Rachel P. Stoian
PEOPLE

Rachel P. Stoian

Partner
stoian.rachel@dorsey.com
Palo Alto P +1 (650) 843-2708 F +1 (650) 618-8659 New York P +1 (212) 415-9200

Overview

Rachel assists clients achieve their goals in the context of financial restructuring, both in and out of court.
Rachel has substantial experience representing parties in all aspects of the bankruptcy and financial restructuring process, including fiduciaries, debtors, and creditors. Rachel strives to combine a keen attention to detail with a strong connection to the practical implications of her work in order to achieve her client’s goals efficiently and effectively. While Rachel always strives to consensually resolve conflicts as they arise, she has extensive litigation experience.

Education & Admissions

St. John's University School of Law (J.D., 2009), Executive Notes and Comments Editor, American Bankruptcy Institute Law Review; Dean’s List

St. John's University School of Law (LL.M., Bankruptcy, 2010), Outstanding Academic Achievement Award

University of California, Berkeley (B.A., 2006), Honors Distinction

Admissions

  • California
  • New York
  • Central District of California
  • Eastern District of California
  • Northern District of California
  • Southern District of California
  • Eastern District of Michigan
  • Southern District of New York
  • Eastern District of New York
  • Western District of Wisconsin
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

Languages

  • English

Clerkships

  • United States Bankruptcy Court, Northern District of California, Honorable Hannah L. Blumenstiel, 2018-2020

Experience

Representative Experience

  • Counsel to chapter 11 debtor and its affiliates in connection with their $1.45 billion bankruptcy case filed in the Southern District of Texas resulting in a prepackaged bankruptcy approved within 38 days of the filing that implemented a substantial deleveraging of the debtors’ funded debt from $1.45 billion to $855 million.
  • Counsel to chapter 11 debtor and its affiliates in connection with their successful prepackaged bankruptcy filing in the District of Delaware that implemented the deleveraging of the companies by fully equitizing their over $200 million of funded debt.
  • Lead counsel to secured lender in heavily contested chapter 11 filed on the eve of client’s foreclosure that ultimately resulted in consensual appointment of a chief restructuring officer and sale of substantially all of the debtor’s assets to wholly owned subsidiary of client.
  • Lead counsel to secured lender in connection with exercise of a variety of out-of-court remedies, including UCC foreclosure sales, forbearance agreements, and other workouts.
  • Lead counsel to liquidating trustee of affiliated industrial robotics manufacturers that resulted in successful sale of substantially all of liquidating entities’ assets and almost 100% distribution to creditors.
  • Lead counsel to secured lender in chapter 11 of national trucking company and was able to secure relief from the automatic stay and authority to complete foreclosure sales with respect to over $10 million in heavy equipment collateral.
  • Lead counsel to public company and its subsidiary which operated over 50 stores nationwide in navigating liquidity issues and ultimately seeking bankruptcy protection.
  • Represent commercial landlord in various chapter 11 proceedings, obtaining various relief, including dismissal of case, compensation for post-petition use and occupancy of premises, and relief from stay.

News & Resources

Legal Writings

  • Same Sex Couples May Be Able to File Joint Bankruptcy Petitions, co-authored with David A. Blansky, The Nassau Lawyer (Nov. 2011)
  • Recent Amendments to New York’s Exemption Laws, co-authored with Joseph S. Maniscalco, The Nassau Lawyer (Apr. 2011)
  • LL.M. Thesis, Why Successor Liability Claims Are Not “Interests in Property” Under Section 363(f), 18 Am. Bankr. L. Rev. 697 (Winter 2010)

Select Presentations

  • Speaker, Fraud, Forensics, and Defenses panel, American Bankruptcy Institute, Annual Spring Meeting 2025

Industries & Practices

Bankruptcy & Financial Restructuring
  • Banking & Financial Institutions
  • Bankruptcy & Financial Restructuring
  • Class Action Litigation
  • Closely Held Businesses
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Electronic Discovery
  • FinTech
  • Food, Beverage & Agribusiness
  • Indian & Alaska Native
  • Intellectual Property Litigation
  • Mergers & Acquisitions
  • Mortgage Banking
  • Technology
  • Trademark, Copyright + Advertising

Professional & Civic

Professional Achievements

  • Turnaround Management Association
  • American Bankruptcy Institute member
  • Bar Association of San Francisco

Community Involvement

  • Volunteer for various campaigns with Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz, including the annual Adopt-A-Family program.

Accolades

  • Best Lawyers® Ones to Watch in America, Banking and Finance Law, 2025
Rachel P. Stoian