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Dianne Coffino

Dianne Coffino is experienced in all aspects of the corporate restructuring practice and has represented debtors, creditor committees, sponsors and large equity holders, banks, indenture trustees, debtor in possession lenders, secured and unsecured creditors, bidders for distressed assets, litigation trustees and contract counter-parties. In addition, Dianne’s practice includes a focus on bankruptcy litigation in which she has represented both plaintiffs and defendants.

Dianne has worked on in and out of court restructurings, cross-border insolvency proceedings and bankruptcy-related litigations in a number of different industries, including aerospace, bio-tech companies, computer sciences, energy, electric utilities, entertainment, manufacturers, pharmaceutical service providers, real estate, retail companies, sub-prime lending and transportation.

With potential liabilities in excess of $30 billion stemming from a series of deadly wildfires that ignited across Northern California in 2017 and 2018, Pacific Gas and Electric Company and its holding company PG&E Corp. (PG&E) filed for Chapter 11 relief in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of California on Tuesday.

The filing triggers a complex, multi-forum struggle among creditors, energy providers, and many other diverse stakeholders.  The impact of the restructuring process will be far reaching, jeopardizing compensation to wildfire victims, the state’s implementation of its ambitious climate and renewable energy policies, and the ultimate future of the utility as a partner in those efforts.
Continue Reading Rising from the Ashes: How PG&E’s Bankruptcy Threatens the Energy Sector and California’s Progress on Climate Change