Evan M. Jones

Partner

Evan Jones is a partner in O’Melveny’s Los Angeles office and a member of the Finance and Restructuring Practice. He has broad experience in all facets of reorganization, having represented bank groups, secured creditors, debtors, unsecured creditor committees, buyers of assets, and other constituents.

Evan has represented numerous lenders and lender groups in large restructurings. Evan is experienced in both reorganization related litigation and transactions. He has represented several purchasers of businesses or assets from companies in bankruptcy. Evan is also often involved in structuring deals to avoid or minimize the risks of bankruptcy, in close cooperation with the attorneys in our entertainment, structured finance, corporate, and infrastructure practices.

Evan is active in intellectual property and entertainment matters. He has represented major studios, as well as distributors, licensees of rights, investors and production companies in bankruptcy and restructuring matters.

In technology cases, Evan has represented investors and buyers in numerous sales and workouts of technology-related companies during the recent downturn. Such cases include both in-court and out-of-court situations. He writes and lectures extensively on technology and bankruptcy issues.

Evan has extensive experience in real estate restructurings, workouts, and bankruptcies involving hotels, apartment complexes, office buildings, residential developments, and oil and gas projects. He is also bankruptcy liaison to the Firm’s Environmental group.

Finally, with the growth in healthcare-related reorganization, Evan has represented parties in several large physician group insolvencies, and the restructuring of a major medical equipment producer.

Evan is recognized by Chambers and Partners USA as one of the leading insolvency/corporate recovery lawyers in California and was selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America.

Illustrative Professional Experience

• Represented secured creditors in entertainment bankruptcies including RHI and Tee Vee, Inc. , recovering collateral through settlement and sales
• Represented secured noteholders in restructuring of municipally financed alternative energy project
• Represented the agent bank for secured lenders in the bankruptcy and sale of Scotia Pacific, Inc ., a large timber company, obtaining a full cash payment of principal and interest
• Represented lenders recovering over US$325 million (principal and default interest and fees) through restructuring of coal company Horizon Natural Resources, AEI Resources
• Represented pre-petition and DIP lenders in recovering approximately US$500 million in loans (principal and default interest and fees) by compelling pre-plan sale of multi-dimensional agricultural cooperative in the Chapter 11 of Farmland Industries Inc.
• Represented the special committee of the Board in consummating the sale of Davis Petroleum on the first day of prepackaged bankruptcy case
• Represented Gottschalks, Inc. in connection with its recent chapter 11 filing, securing US$125 million of debtor-in-possession financing
• Represented creditors' committee in bankruptcy of computer manufacturer Trigem Texas, Inc.
• Represented conduit issuer for LAX bonds in dispute over lease recharacterization in Chapter 11 of Delta Airlines
• Represented buyer in two-stage acquisition of debtor Pillowtex Corporation's complex in Kannapolis, North Carolina for redevelopment in multi-use community
• Represented Azabu Buildings Co., Ltd. in restructuring of Hyatt Waikiki hotel
• Represented secured lender in acquiring Baldwin Piano and Organ Company through pre-plan foreclosure
• Represented creditors committee in Applied Magnetics Corporation reorganization
• Represented purchaser of television station from bankruptcy in Urban Broadcasting Chapter 11
• Represented investor in the large real estate restructuring of Gas Company Tower, confirming client's plan over debtor's competing plan
• Represented unsecured bank creditors in obtaining full repayment with interest and fees in bankruptcy of Sizzler Restaurants, Inc.
• Represented the debtor in possession of Phar-Mor, Inc.
• Represented the secured lenders in DIP financing of Revco, D.S.
• Represented the largest secured lender in restructuring of Leisure Tech, Inc., a major home builder
• Represented the secured bank group in the bankruptcy of EPI Products, U.S.A.
• Represented the secured lender in the restructuring of petroleum plant Collet Ventures, Inc.
• Successfully represented Sony Pictures Entertainment in the various bankruptcies and litigation regarding "Spiderman", including obtaining the rights to produce and distribute the film
• Represented distributors, licensees of rights, investors, and production companies in Orion, 21st Century Productions, Carolco, Cannon, and other cases

Professional Activities

Member, Board of Governors, Financial Lawyers Conference, 1992-96; 2001-05
Honors, named a “Super Lawyer” in a survey conducted by Law & Politics Media Inc. and published in Los Angeles magazine; named a "Super Lawyer" by Super Lawyers - Corporate Counsel Edition
Author, "Bankruptcy Court Determines Special Provisions Protecting IP Licenses of Bankrupt Debtors Apply to Foreign Corporation," Alert (November 17, 2011); "Lehman Bankruptcy Judge Prevents Trigger of CDO Subordination Provision Based on Credit Support Provider and Swap Counterparty Bankruptcy Filings," The Banking Law Journal (April 2010); "Bad Bankruptcy Citizen," The Deal (April 2010); "Facing New Realities in Today's Debtor-in-Possession Market," Debtor-in-Possession and Exit Financing: Leading Lawyers on Securing Funding and Analyzing Recent Trends in Bankruptcy Financing (2010); “An Overview of Intellectual Property Licenses and Bankruptcy,” various presentations including The Americas Restructuring and Insolvency Guide 2008/2009 (2008); “M&A of Companies in Insolvency Proceedings in US, UK and Japan”; “China’s Draft Bankruptcy Law,” Asian Counsel, Vol. 3, Issue 1 (February 2005)
Speeches, USC Gould School of Law 2011 Real Estate Law and Business Forum (4/2/2011); "DBSD v. DISH: Designation, Gifting, and Standing... Did the Second Circuit Get it Right? (And what are the implications for the loan market?)" LSTA Conference Center (3/9/11); "The Failing Real Estate Project," USC Gould School of Law 2011 Real Estate Law and Business Forum (3/2/11); Bankrupt Licensees and Licensors: Strategies for IP License Enforcement," Strafford Publications Teleconference (10/1/09); "Bankrupt Licensees and Licensors: Strategies for IP License Enforcement on Distressed Vendors: Legal Implications for Business Partners," Strafford Teleconference (5/27/09); "Important Leasing Issues in Today's Economy," presented to USC Law School's 2009 Real Estate Law and Business Forum (3/25/09); Guest Lecturer UCLA Law School, "Debt, Fiduciary Obligation and Theory of the Firm," Law 237 (Corporate Finance) (03/04 and 03/06); Guest Lecturer, Loyola Law School, "Bankruptcy and M&A," (Mergers & Acquisition); Chapter 11," (Transactional Practice Workshop) (11/23/05, 4/11/06)