Donald Field

Donald Field

Partner

Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP

Donald Field is a partner in Orrick's Public Finance Group and the co-chair of Orrick’s School and Community College Finance/General Obligation Bonds Practice Group.

He is also a member of Orrick's Leasing Practice Group, Assessment/Mello-Roos Practice Group, and Revenue Practice Group. Don has extensive experience, as bond counsel, disclosure counsel and underwriter's counsel, in the financing techniques used by school and community college districts, cities and counties in California. His practice focuses on local governmental infrastructure financing, including general obligation bond financing, municipal lease financing, and land-secured financing, as well as tax and revenue anticipation note (TRAN), pension obligation and other post-employment benefit (OPEB) obligation financings. Don serves as the lead lawyer for the California School Boards Association's annual tax and revenue anticipation note pool.

Publications:

  • Principal author and editor of “The XYZs of California School District Debt Financing,” published by Orrick in 2005.

Speeches and Programs:

  • Co-Chair, The Bond Buyer's California Public Finance Conference (September 2016)
  • California School Boards Association's Annual Conference (2009-2017)
  • Coalition for Adequate School Housing's Annual Conference (2006-2017)
  • Coalition for Adequate School Housing's Spring Conference (May 2007, March 2009)
  • Coalition for Adequate School Housing's Facilities Leadership Academy (November 2007; November 2008; November 2010)
  • Coalition for Adequate School Housing's Fall Conference (October 2011)

Featured Sessions

Monday, November 3, 2025
11:15 am
CDIAC Pre-Conference Session

The difference between the amount of a settlement or judgement and public agency  liability coverage most often can’t be drawn from reserves without threatening an  agency’s long-term financial sustainability. Developing a payment strategy for filing the  gap will be essential. This session will discuss the strengths and weaknesses of different  payment strategies for different agencies including receiverships and emergency  apportionments, tax increases, and bond issuance. Panelists will address the challenging  constitutional, statutory, and procedural hurdles and how they may be overcome to  form a viable payment strategy.