. Uniting Rachel, Dan, Andrew and Andrew with our team creates a powerhouse in restructuring,” said Julie Jones, Chair. “Their addition demonstrates our commitment to building a best-in-class and highly integrated set of practices to serve our clients holistically and seamlessly in their most important moments. Most importantly, our enhanced team will give our clients a distinct advantage in achieving their key business goals.”

Rachel brings decades of experience that have earned her a highly distinguished market profile. Trusted by the top private equity firms and leading hedge funds, she will spearhead Ropes & Gray’s integrated approach to the most complex situations faced by our clients. She brings deep expertise across multiple industries, including media, transportation, financial services, technology, and more, from work with clients that include Walgreens Boots Alliance, DISH Network, KKR, JPMorgan Asset Management, and many others. She will be global chair and practice group leader of business restructuring at Ropes & Gray. She previously headed the global restructuring practices at two international law firms.

“This combination of teams exemplifies strength meeting strength,” said Neill Jakobe, vice chair of Ropes & Gray. “Rachel is highly respected in the field. She and her team complement what we have built at Ropes, and together we are creating a deeper, more versatile restructuring platform. Our clients increasingly face situations that cut across finance, litigation, and strategy, and this combination allows us to meet that moment.”

“Ropes & Gray has a best-in-class restructuring practice and a culture that values collaboration, client focus, and excellence,” said Rachel Strickland. “Joining the firm and working with this talented group of lawyers offers an incredible opportunity. Together, we can take this premier, integrated restructuring platform to the next level, where we are uniquely equipped to handle the most complex situations our clients face in a changing landscape.”

Daniel Forman brings broad debtor and creditor-side restructuring experience with a strong emphasis on financing solutions. He has been involved in major bankruptcy cases like Hertz Corporation, Pacific Gas & Electric, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Claire’s Stores and a number of mass-tort cases in a variety of roles. He represents debtors, creditors, sponsors, and investors in Chapter 11 and out‑of‑court matters, including DIP and exit financings, and liability management transactions.

Andrew Mordkoff represents clients on all aspects of high‑stakes Chapter 11 cases and has significant experience with distressed acquisitions, bankruptcy litigation, cross-border matters and out-of-court restructurings.  Andrew has represented parties in precedent-shaping restructurings across several industries, including healthcare, hospitality, retail, technology and manufacturing. 

Andrew Minear advises debtors, creditors, sponsors, and financing sources across the full restructuring spectrum. His experience spans out-of-court workouts, prepackaged and traditional bankruptcies, liability management transactions, DIP and exit financings, asset sales, litigation, and cross‑border matters. He is known for aligning commercial objectives with pragmatic execution.

“The addition of these new partners demonstrates our commitment to enhancing the offerings of our full-service New York office,” said John Sorkin, New York office managing partner. “Our ability to attract such a preeminent team in the marketplace demonstrates the vibrance and continued growth trajectory of our 500-lawyer New York office as we celebrate our 25^th anniversary in New York.”