With some of the world’s leading insolvency lawyers, O’Melveny helps clients face virtually any aspect of a restructuring matter—whether it be a company facing financial distress, significant creditors of a troubled company or an investor looking for the opportunity to purchase a distressed business or certain of its assets.

Our restructuring lawyers, many of whom are also experienced litigators, have played a leadership role in a number of the largest and highest profile restructuring matters in recent years, including the ongoing financial restructuring of Puerto Rico with more than US$70 billion of debt and the bankruptcies of Verso, Energy Future Holdings, LINN Energy, Homer City Generation, Colt Defense, Cal Dive International, Peabody Energy, Hancock Fabrics, New Century Financial, Dynegy,General Motors, and Chrysler. Our clients, which include some of the most well known names in finance, turn to O’Melveny in their most challenging times and when the stakes are at their highest. The reason is simple: for nearly a century O’Melveny has employed exceptional creativity and vigorous advocacy to preserve and maximize economic value for clients across industries and borders.

Our restructuring team has broad experience representing the full panoply of participants in bankruptcies and out-of-court restructurings. They include:

  • Debtors in chapter 11 bankruptcies and out-of-court restructurings
  • Investors in distressed debt
  • Ad hoc groups of secured and unsecured creditors;
  • Official committees of unsecured creditors;
  • Private equity sponsors and their distressed portfolio companies
  • Purchasers of distressed assets in section 363 and other distressed M&A transactions
  • Bank agents and indenture trustees
  • Providers of debtor-in-possession or exit financing

Given the complexity of the issues our clients face, we also draw on the firm’s finance, capital markets, M&A, tax, labor, and litigation specialists to ensure all of our clients’ interests are met.

AMF Bowling

O’Melveny represented an ad hoc group of second lien lenders consisting of Cerberus and JP Morgan in the chapter 11 of AMF Bowling.  Read

Cal Dive International

When a sharp decline in oil prices set of a wave off exploration and production industry bankruptcies, O’Melveny stepped in to assist Houston-based oil and gas infrastructure company Cal Dive International in its chapter 11 bankruptcy. Read

Case Study: Belk

An O’Melveny team represented the ad hoc group of Belk Inc. first lien lenders in one of the most high-profile retail restructurings of 2021, and the fastest chapter 11 case in US history. Read

Case Study: Commonwealth of Puerto Rico

With more than US$70 billion of funded debt and approximately US$50 billion of pension obligations, Puerto Rico is facing a severe fiscal crisis. O’Melveny is representing all of the Puerto Rico governmental entities in need of financial restructuring. Read

Colt Defense

Colt Defense switched strategies from refinancing its debt to restructuring the company through chapter 11 proceedings, relying on O’Melveny to negotiate with the courts, creditors, stakeholders, and a property landlord before emerging a stronger company. Read

Edison Mission Energy/Midwest Generation

O’Melveny secured a strong recovery for the noteholders of Midwest Generation (MWG) in the chapter 11 proceedings for MWG and its parent company, Edison Mission Energy (EME), which was the second largest bankruptcy filing of 2012. Read

Entegra Power Group

O’Melveny achieved confirmation of the fully consensual chapter 11 plan for Entegra and 11 of its subsidiaries less than two months after filing for chapter 11 protection in the US Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. Read

Suntech Power Holdings

O’Melveny represented Suntech Power Holdings in its insolvency proceedings in New York and the Cayman Islands. Read
    • Apollo Global Management
    • Avenue Capital 
    • Black Canyon Capital
    • Broadbill Investment Partners
    • Cal Dive
    • Cerberus Capital Management
    • Deutsche Bank
    • Entegra Power Holdings
    • Lenado Capital Partners
    • Sound Point Capital
    • Suntech Power Holdings
    • US Bank