Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP is pleased to announce that Lawrence A. Larose has joined the firm’s New York office as a partner in the Finance and Bankruptcy practice group and as the leader of the firm’s Municipal Restructuring Team. Larose joins from Norton Rose Fulbright.
"Larry brings decades of experience and an unmatched skillset representing creditors in some of the largest municipal bankruptcies in the country," said Guy Halgren, chairman of Sheppard Mullin. "We are making very strategic moves to build and further diversify our presence in New York, and Larry’s arrival underscores that effort."
"We’ve seen municipal insolvencies and workouts on a gradual upward trend in the last several years, and we expect this to continue as municipalities increasingly need to restructure their bond debt," said Edward H. Tillinghast, III, partner and leader of the firm’s Finance and Bankruptcy practice. "Larry’s deep experience in this area will be a significant asset to our Finance and Bankruptcy practice in New York and firmwide."
Larose has represented major creditors in every major municipal restructuring in recent memory, both in-court and out-of-court, including the Chapter 9 cases of Detroit, Michigan, Jefferson County, Alabama and Stockton, California, which are among the largest municipal bankruptcies in US history. He also represented the City of San Juan, Puerto Rico, contesting the Government Development Bank for Puerto Rico’s restructuring proposals, and he is currently representing holders of bonds issued by Puerto Rico. Additionally, he has represented major creditors in out-of-court restructurings of municipal debt issued by Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Scranton, Pennsylvania; Woonsocket, Rhode Island; Atlantic City, New Jersey; and Hartford, Connecticut.
In addition to his prominent municipal restructuring practice, Larose represents corporate clients in sophisticated in-court and out-of-court restructurings, including mergers and acquisitions and other financial transactions. Much of his experience involves advising major financial institutions, including investment banks, commercial banks, financial guarantors and insurance companies. Among his most noteworthy cases, Larose was lead counsel in the restructuring of MBIA Insurance Corp., the largest financial guaranty insurer in the world, and he represented parties in the restructuring of Ambac Assurance Corp., Syncora Guarantee, Inc. and Financial Guaranty Insurance Company.
Larose earned his J.D., magna cum laude, from Georgetown University Law Center and his B.A., summa cum laude, from Tufts University. Larose is consistently named a “Leading Lawyer” by Legal 500 U.S. for his work in the municipal banking area, and in 2018, he was inducted into the Legal 500 U.S. Hall of Fame for municipal bankruptcy.
Sheppard Mullin has more than 100 attorneys based in its New York office. In 2018, the New York office welcomed nearly 20 attorneys, including a seven-attorney Real Estate group led by Peter Koffler. The firm's Finance and Bankruptcy practice includes more than 60 attorneys firmwide.
About Sheppard Mullin’s Finance and Bankruptcy Practice
The firm’s Finance and Bankruptcy practice has been a key element of the firm's practice since its founding more than 80 years ago. Sheppard Mullin has the resources to respond to the time sensitivity of financial crises and the depth to provide whatever size team is required. As part of a large, broad based commercial law firm, we are able to draw on all of the resources necessary to solve the multidisciplinary problems presented by business insolvencies, including telecommunications, real estate, entertainment, intellectual property, tax, labor, securities, and mergers and acquisitions.