Job Title Category: Associate

  • Caleb H. Yong

    People

    Caleb H. Yong

    Associate

    Washington, DC

    Areas of focus

    Caleb Yong focuses his practice on litigation in the Supreme Court of the United States, federal courts of appeal and state appellate courts. He also litigates dispositive motions before trial courts.

    Prior to joining McDermott, Caleb served as a law clerk to the Hon. Kermit V. Lipez of the US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit and the Hon. Scott L. Kafker of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. During law school, Caleb was the editor in chief of the Yale Journal of Law & the Humanities.

    Results
    Recognitions
    Capabilities and industries
    Regional markets
    Community
    Credentials
    Education
    • Yale Law School, JD
    • University of Oxford, PhD
    • University of Oxford, BA
    Admissions
    • District of Columbia
    Languages
    • English
    • French
  • Adam Abbott

    Adam Abbott

    People

    Adam Abbott

    Associate

    London – 22 Bishopsgate

    Areas of focus

    Adam Abbott is an associate in the London Finance, Restructuring and Special Situations Group and focuses his practice on leveraged finance and financial restructuring transactions advising corporate borrowers and issuers, private equity firms and other institutional investors. His experience includes advising clients on the refinancing of existing indebtedness, acquisition financing, financing of portfolio companies and restructuring transactions.

    Results
    • Advised the lender in the provision of an additional facility of $4.25 million to the underlying revolving credit facility
    • Advised H2 Equity Partners on the financing of its acquisition of William Hackett Holdings Limited
    • Advised a credit fund as senior lender on the acquisition financing of a Swedish-based software company

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    Recognitions
    Capabilities and industries
    Regional markets
    Community
    Credentials
    Education
    • University of Law, LPC, Honours
    • University of Law, LLM
    • University of Law, GDL
    • University of Exeter, BA
    Admissions
    • England and Wales
  • Dante S. Pavan

    Dante S. Pavan

    People

    Dante S. Pavan

    Associate
    Areas of focus

    Dante S. Pavan represents private and public companies, business owners, investors and other clients in a broad range of corporate and commercial law matters. He primarily represents various parties in bankruptcy and restructuring proceedings, especially complex chapter 11 cases.
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    Results
    Recognitions
    • Helen Elizabeth Reimer Resolving Conflict Award
    Capabilities and industries
    Regional markets
    Community
    • Delaware Bankruptcy American Inn of Court, member
    • Federal Bar Association, Bankruptcy Law Section; Federal Litigation Section; Indian Law Section, member
    • National Eagle Scout Association, member

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    Credentials
    Education
    • Widener University Delaware Law School, JD, Political Science and Asian Studies
    • University of Delaware, BA
    Admissions
    • Delaware
    • Pennsylvania
  • Maximilian von den Benken

    Maximilian von den Benken

    People

    Maximilian von den Benken

    Associate

    Düsseldorf

    Areas of focus

    Maximilian von den Benken focuses his practice on real estate law.

    Maximilian studied law at the University of Münster, at the Universidad del Atlántico in Barranquilla, and at Trinity College in Dublin. Prior to joining as an associate, Maximilian already worked as a research assistant at McDermott in real estate law.

    During his legal clerkship, Maximilian worked, inter alia, at the German Embassy in Lima, a leading corporate law firm and the legal department of a large corporation.

    Results
    Recognitions
    Capabilities and industries
    Regional markets
    Community
    Credentials
    Education
    • Trinity College Dublin, LL.M.
    • Higher Regional Court of Düsseldorf, Second State Examination
    • University of Münster, First State Examination
    Admissions
    • Germany
    Languages
    • German
    • English
    • Spanish
  • Christopher E. Watts

    Christopher E. Watts

    People

    Christopher E. Watts

    Associate

    Washington, DC

    Areas of focus

    Christopher Watts focuses his practice on complex commercial litigation.

    Prior to joining the Firm, Christopher served as a law clerk for the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. He was also the editor in chief of Washington and Lee’s Journal of Civil Rights and Social Justice.

    Results
    Recognitions
    • District of Columbia Courts, Capital Pro Bono Honor Roll, 2023
    Capabilities and industries
    Regional markets
    Community
    Credentials
    Education
    • Washington and Lee University School of Law, JD
    • Point University, BS
    Admissions
    • District of Columbia
  • Carmen Cuza Dingman

    Carmen Cuza Dingman

    People

    Carmen Cuza Dingman

    Associate
    Areas of focus

    Carmen Cuza Dingman advises clients on corporate and transactional matters with a particular focus on bankruptcies, restructurings, reorganizations and workouts. Carmen has represented large domestic and international companies in a variety of industries (e.g., media and entertainment, aviation, exploration and production, electricity and gas commodities) on multibillion dollar bankruptcy‑related matters.

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    Results
    • Represented Wellpath Holdings, Inc. and certain of its affiliates in their chapter 11 cases in the US Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas. Wellpath is the leading provider of healthcare to vulnerable patients in challenging clinical environments and had debt obligations of approximately $650 million as of the chapter 11 filing. The representation included a court-approved sale of Wellpath’s Recovery Solutions division for a purchase price of $395 million and the reorganization of Wellpath’s Corrections business. Wellpath filed its chapter 11 cases with a restructuring support agreement signed by 85% of its first-lien lenders and more than 80% of its second-lien lenders, through which Wellpath secured an approximately $326 million debtor-in-possession financing facility. McDermott negotiated and Wellpath issued, upon exit, a $135 million first lien takeback credit facility and $50 million equity investment from a group of first- and second-lien lenders
    • Represented Output Services Group, Inc. and certain of its affiliates in their prepackaged chapter 11 cases in the US Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas. Output Services Group is a leading provider of print and digital payments solutions, employing approximately 1,400 employees and with funded debt obligations of approximately $754 million as of the chapter 11 filing. Output Services Group filed their chapter 11 cases with a restructuring support agreement signed by approximately 87% of their prepetition first lien lenders that included a $50 million debtor-in-possession financing facility and that eliminated approximately $550 million of their funded debt obligations

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    Recognitions
    Capabilities and industries
    Regional markets
    Community
    Credentials
    Education
    • Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, JD
    • University of Central Florida, BA, summa cum laude
    Admissions
    • Illinois
    Languages
    • Spanish
  • Aïda Fraikech Bouhalka

    Aïda Fraikech Bouhalka

    People

    Aïda Fraikech Bouhalka

    Associate
    Areas of focus

    Aïda Fraikech Bouhalka* focuses her practice on corporate law with particular skill in complex venture capital, private equity and corporate M&A transactions.

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    Results
    Recognitions
    Capabilities and industries
    Regional markets
    Community
    Credentials
    Education
    • Georgetown University Law Center, MA, Law & General Studies
    • Sciences Po, MA, International Development
    • Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University, MA, International Business Law
    • Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University, BA, Law and Political Sciences
    Admissions
    • New York
    Languages
    • Arabic
    • English
    • French
  • Caroline Lecomte

    Caroline Lecomte

    People

    Caroline Lecomte

    Associate
    Areas of focus

    Caroline Lecomte* focuses her practice on the structuring of investment funds and secondary transactions. She advises investment funds and venture capital companies with notable experience in the fund industry with a particular focus on alternative strategies (including private equity, venture capital or real estate) and in the banking sectors.

    *Not admitted to practice in Paris; admitted only in Luxembourg. Supervised by principals of the Firm who are members of the Paris Bar.

    Results
    Recognitions
    Capabilities and industries
    Regional markets
    Community
    Credentials
    Education
    • University of Luxembourg, MA, European Union Law & Litigation
    • Paris-Saclay University, MA, International Business Law
    • University of Lille, BA, Law & Accounting
    Admissions
    • Luxembourg
    Languages
    • English
    • French
  • Amel El Mouttaki

    Amel El Mouttaki

    People

    Amel El Mouttaki

    Associate
    Areas of focus

    Amel El Mouttaki focuses her practice on life sciences matters. She has particular strength within the regulatory matters, including pricing and reimbursement, and assists French and foreign companies operating in the pharmaceutical, medical device, and cosmetic industries. She has additional skills in the negotiation and drafting of collaboration and licensing agreements, in particular with academics.

    Amel has in-house experience at one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies and at a medium-sized biotechnology company.

    Results
    Recognitions
    Capabilities and industries
    Regional markets
    Community
    Credentials
    Education
    • Paris 8 University, Master 2, Health Law
    • Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University, Master 1, Private Law
    • University of Tours, LLB
    Admissions
    • Paris
    Languages
    • English
    • French
  • Soo Young Hong

    People

    Soo Young Hong

    Associate

    New York – One Vanderbilt Avenue

    Areas of focus

    Soo Young Hong advises private fund clients on the structuring, formation and operation of investment funds and has represented both domestic and international fund sponsors in the organization of private equity funds, credit funds, buyout funds and fund of funds. She drafts, revises and updates fund documentation, including subscription agreements, offering memoranda, side letters, investment management agreements, limited partnership agreements, administration agreements, operating agreements and various ancillary agreements.

    While earning her law degree, Soo Young participated in the Sonia & Celina Sotomayor Judicial Internship Program under the Honorable Analisa Torres of the US District Court for the Southern District of New York. She was also the notes and articles editor for the Fordham Journal of Corporate & Financial Law.

    Results
    Recognitions
    Capabilities and industries
    Regional markets
    Community
    Credentials
    Education
    • Fordham University School of Law, JD, magna cum laude
    • Boston College, BA
    Admissions
    • New York