Chaffetz Lindsey Expands International Arbitration Team and Elevates Bankruptcy Practice with Two Prominent Partner Hires
December 2019 — Chaffetz Lindsey is pleased to announce that two highly respected lawyers, Caline Mouawad and Alan Lipkin, have joined the firm as partners. Caline, an experienced investment and commercial arbitration practitioner, has been a partner at King & Spalding. Alan, a leading bankruptcy and restructuring specialist, is moving from Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, where he founded the bankruptcy practice.
According to Peter Chaffetz, a founding partner of the firm, “Bringing in Caline adds further depth and additional expertise to our highly ranked international arbitration practice. With Alan, we add a market-leading expertise our clients have been asking for. As we celebrate the firm’s 10th anniversary, our ability to attract partners of this level from leading New York firms confirms our growing reputation and the attractiveness of our culture and structure to top practitioners.”
With nearly 20 years of practice, Caline has been lead counsel in commercial and investment arbitration disputes spanning the world, including matters from Europe, Latin America, Africa and Asia. Since February 2018 she has served as a Vice Chair of the ICC’s Commission on Arbitration and ADR.
David Lindsey says, “I have known Caline for over 10 years and have always been impressed by her talent and collegiality. She is perfectly at ease in the English and the French speaking legal worlds and is widely recognized as a leader in the international arbitration community. It is an honor to have her onboard. As her hire confirms, our international arbitration practice continues to thrive and attract top talent.”
“I am thrilled to be joining such a dynamic and respected team of arbitration practitioners,” says Caline. “After a wonderful and rewarding decade at King & Spalding, Chaffetz Lindsey is a natural fit to continue to provide first-rate client service. Chaffetz Lindsey’s collegial and hands-on approach, combined with its nimble and efficient firm structure, offer an attractive value proposition to clients. I look forward to contributing to the firm’s continued success.”
Caline’s advocacy is recognized by all of the top industry publications, including Chambers USA, Legal 500, GAR, Who’s Who Legal and Latinvex. She has appeared as counsel in arbitrations conducted in English and French before all of the major arbitral institutions. Caline has expertise in a wide range of sectors including oil and gas, mining, consumer goods and telecommunications. In addition, Caline is listed on the Panel of Neutrals for the International Centre for Dispute Resolution and the AAA National Roster of Arbitrators and Mediators.
While at King & Spalding in New York, Caline was the Vice Chair of the firm’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee. She earned her JD from Harvard University and her BA, summa cum laude, from Rice University.
Alan Lipkin brings to Chaffetz Lindsey over 30 years of experience in bankruptcy and debt restructuring at the top levels of U.S. bankruptcy practice.
Charlie Scibetta, the firm’s managing partner, notes, “Alan’s deep experience in bankruptcy and restructuring augments financial services work we do for a range of clients. We’ve been practicing in bankruptcy court since the firm opened, but Alan brings our capability to a new level.”
“I am excited by Chaffetz Lindsey’s commitment to expand its high level dispute resolution expertise into the bankruptcy space,” says Alan. “Their boutique platform will provide new opportunities for me to utilize the experience I obtained over many great years at Willkie.”
Alan has advised debtors, committees or groups of creditors, major creditors, shareholders and other key parties in chapter 11 and chapter 7 cases and out-of-court workouts. Alan also has substantial experience in insurance insolvency and bank insolvency as well as in addressing potential bankruptcy and insolvency issues in structured finance and other complex transactions. Alan has lectured and authored articles on a number of business reorganization topics including representation of high-yield bondholders and concerning bitcoin, other virtual currencies and blockchain issues arising in a bankruptcy setting.
Prior to joining Chaffetz Lindsey, Alan was a partner and founding member of the Business Reorganization & Restructuring Department at Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP. He began his legal career as law clerk to Chief Judge Almeric L. Christian (U.S. District Court for the Virgin Islands). Alan earned his BA degree cum laude from Bucknell University and his JD (also cum laude) from New York University School of Law.
