Daniel Desatnik

Daniel Desatnik is an associate in the Business Solutions, Governance, Restructuring & Bankruptcy Group. He earned his J.D. from Columbia Law School, where he graduated as a James Kent Scholar and Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar. His practice focuses on the representation of debtors, creditors’ committees, equity committees, and creditors in chapter 11 cases and out-of-court restructurings.

Currently, Daniel is one of the core members of the Proskauer team representing the Financial Oversight and Management Board of Puerto Rico (FOMB) in its successful restructuring of Puerto Rico’s $74 billion debt load, lowering its liabilities by $33 billion and saving it over $50 billion in debt service payments. He played a key role in the $6 billion Title VI restructuring of the Governmental Development Bank’s debt. He currently plays a key role in the restructuring of the operations and over $9 billion of debt of Puerto Rico’s electric utility, PREPA. 

Recognized by Best Lawyers in America in its "Ones to Watch" list in 2021, 2022, and 2023, he has successfully argued before the First Circuit Court of Appeals and in federal bankruptcy court. He has been featured on panels and podcasts on bankruptcy law topics, and his articles have been published in industry-leading outlets such as Debtwire and Reorg Research.

Prior to law school, Daniel earned a B.A. and M.A. in political science at Emory University. Daniel uses his political science background to understand how the legal and policy environment impact corporate restructuring efforts.

Daniel is a top-ranked competitive tennis player. As a junior, Daniel won several high profile and national-level tennis tournaments. Daniel played varsity tennis for Emory University and represented the United States in the 2017 Maccabiah Games held in Israel, earning wins over professionally ranked competition en route to placing 5th in a draw of 64 players from around the world.