Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, a multidisciplinary, integrated professional services firm, hired financial services partners Troy Zander and Warren Biro to the firm’s San Diego and Los Angeles offices, respectively. Zander and Biro’s clients span financial institutions, private equity firms and other institutional lenders across the entire venture debt, private credit and commercial lending spaces and within the technology, fintech and life sciences sectors, specifically.
“We could not be more excited to welcome Troy and Warren as we continue expanding our financial services, life sciences, corporate and digital and technology capabilities across the country as well as our Los Angeles and growing San Diego offices locally,” Donna L. Wilson, CEO and managing partner of Manatt, said. “They are leading practitioners in venture debt and within the key sectors in which we focus, so will thrive as they connect with and collaborate across our teams in areas including financial services, emerging company, venture capital, health care, entertainment and digital and technology.”
Zander represents companies, lenders and related stakeholders in documenting their technology, life sciences and middle-market financing transactions, including traditional commercial leveraged debt financings, venture debt financings and bridge loans. He has background working with companies, secured and unsecured creditors, committees, trustees and asset purchasers in bankruptcy and out-of-court proceedings and supporting clients and lenders in forbearances, loan modifications and restructurings, work-outs and asset acquisitions and dispositions. Zander also has deep experience with asset-based and cash-flow lending transactions, from single-lender and single-borrower facilities to complex, global multi-tranche and onshore/offshore syndications.
Biro’s practice focuses on representing clients in a variety of commercial lending and financing transactions, including asset-based and cash flow credit facilities, venture debt financings and leveraged acquisitions. He offers guidance to key stakeholders — including investment banks, commercial banks and other sources of debt capital — in the technology, life sciences and fintech space. He has also represented agents, lenders, participants and companies in numerous credit facilities and works with lenders and production companies in the entertainment industry on their television, digital media and film-related financings.
“Venture debt and commercial lending requires a uniquely deep understanding of the interplay between innovation and financial services, which Troy and Warren bring to the Firm through their unmatched experience helping banks and other lenders navigate the legal, business and regulatory aspects of these complex deals,” Craig Miller, financial services leader at Manatt, said. “Their arrival is also the latest example of our continued growth across all corners of our financial services group, as recently seen with the arrival of Mike Katz to our fintech team led by partner Brian Korn, and Jessica Sklute to our consumer financial services practice led by partner Scott Pearson.”
“I have always been drawn to Manatt’s unique legal and consulting model, which brings a business and industry-centric lens to every piece of client work the Firm handles,” Zander said. “I have always viewed myself as an advisor first to my clients, so I am looking forward to working alongside other lawyers and consultants who share this philosophy.”
“Manatt has an entrepreneurial and collaborative spirit that is rarely seen in practice at other firms,” Biro said. “I am excited to join a firm that prioritizes this mindset which brings tremendous value to our clients.”
Biro and Zander join the firm’s expanding roster of recent legal and consulting professional hires across the firm’s core practices, including corporate and finance (Bill Broome); digital and technology (Tim Andrews and Lisa W. Rosaya); entertainment (Binta Niambi Brown); financial services (Mike Katz and Jessica Sklute); health care (Heide Bajnrauh, Axel Bernabe, Robert (Rob) Fraiman, Seth Frazier, Eric Gold, Paul Irving, Dr. Tracy Johnson, Anna Lansky, John O’Brien, Thomas (Tom) Robertson, Lisa Sbrana and Mark Wietecha); and litigation (Schuyler G. Carroll, Dylan Carson, Randy S. Grossman, Kareem A. Salem and Justin Wolosz).
Zander earned his J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law and his B.A. from the University of California San Diego. Biro earned his J.D. from the UCLA School of Law and his B.A. from Rutgers University.
