Dallas
Larissa Mussi focuses her practice on US and international tax matters. Larissa provides strategic counsel to corporate and private clients, navigating complex tax matters on domestic and cross-border transactions across a variety of industries.
- Texas Bar Association, Tax Section, fellow
- American Bar Association, Tax Section, fellow
- Dallas Bar Association, fellow
- Dallas Association of Young Lawyers, fellow
- Brazilian Bar Association, Parana, fellow
- SMU Dedman School of Law, JD
- SMU Dedman School of Law, LLM, Taxation
- University Center Curitiba, LLB
- Texas
- Brazil
- English
- Portuguese
- Spanish
Jonathan J. Chasin
New York – One Vanderbilt Avenue
Jonathan J. Chasin is a member of the Firm’s Investment Funds Group. He represents private fund clients, including private equity funds, funds of funds and other pooled investment vehicles, in connection with formation, capital raising, structuring, investor negotiations and ongoing operations.
- Fordham University School of Law, JD
- University of Michigan, BA, Organizational Psychology
- New York
- English
Diego S. Torres-Lugo
New York – One Vanderbilt Avenue
Diego S. Torres-Lugo represents clients in a broad range of commercial real estate transactions, including joint ventures, acquisitions, dispositions, mortgage and mezzanine financings, new developments and leasing.
- Hispanic National Bar Association
- Boston University School of Law, JD
- University of Miami, BBA
- New York
- English
- Spanish
Samuel J. Preston
Washington, DC
Samuel J. Preston focuses his practice on US and international tax matters.
Prior to joining the firm, Samuel served as a law clerk to the Honorable Stephen A. Higginson of the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. During law school, he served as an articles editor at the Yale Law Journal.
- District of Columbia Courts, Capital Pro Bono Honor Roll, 2023
- Princeton University, PhD
- Yale Law School, JD
- Columbia University, BA, summa cum laude
- District of Columbia
- Massachusetts
Grace Wallack
Washington, DC
Grace Wallack represents clients in Supreme Court & Appellate Litigation and Government & Regulatory Litigation matters, focusing on appellate and administrative law. She represents clients in high-stakes appeals and critical motions, with particular experience in Administrative Procedure Act (APA) challenges, complex statutory and constitutional issues, and regulatory disputes.
- Obtained vacatur of part of a Federal Maritime Commission rule as arbitrary and capricious in the DC Circuit
- Secured a precedential victory for a major healthcare company regarding the application of non-mutual collateral estoppel to arbitration agreements
- Argued and won an appeal defending the district court’s grant of partial summary judgment to a civil rights plaintiff, convincing the panel to dismiss the appeal for lack of jurisdiction
- District of Columbia Courts, Capital Pro Bono Honor Roll, 2024-2025
- Harvard Law School, JD, cum laude,
- Georgetown University, BA, magna cum laude,
- District of Columbia
- New York
- US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
- US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
- US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
- US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
- US District Court for the District of Columbia
Nicole Wittstein
Washington, DC
Nicole Wittstein focuses her practice on litigation in the US Supreme Court, federal circuit courts and state appellate courts around the country. She also litigates major motions at the trial level.
Prior to joining McDermott, Nicole served as a law clerk to the Hon. Timothy J. Kelly of the US District Court for the District of Columbia and the Hon. Albert Diaz of the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. During law school, Nicole was a member of the Wrongful Convictions Clinic and was an executive editor of the Duke Law Journal.
- Duke University School of Law, JD, summa cum laude,, Order of the Coif
- University of South Carolina, BA
- District of Columbia
- US District Court for the District of Columbia
- US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
Chelsea Courel
Miami
Chelsea Courel advises healthcare organizations and their investors on a broad range of corporate, transactional, and regulatory matters. She represents private equity sponsors, strategic buyers, and sellers in complex healthcare transactions across sectors including telehealth, dental, plastic surgery and med spas, ambulatory surgery centers, home health, behavioral health and substance use disorder treatment, institutional pharmacy, and clinical research. She also advises on data privacy diligence matters in connection with M&A transactions, covering issues arising under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), the CAN-SPAM Act, the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), and state privacy laws.
While earning her law degree, Chelsea served as president of the University of Miami School of Law’s Health Law Association and staff editor of the University of Miami Law Review.
- International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP), member
- The Florida Bar Health Law Section, member
- Cuban American Bar Association, member
- Hispanic National Bar Association, member
- University of Miami School of Law, JD, cum laude
- Johns Hopkins University, BA, with highest honors
- Florida
- English
- Spanish
Henry A. Leaman
Chicago
Henry Leaman focuses his practice on employment matters.
Prior to joining McDermott, Henry served as a law clerk to the Hon. E. Grady Jolly of the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and the Hon. James R. Sweeney II of the US District Court for the Southern District of Indiana. During law school, Henry was the production and technology editor of the Notre Dame Law Review.
- University of Notre Dame Mock Trial, Executive-Attorney Coach, 2019 – Present
- Notre Dame Law School, JD
- Miami University, BA
- Illinois
- US District Court for the Central District of Illinois
- US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
Cristian Catanese
New York – One Vanderbilt Avenue
Cristian Catanese focuses his practice on corporate restructuring and insolvency matters. He represents debtors, creditors, committees, bondholders, investors and other parties-in-interest in a variety of restructuring transactions, including chapter 11 reorganizations, out-of-court restructurings and distressed asset sales.
- American Bankruptcy Institute, member
- Consumer Justice for the Elderly: Litigation Clinic, student lawyer, 2020
- St. John''s University School of Law, JD
- St. John''s University, BS
- New York
- US Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware
Laura-May Jones
London – 22 Bishopsgate
Laura-May focuses her practice on structured finance and is a member of the Firm’s ESG, Impact and Sustainability group.
She has experience in cross-border social impact finance structures, including social and development impact bonds. Laura-May was recently seconded to the legal team of one of our key social impact finance clients.
She also assists corporate trust clients with new deals and post-closing matters across high yields, securitisations and MTN programmes as well as with general banking deals.
- Supported UNHCR and Islamic Development Bank in launching an innovative Shariah compliant landmark global fund for refugees
- Acted for the British Asian Trust, in relation to a development impact bond which aims to increase paid-employment in India, particularly amongst women, through large scale upskilling
- BPP University, LPC
- University College London, LLB
- England and Wales
