Uchechi Egeonuigwe

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Uchechi Egeonuigwe

Ropes & Gray LLP, New York, NY

“Uchechi is a client-focused lawyer who meets the demanding challenges posed by extremely complex and difficult legal issues with thoughtful analysis and judgment.”

UCHECHI is an attorney in Ropes & Gray LLP’s Business Restructuring Group and has advised creditors in some of the most well-known restructurings in the world. She represents debtors, distressed borrowers and investors, including private-equity sponsors, in connection with out-of-court restructurings and chapter 11 cases. Prior to joining Ropes & Gray, she clerked for Hon. William T. Thurman in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Utah, then joined the restructuring group of another preeminent New York law firm.

Uchechi has been recognized by the New York Law Journal as a 2021 “Rising Star,” named a 2021 NextGen Emerging Leader by the Corporate Counsel Women of Color (CCWC), received the 2021 “On the Rise – Top 40 Young Lawyer” award from the American Bar Association, named to the Lawyers of Color 2020 Hot List, and honored in The Best Lawyers in America as one of its “Ones to Watch” for Bankruptcy and Creditor/Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law in 2021 and 2022. She is a 2021 participant in the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges’ (NCBJ’s) Next Generation Program, and in 2018, NCBJ selected her as a Judge Blackshear Presidential Fellow.

Uchechi is a regular speaker on insolvency and restructuring topics. She also recently produced and moderated educational programs, including “The Business Case: Game-Changing Benefits of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion,” presented by ABI, and “Pathways to the Bankruptcy Bench,” presented by ABI and the American Bar Association (ABA). She also maintains an active pro bono practice through her work with local organizations, and she was honored by The Public Counsel, the nation’s largest pro bono law firm, with its William J. Lasarow Award, which recognizes the outstanding contributions of attorneys who volunteer their legal services to provide access to justice for individuals and families. In addition, she is the 2021 recipient of the Elizabeth A. Ritvo Award for her sustained commitment and exceptional contributions in furtherance of equity, inclusion, and diversity.

Uchechi she serves on ABI’s Diversity Working Group, is the Membership Relations Director of ABI’s Asset Sales Committee and is on the advisory board for ABI’s Bankruptcy Battleground West conference. In addition, she is as a mentor with the ABA’s Judicial Internship Opportunity Program and sits on the junior advisory board for the Honorable Tina Brozman Foundation for Ovarian Cancer Research (Tina’s Wish). Prior to practicing law, she was a highly decorated 400-meter hurdler at UC Riverside, where she currently holds multiple school records and was crowned the Big West Conference Champion and NCAA Division I All-American West Region. She thereafter became a professional athlete, competing in the 400-meter hurdles and relay events.

Education

  • J.D., University of San Diego School of Law
  • B.A., Political Science and Women Studies, University of California, Riverside