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Lacey Rochester

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Lacey Rochester focuses her practice on creditors' rights and regularly represents financial institutions, oil and gas companies, and other secured and unsecured creditors in federal, state and bankruptcy court.

Professional Biography


Lacey Rochester is a member of Baker Donelson's Corporate Restructuring and Bankruptcy group where she helps formulate practical legal solutions to resolve the challenges of distressed business dealings. She regularly counsels companies facing financial challenges and has extensive experience in representing various constituencies, including creditors, debtors, trustees, and interested parties in bankruptcy cases and adversary proceedings. Lacey advises on the full spectrum of bankruptcy and restructuring matters in bankruptcy, federal and state courts. Lacey also focuses a substantial portion of her practice on creditors' rights and has previously advised national and regional banks, financial institutions, real estate finance firms, as well as government-sponsored enterprises in this regard.

Ms. Rochester's prior experience includes serving as a law clerk to the honorable Judge Wendy Hagenau with the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Georgia.

  • Represented the unsecured creditors committee in the Knight Energy Holdings bankruptcy proceeding involving more than $250 million in defaulted debt. Negotiated with the debtor, old equity and the secured lender to secure 2.5 times the initial offer made to the unsecured creditors.

  • Represented an oil and gas exploration company, which was also a debtor-in-possession, in a Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceeding. In under six months, the debtor was able to confirm a consensual plan that converted its debt to equity, and the debtor emerged as an operating entity. The matter represents one of the few instances in which an oil and gas exploration company successfully confirmed a restructuring plan in a tightened economic climate.

  • Obtained dismissal, with prejudice, of all claims against an insurance broker in a contentious preference litigation brought by the trustee in a bankruptcy matter.
  • Represented the Chapter 11 trustee and plan administrator for two real property holding companies. Negotiated a global settlement with the trustees of two related Chapter 7 debtors and all creditors.

  • Defended a large national insurance broker against a $900,000 preference demand in the bankruptcy case of a major offshore marine company. Settled the demand on favorable terms.

  • Prevailed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, which upheld a district court's ruling in favor of our banking client regarding a claim brought under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act related to the Small Business Administration's Paycheck Protection Program.

  • Listed in The Best Lawyers in America® for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law and Banking and Finance Law (2025)
  • Listed in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America for Banking and Finance Law and Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law (2021 – 2024)
  • Listed in Chambers USA as a leading Bankruptcy/Restructuring lawyer in Louisiana (2020 – 2024)
  • Listed in Louisiana Super Lawyers as a Rising Star in Creditor Debtor Rights (2019, 2020); Bankruptcy: Business (2021, 2022)
  • Vice Chair of the Administration & Courts subcommittee – American Bar Association's Business Bankruptcy Law Section (2024-2026)
  • Recognized as a "Top Lawyer" in Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law by New Orleans Magazine (2022, 2023)
  • Recipient – The Pro Bono Project's 2021 Distinguished Service Award
  • Recipient – Baker Donelson New Orleans Pro Bono Attorney of the Year (2020)
  • Recipient – 2019 Rising Star Award by The International Women's Insolvency and Restructuring Confederation (IWIRC)
  • Member – American Bankruptcy Institute
  • Member – American Bar Association
  • Member – Turnaround Management Association, New Orleans Chapter
  • Member – International Women in Insolvency and Restructuring Confederation (IWIRC), New Orleans Chapter
  • Board Member – New Orleans Federal Bar Association, Young Lawyers Division
  • Board Member – New Orleans Pro Bono Project
  • Board Member – New Orleans Chapter of the International Women's Insolvency and Restructuring Confederation (IWIRC)
  • Next Generation Participant, 2018 National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges
  • 2012 American College of Bankruptcy Distinguished Law Student for the Fifth Circuit
  • Co-presenter – "Business Breakout: Highland Games: Gatekeeping, Mootness Races & Other Chapter 11 Gymnastics," Louisiana State University 29th Annual Bankruptcy Law Conference (November 2023)
  • Co-presenter – "A Business Files for Bankruptcy Protection: The First 60 Days," Third Federal Bench and Bar Conference, Eastern District of Louisiana (October 2023)
  • Co-presenter – "Lender Liability," Turnaround Management Association (July 2023)
  • Presenter – TMA Webinar Series: Small Business Reorganization Act (July 2020)
  • Presenter – "Bankruptcy 101," LSBA Young Lawyers Conference (January 2019)
  • Panelist – "Oil and Gas Creditor's Issues Update: Issues That May Arise in an Energy Bankruptcy," Liskow & Lewis Energy Law Seminar: Current Texas, Louisiana, and Offshore Oil and Gas Topics for Lawyers and Landmen (November 2015)
  • Presenter – "Model Rule 1.13: Ethics and Organizational Representations: A Glimpse of Where We are Heading," Louisiana State Bar Association CLE (December 2014/June 2015)

Education

  • Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, J.D., 2012, magna cum laude
  • Louisiana State University, B.S., 2009; summa cum laude

Admissions

  • Louisiana
  • Maryland

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