Americas Women in Business Law Awards Recognize Successful Attorneys

A partner at Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP, Deborah Festa ois a partner in the firm’s Los Angeles and New York offices. Excelling in her field, Deborah Festa was recently shortlisted for the 2015 Americas Women in Business Law Awards in the category of best in structured finance.

Americas Women in Business Law Awards, established by Euromoney Legal Media Group, was founded four years ago. The annual event celebrates women attorneys and their achievements that shape the future legal practices across North America and Latin America. Accolades are given within four sections: individual, regional, in-house, and firm. Each are comprised of different categories ranging from best corporate lawyer in Latin America to best firm for diversity.

The 2015 ceremony took place at the Essex House. Both in-house and private legal practitioners gathered to hear inspiring speeches by Susan Ervin of Davis Polk & Wardwell and Joan Wexler of Brooklyn Law School, the winners of the outstanding practitioner and lifetime achievement awards, respectively. The night ended with more than 80 accolades given, of which Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP took home two.

Opal CLO Summit Provides High-Level Networking

Since 2012, Deborah Festa has served as a partner in the Los Angeles and New York offices of Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy, LLP. Deborah Festa is also an accomplished author and frequent speaker at industry events such as the Opal CLO Summit.

An education forum that brings together industry leaders from across the United States, the Opal CLO Summit is open to professionals such as underwriters, investors, issuers, lawyers, and accountants. The summit aims to create meaningful dialogue and seek collaborative solutions to industry challenges, as well as to facilitate the sharing of techniques to increase returns in the area of asset-backed finance.

With smaller workshops than typical conferences, the intimate setting of Opal summits facilitates more focused sessions and allows each attendee to actively participate. Opal summits also provide ample opportunities for high-level networking and connection among peers. The 2015 Opal CLO Summit will take place December 2-4 in Carlsbad, California.

Scholarships from the Phi Beta Kappa Alpha Association

A partner in the Los Angeles and New York offices of Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy, LLP, Deborah Festa holds a bachelor of arts in French literature and philosophy from the University of California, Los Angeles, where she was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Deborah Festa is past president of the Alpha Association of Phi Beta Kappa Alumni in Southern California.

Founded in 1918, the Phi Beta Kappa Alpha Association has more than 1,200 members throughout Southern California. In addition to hosting a number of cultural events for its members, the association supports lifelong learning through several scholarships and sponsorships. International scholarships, for example, are available to qualifying foreign students pursuing graduate studies in Southern California, and are awarded based on need and academic record.

The Alpha Association also offers a Graduate Study Award that supports a recently initiated member of a Phi Beta Kappa Southern California chapter during her first year of graduate school.