Debra Grassgreen, resident in the firm’s San Francisco office, has significant experience representing debtors, trustees, and creditors’ committees in large and complex chapter 11 cases nationwide and internationally in the technology, media, telecommunications, and life sciences industries both in and out of court. Debra is the past president of the International Insolvency Institute, is widely regarded as a leading expert on crossborder restructuring matters, frequently speaks and writes on crossborder matters and chairs the firm’s international insolvency practice. Some of Debra’s more notable engagements include representing solar power manufacturer Solyndra, synthetic biology company Amryis, American Suzuki Motor Corporation, Mesa Airlines, the creditors’ committees (including abuse survivors) in the Weinstein Company and Sunpower chapter 11 cases. In addition, Debra has represented high-profile individuals, including boxer Mike Tyson and singer Toni Braxton, among others.
Debra has held a variety of leadership positions in prestigious insolvency organizations including the International Insolvency Institute, the International Women’s Insolvency & Restructuring Confederation and the American College of Bankruptcy, chairing its Insolvency Committee and, currently, is its Ninth Circuit Regent. For the past sixteen years, she has participated in the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law’s Working Group V and its expert group meetings as an NGO delegate.
Debra has garnered numerous accolades for her work in the insolvency arena. Last year, the Los Angeles and San Francisco Daily Journal named Debra to its list of “Top Bankruptcy Lawyers” in California and, for many years, has been named one of its “Top Women Lawyers.” In 2021, the International Women’s Insolvency and Restructuring Confederation selected her as its 2021 “Woman of the Year in Restructuring.” She holds Chambers USA’s highest rank (Band 1) in Bankruptcy/Restructuring and Martindale-Hubbell’s highest recognition for ethical standards and legal ability (AV Preeminent). She is listed in Who’s Who Legal: Thought Leaders-Global Elite; Lawdragon as one “500 Leading U.S. Bankruptcy & Restructuring Lawyers” and one of its “500 Leading Global Restructuring & Insolvency Lawyers”; and in Best Lawyers in America (every year since 2001) for her work in both Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law and Litigation - Bankruptcy.
Debra is a graduate of the University of Florida, where she also received her J.D., and is admitted to practice in Florida as well as California.
Programs & Lectures
Practicing Law Institute (standing faculty); American Bankruptcy Institute; Turnaround Management Association; State Bar of California; Beverly Hills Bar Association; American Bar Association; Bar Association of San Francisco; University of Florida College of Law; California Continuing Education of the Bar; Association of Insolvency and Restructuring Accountants; International Council of Shopping Centers, International Insolvency Institute, INSOL, UNCITRAL
Publications
•The Use of Mediation to Improve Global Restructuring Outcomes in a Post-Pandemic World Global Restructuring Review (GRR), September 10, 2021
•First Day Motions (3d ed.) A Guide to the Critical First Days of a Bankruptcy CaseAmerican Bankruptcy Institute, June 2012
•Valuation and the Chapter 11 Process Contested Valuation in Corporate Bankruptcy: A Collier Monograph (LexisNexis), 2011
•Individual Chapter 11 Cases After BAPCPA What Happened to the “Fresh Start”?2006 Annual Survey of Bankruptcy Law 309 (West 2006), 2006
•Coauthor with M. Litvak: First Day Motions: A Guide to the Critical First Days of a Bankruptcy Case (ABI 2d ed. 2006)(sole author of 1st ed. 2003)
•Coauthor with P. Egan: “Valuation and the Chapter 11 Process” in Contested Valuation in Corporate Bankruptcy - A Collier Monograph (LexisNexis 2011)
•Author: “Individual Chapter 11 Cases After BAPCPA: What Happened to the “Fresh Start?” 2006 Annual Survey of Bankruptcy Law 309 (West 2006)
•“Property of the Estate,” in Understanding the Basics of Bankruptcy & Reorganization 2005, 880 PLI/Comm 145 (2005)
•“Sale of Assets,” in Understanding the Basics of Bankruptcy & Reorganization 2005, 880 PLI/Comm 249 (2005)
•“Rejection, Assumption and Assignment of Real Estate Leases Generally,” in Impact of Bankruptcy on Real Property Transactions (Cal. Cont. Ed. of the Bar 2003)
News
Eighteen PSZJ Attorneys Named to the Lawdragon '500 Leading Global Bankruptcy & Restructuring Lawyers' Guide for 2025
Lawdragon June 27, 2025
PSZJ Continues to Rank Among Leading Law Firms in Prestigious Chambers USA Guide
Chambers USAJune 5, 2025
Laura Davis Jones, Debra Grassgreen, and Isaac Pachulski Named 'Lawyers of the Year' in 2025 Edition of Best Lawyers in America
August 15, 2024
PSZJ Attorneys Named in 2025 Edition of Best Lawyers in America and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch
August 15, 2024
PSZJ, Six Attorneys Recognized in IFLR1000
IFLR1000July 31, 2024
Six PSZJ Attorneys Named to 2024 Northern California “Super Lawyers” List
June 26, 2024
Eighteen PSZJ Attorneys Named to the Lawdragon 500 Leading Global Bankruptcy & Restructuring Lawyers for 2024
Lawdragon June 14, 2024
PSZJ Continues to Rank Among Leading Law Firms in Prestigious Chambers Guides Chambers Global, Chambers USA
June 4, 2024
PSZJ Attorneys Named in 2024 Edition of Best Lawyers in America
August 17, 2023
Six PSZJ Attorneys Named to 2023 Northern California “Super Lawyers” List
June 27, 2023
Eighteen PSZJ Attorneys Named to the Lawdragon 500 Leading Bankruptcy & Restructuring Lawyers for 2023
Lawdragon June 16, 2023
Debra Grassgreen to Receive International Insolvency Institute’s 2023 Founder’s Award
June 1, 2023
PSZJ Continues to Rank Among Leading Law Firms in Prestigious Chambers Guides
Chambers Global, Chambers USAJune 1, 2023
Debra Grassgreen Quoted in Reuters Article Exploring How Corporate Chiefs Dodge Lawsuits Over Sexual Abuse and Deadly Products
ReutersNovember 7, 2022
PFI Wins 2022 TMA Turnaround/Transaction of the Year Award
September 29, 2022
Richard Pachulski and Debra Grassgreen Named to 2022 'Top Bankruptcy Lawyers' by the Daily Journal
Daily JournalAugust 24, 2022
PSZJ Attorneys Named in 2023 Edition of Best Lawyers in America
August 18, 2022
PSZJ Continues to Rank Among Leading Law Firms in Prestigious Chambers Guides
Chambers USA, Chambers GlobalJune 1, 2022
Debra Grassgreen Named to Los Angeles and San Francisco Daily Journal's 2022 'Top Women Lawyers' List
Los Angeles and San Francisco Daily JournalMay 18, 2022
Laura Davis Jones and Debra Grassgreen Elected to Senior Positions at American College of Bankruptcy Board of Directors, International Committee
April 1, 2022
Fourteen PSZJ Attorneys Named to 2022 Lawdragon '500 Leading U.S. Bankruptcy & Restructuring Lawyers' Guide
LawdragonJanuary 14, 2022
PSZJ Attorneys Named in 2022 Edition of Best Lawyers in America
August 19, 2021
PSZJ’s Representation of Creditors’ Committee in Professional Financial Investors, Inc. Bankruptcy Covered in Bloomberg Law
May 27, 2021
Prestigious Chambers Guides Again Rank PSZJ Among Leading Law Firms
April 25, 2019
IWIRC Names Debra Grassgreen Its 2021 'Woman of the Year in Restructuring'
March 1, 2021
Judge Walrath Approves Weinstein Co. Plan of Liquidation, PSZJ Lawyers Rep Committee
January 1, 2021
PSZJ Attorneys Recognized as Global Leaders in 2021 Who's Who Restructuring & Insolvency Guide
September 1, 2020
PSZJ Attorneys Named in 2021 Edition of Best Lawyers in America
August 20, 2020
Prestigious Chambers Guides Again Rank PSZJ Among Leading Law Firms
April 23, 2020
Five PSZJ Attorneys Named Who’s Who Legal Thought Leaders
February 10, 2020
Debra Grassgreen Selected to Global Restructuring Review’s 2019 Women in Restructuring Survey
Global Restructuring Review (GRR)November 1, 2019
PSZJ Attorneys Named in Best Lawyers in America
August 15, 2018
Debra Grassgreen Elected President of the International Insolvency Institute (III)
June 3, 2019
Prestigious Chambers Guides Again Rank PSZJ Among Leading Law Firms
May 20, 2021
Northern California Super Lawyers and a Rising Star
March 12, 2019
PSZJ Attorneys Named in Best Lawyers in America
August 15, 2019
Prestigious Chambers Guides Again Rank PSZJ Among the Best Law Firms
May 7, 2018
Thirty-Five PSZJ Attorneys Named Best Lawyers in America
August 15, 2017
Prestigious Chambers Guides Again Rank PSZJ Among the Best Law Firms
June 8, 2017
Nineteen PSZJ Attorneys Named Best Lawyers in America
August 1, 2016
Debra Grassgreen Included in Daily Journal’s Top Women Lawyers of 2016
May 3, 2016
Four Pachulski Lawyers Named 'Northern California's Best Lawyers'
November 1, 2015
Seventeen PSZJ Attorneys Named Best Lawyers in America
August 17, 2015
Failed Tech Startups Fuel Insolvency Firms
The RecorderJuly 25, 2015
Authoritative Chambers Guides Again Rank PSZJ Among the Best
May 19, 2015
Select Staffing Wins Restructuring Deal of the Year at 13th Annual M&A Advisor Awards
The M&A AdvisorDecember 1, 2014
Pachulski Stang Ziehl & Jones Featured in 'Top Boutiques' in the Daily Journal
Los Angeles and San Francisco Daily JournalOctober 1, 2014
Thirteen PSZJ Attorneys Named Best Lawyers in America
August 1, 2014
Four PSZJ Lawyers in San Francisco Named Super Lawyers
Northern California Super LawyersJuly 1, 2014
Pachulski Stang Ziehl & Jones: Five M&A Advisor Turnaround Awards
February 1, 2014
Solyndra Bankruptcy Reorganization Wins ACG Energy Deal of the Year
June 1, 2013
Debra Grassgreen Named to Daily Journal's Top 100 Women Lawyers for 2013
May 1, 2013
Solyndra Salvaged
Turnarounds & Workouts TrendsApril 1, 2013
American Suzuki Swiftly Glides to Plan Confirmation
March 6, 2013
Three Pachulski Lawyers Named 'Northern California's Best Lawyers'
The Recorder & Best Lawyers in AmericaFebruary 1, 2013
Solyndra Liquidation Plan Effective
December 1, 2012
Auction for Digital Domain Assets Produces $30M - Double Opening Bid
September 24, 2012
Third Edition of First Day Motions Guide Published
American Bankruptcy InstituteJune 1, 2012
Debra Grassgreen Elected to International Insolvency Institute
May 1, 2012
Toni Braxton Scores a Victory
September 1, 2011
Pachulski Stang Wins Corporate Turnaround Deal of the Year Award
June 1, 2011
Pachulski Stang Honored for Work on Flying J and The Walking Company Chapter 11 Cases
The M&A AdvisorMarch 9, 2011
PSZJ Attorneys Among Best Lawyers in America
January 1, 2008
Debra Grassgreen Inducted Into American College of Bankruptcy
November 6, 2007
Eleven PSZJ Attorneys Named to Lawdragon’s Leading Global Restructuring & Insolvency Lawyers Guide
August 11, 2020
Events
Third-party releases under scrutiny: evolving standards across the Americas
GRR Live: Restructuring in the Americas New York, NY
October 16, 2025
Beyond Our Borders: Hot Topics in International Insolvency
Insolvency Institute of Canada Annual Conference Scottsdale AZ
September 28, 2024
Distressed M&A: Trends and Challenges
24th Annual International Insolvency Conference Singapore
June 10, 2024
Fifth Anniversary of the Promulgation of the UNCITRAL Model Law on Enterprise Group Insolvency
International Insolvency Institute, the International Women's Insolvency & Reorganization Confederation, and UNCITIRAL New York
May 14, 2024
Comparative Corporate Insolvency Issues: DIP Financing, Third-Party Releases
Insolvency Law and Reform in the Aftermath of the Global Pandemic: Recent Developments in Hawai‘i, the United States and Asia Waikiki HI
October 27, 2023
The Next Restructuring Cycle
GRR Live: Restructuring in the Americas New York
September 20, 2023
Pathways Toward Adoption: Practitioner Viewpoints on Need for the MLIJ and How the MLIJ Can Assist in Successful Cross-border Cases
Conference Dedicated to the 5th Anniversary of the Model Law on Recognition and Enforcement of Insolvency-Related Judgments New York City
April 21, 2023
Reimagining Mass Tort Bankruptcies
Zoom Webinar
December 7, 2022
Advanced Chapter 11 Panel: Bankruptcy Boom or Bust-How Far Is Too Far and Is the Day of Reckoning Here?
96th Annual National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges Orlando
October 20, 2022
Potential Uses of Mediation in Debt Restructuring and Insolvency
UNCITRAL Academy 2021 Virtual
September 8, 2021
California Wildfires & Wineries
37th Annual Association of Insolvency & Restructuring Advisors Bankruptcy & Restructuring Conference Virtual
June 29, 2021
“Expert Recap”on Bill Clinton Keynote
ABI’s 16th Annual International Insolvency & Restructuring Symposium
November 18, 2020
Prepare for the Future: Emerging Topics
INSOL International Tokyo One Day Seminar
November 7, 2019
Corporate Debt Restructuring and Investor Protection-How Is Singapore Advancing to be Asia’s Hub for Restructuring?
Singapore 2019 10th Corporate Governance Week
September 23, 2019
The Growing Convergence of International Insolvency Regimes
Fourteenth Annual International Insolvency & Restructuring Symposium Milan, Italy
October 17, 2018
Cross Border Alchemy: Jurisdictional Predicates for Effective Restructurings
National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges and International Insolvency Institute Las Vegas
October 9, 2017
Future Hot Spots - What Industry Sectors and Regions Will Be the Source of the Major Restructurings in 2017-2018?
17th Annual International Insolvency Institute London UK
June 19, 2017
Bankruptcy Morning Edition From Broken Bench Radio
90th Annual National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges San Francisco
July 26, 2016
The Clash - The Intervention Between IP and Bankruptcy Law
28th Annual California Bankruptcy Forum
May 20, 2016
Who Will Be There to Shut Off the Lights? Fiduciary Duties and Limiting Personal Liability in Winding Down Entities
ABA Business Law Section Corporate Governance Commmittee San Francisco
April 18, 2015
Practice Points: Commencing a Bankruptcy Case
Nuts and Bolts of Corporate Bankruptcy 2014 New York
December 8, 2014
The 11s of Tomorrow: Industry Issues, Including Healthcare, Retail, and Alternative Energy
22nd Annual ABI Southwest Bankruptcy Conference Las Vegas
September 5, 2014
Issues Relating to Creditors and Claims
Fourth UNCITRAL International Insolvency Law Colloquium Vienna, Austria
December 1, 2013
What Will the Future Insolvency Reform Work of UNCITRAL Be and Major Changes by UNCITRAL to the Guide to Enactment as to COMI Determination
ABA Business Law Section International Bankruptcy Subcommittee at National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges Atlanta
October 31, 2013
I Only Read Up to Chapter 11 - How does It End? The Present and Future State of Bankruptcy
American College of Bankruptcy and University of Miami School of Law Coral Gables FL
October 21, 2013
Insolvency: Board/Management Liability for Employment and Tax Claims
Corporate Governance 2013: Today’s Best Practices and Practical Advice for Private Companies San Francisco
May 16, 2013
The Sun Goes Down on Solyndra: A Look Beyond the Headlines With Analysis From Company Advisors
Beverly Hills
February 12, 2013
(Almost) Everything You Wanted to Know About Individual Chapter 11s
86th Annual National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges San Diego
October 24, 2012
Chapter 11 Track: Dos and Don’ts of Seeking First-Day Relief
20th Annual American Bankruptcy Institute Southwest Bankruptcy Conference Las Vegas
September 14, 2012
Rights and Roles of Unsecured Creditors
Twelfth Annual International Insolvency Institute Paris, France
June 21, 2012
Alternative Energy
AIRA 28th Annual Bankruptcy & Restructuring Conference
June 8, 2012
Community Service: We Don't Just Talk About It!
International Women's Insolvency & Restructuring Confederation Annual Spring Conference & Founders Awards Washington DC
April 19, 2012
How Absolute Is the Absolute Priority Rule in Individual Chapter 11?
Orange County Bar Association Orange CA
April 17, 2012
DIPstick: Measuring the Fiduciary Duties of Counsel for the DIP and Other Estate Professionals
23rd Annual ABI Winter Leadership Conference La Quinta CA
December 2, 2011
Commencing a Bankruptcy Case
Practising Law Insitute's Nuts and Bolts of Corporate Bankruptcy 2011 San Francisco
November 17, 2011
Use, Sale, or Lease of Property
Practising Law Insitute's Nuts and Bolts of Corporate Bankruptcy 2011 San Francisco
November 17, 2011
NorCal State of the Industry Event
Northern California Chapter of the Turnaround Management Association San Franicisco
November 18, 2010
Minefields, Sheer Cliffs and Rough Roads: The Landscape of Loan Workouts in 2010
International Council of Shopping Centers Law Conference Hollywood FL
November 3, 2010
Business Law Update
ABI Sixth Annual Caribbean Insolvency Symposium Boca Raton FL
February 12, 2010
High-income Individuals: Chapter 11 by and for the People
ABI 21st Annual Winter Leadership Conference La Quinta CA
December 1, 2009
Financing and Sale of Encumbered Property
Nuts and Bolts of Corporate Bankruptcy 2009 San Francisco
November 30, 2009
International Insolvency Institute
Member, Advisory Committee of the American Bankruptcy Institute Commission to Study the Reform of Chapter 11
Board of Directors, International Women's Insolvency & Restructuring Confederation (IWIRC)(2010-)
IWIRC Delegate to UNCITRAL
Member, International Bar Association
Member, American Bar Association Business Law Section Legislation Subcommittee (2000-2004)
Member, Florida Bar Association Business Law Section Bankruptcy/UCC Committee (1992-1996)
