Find Lawyers in Chicago, Illinois for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
Practice Area Overview
While some bankruptcy lawyers represent insolvent individuals, many corporate bankruptcy lawyers represent debtors, creditors, and groups of creditors in bankruptcy cases. When representing debtors, the bankruptcy lawyer’s involvement typically starts long before a company actually commences a bankruptcy case by counseling the debtor concerning strategic options. These options run the spectrum, from gaining the protections afforded by commencing a reorganization case under chapter 11 (to implement an asset sale, a consensual plan of reorganization, or perhaps a contested “cramdown” plan), to negotiating an out-of-court workout. Creditor representations similarly require strategic analysis and skilled advocacy. The challenge facing creditors’ counsel is not merely competing with the debtor and its shareholders, but also competing against other creditor constituencies with differing agendas. After all, the restructuring objectives of a trade creditor, a bond holder, a labor union, a government agency, or a creditor that may be junior or senior in the capital structure likely will vary, potentially to a substantial degree, depending on the circumstances.
In today’s dynamic financial restructuring landscape, bankruptcy lawyers also must tackle a host of ancillary issues. For example, cross-border insolvencies continue to grow in number and intricacy as businesses expand globally into legal jurisdictions around the world. Likewise, the advent and growth of structured financial products and derivatives adds additional layers of complexity to the already complex mix of legal and business issues that bankruptcy lawyers routinely confront. In addition, the bankruptcy process continues to serve as a springboard for M&A opportunities presenting distressed investors with opportunities to acquire assets at attractive valuations in the marketplace.
Bankruptcy law provides ample, important restructuring opportunities to financially troubled businesses and has made bankruptcy an effective business tool, as evidenced by the number of large business enterprises increasingly seeking the protections and benefits that bankruptcy affords.
Howard Adelman formed the law firm of Adelman & Gettleman, Ltd. with Chad H. Gettleman in 1983. Since entering private practice in 1978, Howard has devoted his entire professional practice to the areas of commercial litigation, bankruptcy, insolvency, and corporate reorganization. He has participated in major bankruptcy cases since 1978 as counsel to the debtor, and has served as counsel to Creditors' Committees, financial institutions and other parties, has confirmed numerous plans of re...
Scott Alsterda concentrates his practice on counseling and litigation in pursuit of his clients’ business interests and opportunities in financially troubled situations. He also serves as a Chapter 7 trustee in commercial and consumer bankruptcy cases. What do you focus on? I focus my practice on a variety of issues including enforcement of contract rights, pursuit of claims and remedies against third parties, defense of claims against my clients and the pursuit of business interests an...
Bill has almost 40 years of experience in bankruptcy litigation. Bill is a calming and relaxed force while being a committed advocate for his clients. Bill is the senior member of BFKN’s Bankruptcy & Creditor Rights Group. In recent years Bill has focused his practice on representing secured debt holders and landlords in Chapter 11 cases and other insolvency proceedings. Bill has litigated a broad variety of cases in the bankruptcy courts, including stay relief, adequate protection,...
Alexander Brougham joined Adelman & Gettleman in September 2012 and focuses his practice in business bankruptcy, reorganization, and commercial litigation. Alex is an active participant in both the transactional and litigation sides of business bankruptcy and reorganization, representing clients ranging from individuals to Fortune 500 companies. In recognition of his work, Alex was selected to join the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges' prestigious Next Generation program, which ea...
Steve Chaiken joined Adelman & Gettleman in January 2007 and became a partner in January 2013. Steve focuses his practice in assisting financially distressed companies and business owners resolving their financial issues. Whether through settlements, out-of-court workouts or formal insolvency proceedings (including assignments for the benefit of creditors or Chapter 7 and 11 bankruptcy cases), based on his now more than 20 years’ experience of practicing law, Steve is able to work w...
Brad Giordano is a partner in the Business Restructuring group. Brad focuses his practice on representing debtors, creditors, direct lenders, ad hoc groups, sponsors and strategic investors in all aspects of complex in-court and out-of-court corporate restructurings. Read full biography: https://www.mwe.com/people/giordano-bradley-thomas/
Richard “Rush” Howell is a litigation partner in Kirkland’s Chicago office. Recognized as a trial lawyer companies call when the issues are too important not to fight, Rush has significant experience serving as trial counsel for companies in high-profile restructuring and product liability cases and representing private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies in a wide array of business disputes. His practice spans commercial litigation, restructuring, data security an...
Chad Husnick is a partner in Kirkland & Ellis’ Restructuring Practice Group. He represents debtors, creditors, equity holders, and other stakeholders in all aspects of corporate liability management, restructuring, bankruptcy, and insolvency proceedings. Chad has represented clients in a variety of industries, including energy, retail, real estate, infrastructure, manufacturing, transportation and distribution, hospitality and gaming, automotive, and printing. He works closely with ...
James (Jay) W. Kapp, III, focuses his practice on corporate bankruptcies, reorganizations (including prepackaged and prearranged bankruptcy filings), out-of-court restructurings (including distressed financings and workouts), and creditor rights representation (with an emphasis on representing bondholders, indenture trustees and other secured creditors). Jay has significant experience representing debtors and creditors (secured and unsecured) with respect to such bankruptcy and restructuring ...
Ross M. Kwasteniet is a partner in the Restructuring Group. His practice is centered around the representation of distressed companies in all aspects of Chapter 11 reorganizations and out-of-court restructurings. Ross also has considerable experience representing both buyers and sellers of distressed assets. Most recently, Ross was recognized in the 2021 edition of IFLR1000. In 2019, Ross was recognized as a Dealmaker of the Year by The American Lawyer. Ross was also recognized in the 2018&nd...
Dan McGuire concentrates his practice in the insolvency, bankruptcy, and business reorganization fields. He represents debtors, creditors' committees, private equity funds, banks, and other financial institutions and investors in all aspects of insolvency work, including Chapter 11 cases, out-of-court restructurings, debtor-in-possession (DIP) financing, structuring transactions involving insolvency issues, cross-border insolvencies, and the acquisition and divestiture of assets of bankrupt o...
Matthew M. Murphy is a partner in the Financial Restructuring group, a member of the Special Situations Group, and the chair of the Chicago Office. He advises a variety of clients in complex business reorganizations, debt restructurings, and troubled company M&A. Mr. Murphy has counseled clients up and down the capital structure through out-of-court and Chapter 11 restructuring initiatives, the purchase of or investment in distressed companies, and post-petition lending.
Pat Nash is a partner in the Restructuring Group of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. He represents a variety of clients in complex business reorganizations, troubled company M&A, debt restructurings, and financing matters. He has counseled companies experiencing financial difficulties, purchasers of and investors in distressed companies, and lenders to and creditors of such companies. Pat also has extensive cross-border insolvency experience. Described as “very commercial, very smart and v...
David M. Neff has a national practice encompassing both litigation and transactions. In 2012, he argued for the petitioner in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of RadLAX Gateway Hotel v. Amalgamated Bank. He also obtained a damage claim of almost $125 million for a client in the MSR Resort bankruptcy case after two trials. He represents debtors, lenders, individual creditors, and creditors committees in all types of bankruptcies throughout the country. He is a past president of the ...
Felicia Gerber Perlman represents clients in a variety of complex business reorganizations, debt restructurings and insolvency matters. Ms. Perlman has advised debtors, creditors, lenders, investors, sellers, purchasers and other parties-in-interest in all stages of restructuring transactions from Chapter 11 reorganizations to out-of-court negotiations, workouts and acquisitions. She is a frequent speaker on bankruptcy topics. In addition, she has been recognized in Turnarounds & Workouts...
Nancy A. Peterman is Chair of the Chicago Business Reorganization & Financial Restructuring Practice. She focuses her practice on corporate restructurings, bankruptcy and creditors' rights law, and has a wide range of experience representing debtors, purchasers of assets, committees and secured creditors.
Nathan draws on over two decades of insolvency and workout experience to provide practical and insightful advice to clients. He builds relationships to obtain favorable results in both transactional and litigation matters. Nate is the chair of BFKN’s Bankruptcy & Creditor Rights Group. He has extensive experience in all aspects of business reorganizations, workouts, and bankruptcies, inside and outside of court restructurings. This includes the representation of creditors, suppliers...
Anup Sathy is an internationally recognized practitioner in matters relating to corporate restructurings, workouts and Chapter 11 reorganizations. He represents and advises companies, buyers, boards, investors and lenders in all aspects of distressed and insolvency situations and has restructured well over $100 billion of debt obligations. Described as a “phenomenal lawyer” who is “intellectually gifted” and “a great problem solver,” Anup has been selected ...
David Seligman is a partner in the Restructuring Practice Group who concentrates in all aspects of U.S. and worldwide corporate restructurings and insolvency proceedings. He has extensive experience advising large publicly-and privately-held U.S. and multinational corporations and their boards in complex domestic and international restructuring matters, both in and out of court. David also advises buyers and lenders in complex distressed situations and insolvency planning matters, as well as ...
When advising creditors in bankruptcies and reorganizations, Peter Siddiqui knows that his job is to make the best of a bad situation. Banks, hedge funds and private equity investors, as well as borrowers, turn to him to find swift solutions that protect their interests with minimal distress. Because he understands his clients' business realities — whether they're in the automobile, real estate, financial services or hospitality and resort industries — he offers advice that's not ...
Driven by his passion to meld business with business law, Adam became an insolvency attorney to help companies and their owners solve financial problems and maintain going concern operations. Adam strives to find efficient and cost-effective non-bankruptcy solutions for his clients through equity restructurings, lender workouts and forbearance arrangements, refinancing transactions, going concern sales, public and private auctions, assignments for the benefit of creditors, statutory wind-down...
James H.M. Sprayregen is the founder of Kirkland & Ellis’ worldwide Restructuring Group, building the group from inception in 1990 to become the premier restructuring group in the world, and the only such group ranked tier 1 in every major region of the world. He is a partner in the Chicago and New York offices of Kirkland & Ellis. He served on Kirkland’s worldwide management committee from 2003–2006 and 2009–2019. He joined Goldman Sachs in 2006 where he was c...
With experience representing both debtors and creditors of all sizes, Alex helps clients successfully navigate restructuring, bankruptcy, and insolvency matters both in and outside of court. Alex is smart, personable, detail-oriented, and passionate about helping clients. Alex is an associate in BFKN’s Bankruptcy & Creditors Rights Group. He has experience in many key aspects of business reorganizations, workouts, and bankruptcies. Alex represents secured and unsecured lenders, vend...
Mike Jones is an associate in the Corporate practice of Paul Hastings and is based in the firm’s Chicago office. His practice encompasses all areas of corporate restructuring, bankruptcy, and insolvency matters, including the representation of debtors, creditors, lenders, investors, and acquirers of assets in chapter 11 bankruptcy cases, bankruptcy-related acquisitions, debt restructurings, and out-of-court insolvency matters. Before joining Paul Hastings, Mr. Jones was a corporate rest...
Jack Luze is a restructuring partner in the Chicago office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP’s. Jack advises companies, ad hoc committees, private equity firms, and other investors with respect to public, private, and portfolio companies in financial distress, including liability management transactions, financings, divestitures and acquisitions, and in and out-of-court restructurings. Jack also advises boards of directors and senior management of distressed companies regarding fiduciary duti...
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