MARIA GUDIEL focuses her practice on advising private and public companies, debtors, creditors, sponsors, and strategic investors in restructuring and transactional matters, including out-of-court restructuring and bankruptcy-related litigation.
Maria participated in Sidley’s Pro Bono Fellowship Program, working for Bet Tzedek, where she assisted immigrant foster youth in applying for immigration relief through Special Immigrant Juvenile Status including drafting motions to reopen and dismiss removal orders, applying for employment authorization, and serving as an interpreter in adjustment of status interviews.
During law school, Maria was a judicial extern to the Honorable Judge Otis D. Wright II of the United States District Court for the Central District of California. She served as an extern to the honorable Judge Michael Garcia of the Hearing Unit at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in Los Angeles, California.
Maria served as a student representative for the Sales and Use Tax Clinic, representing clients under supervision at Franchise Tax Board hearings. She was also a volunteer guardian ad litem for foster youth with CASA of Orange County for over five years, and worked as a legal compliance analyst for a global life sciences company. Maria was also a law clerk with Public Counsel in the impact litigation group, assisting in emerging matters relating to education, privacy, and chemical aspects of environmental law.
Prior to law school, Maria earned her B.S. in chemistry and gained over 10 years of career experience in FDA-regulated industries of pharmaceuticals and medical devices. She earned several professional quality and regulatory professional licenses including Regulatory Affairs Professional (RAPS) Certified Quality Auditor (ASQ-CQA), Certified Quality Engineer (CQE), Certified Medical Device Auditor (CMDA), and Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence (CMQ/OE).
Maria is a native Spanish speaker.