Cristine Pirro Schwarzman Joins Ropes & Gray from Kirkland

Ropes & Gray has hired bankruptcy attorney Cristine Pirro Schwarzman away from Kirkland & Ellis to work as a partner in its New York restructuring practice group.

Schwarzman built a practice at Kirkland representing debtors in out-of-court restructurings, Chapter 11 cases and distressed acquisitions. Her clients have included public and privately held companies in the telecommunications, technology, retail, and energy industries, including Payless ShoeSource, and Lehman Brothers, and Washington Mutual.

She began her career as an associate at Weil, Gotshal & Manges after completing a clerkship for Chief Judge Arthur J. Gonzalez in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York.

“Cristi is described by clients as a commercially minded and energetic counselor who brings a wealth of experience in company-side representations,” Mark I. Bane, partner and co-chair of Ropes & Gray’s business restructuring practice group, said in a statement. “A full spectrum of public, private and portfolio company clients will benefit from her experience handling complex restructurings.”

Schwarzman has been a member of the SDNY Local Rules Committee to Revise the Local Bankruptcy Rules. She previously served as a board member of the International Women in Restructuring Confederation.

Schwarzman said the decision to switch firms was sparked by her work across the table from Ropes & Gray attorneys over the past several years. “As time has gone on, we’ve developed closer and closer relationships, and when I found out Ropes was looking to build out their company side restructuring practice, it was a bit of a no brainer,” she said.

Schwarzman said she plans to expand Ropes & Gray’s debtor-side practice now that she’s made the jump.

Schwarzman’s mother, Judge Jeanine Pirro, is the host of Fox News’ long-running legal and current events show, Justice with Judge Jeanine, and has recently courted controversy over her on-air remarks on the network.

Pirro distinguished herself as the first female judge elected in Westchester County, New York, and later became the county’s first female district attorney.

Schwarzman said that she’s worked hard to carve out her own career path. “Both of my parents were lawyers and they actually discouraged me,” she joked. “They told me not to go to law school.”