Alessia Falsarone Adjunct Faculty, Non-Executive Director The University of Chicago, CESB Program, Nasdaq: ARZGF, FTSE4Good

Adjunct Faculty, The University of Chicago, CESB Program 

Non-Executive Director (Nasdaq: ARZGF, FTSE4Good) 

Alessia Falsarone leads the Circular Economy and Sustainable Business Management program at the University of Chicago as practitioner faculty working on operationalizing sustainable business management practices through technology innovation. Most recently, she spent fifteen years as Managing Director, Head of Sustainable Investing in credit markets with PineBridge Investments in New York and architect of the firm’s first sustainable investing, strategy and risk capabilities. Prior to that, she held leadership roles with American International Group joining the team from Citigroup as Vice President, Global Investments. She started her professional career as an investment banker with Credit Suisse First Boston in 1999. Falsarone is as non-executive director of European insurer Assicurazioni Generali where she serves on the Investments, Remuneration & Human Resources, Sustainability & Innovation committees. She is also a member of the operating board of corporate data transparency provider OpenCorporates Ltd in the UK. 

A fellow of the Aspen Institute, she is part of high-level advisory groups that promote environmental and climate finance, including the American National Standards Institute, the International Capital Markets Association, the London Stock Exchange, the UN Principles for Responsible Investment, and the IFRS Foundation. In recognition of her innovative vision for business and society, she received the Honoree Award from the Women’s Venture Fund and the NACD 100Ô for boardroom governance. She has contributed to initiatives on the topic at the Society of Corporate Compliance, the Swiss Sustainable Finance Initiative, the United Nations, the World Bank, and USAID, including delivering executive training on climate risk and green finance in Asia Pacific and Latin America on behalf of the UK PACT Green Recovery Fund and Carbon Trust. She is a graduate of Stanford University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Bocconi University (Milan, Italy).

Alexander Stevenson Managing Director, Co-Head of Capital Advisory Lincoln International

For over 25 years, Alex has advised sponsors, companies and a variety of other stakeholder groups with respect to the evaluation of financing and strategic alternatives designed to optimize the cost of capital, address liquidity needs and drive creative capital markets solutions.

Alex has comprehensive experience across a variety of industries in raising debt, equity and structured capital, in addition to solving complex problems by leading liability management and restructuring assignments for his clients. He has represented sponsors, public and private companies, hedge funds, lender groups, ad hoc committees and official committees in transactions involving the placement or restructuring of over $70 billion of financial obligations.

Prior to joining Lincoln, Alex was a senior member of the capital advisory practice of FocalPoint Securities and led the restructuring practice. Previously, he was a senior member of the restructuring and corporate finance practice at Ernst & Young Corporate Finance.

Alex holds a Bachelor of Arts from Michigan State University where he graduated cum laude.

Brent Chase Managing Director, Underwriting & Portfolio Management Churchill Asset Management

Brent joined Churchill Asset Management in 2020 and currently serves as a Managing Director in the underwriting and portfolio management group.  Previously, he worked in a similar capacity for four years at Siemens Financial Services within the middle market commercial lending platform. Prior to that, Brent spent 15 years at GE Capital in various credit roles across the firm’s underwriting, distressed debt investment and workout teams, including both middle market and broadly syndicated transactions.  He began his career at PricewaterhouseCoopers, where he was a manager in audit & assurance services.

Brent earned his B.S. in accounting from Penn State University and his M.B.A. from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. He is also a Certified Public Accountant in the State of Pennsylvania.

Brent Herlihy Managing Director PJT Partners

Brent Herlihy is a Managing Director in the Restructuring and Special Situations Group at PJT Partners, based in New York. Since joining PJT Partners’ predecessor firm Blackstone in 2013, he has advised companies, creditors and sponsors in restructurings, special situations, financings, mergers and acquisitions. He has worked across numerous industries including retail, industrials, power and energy, shipping and telecom. Prior to joining Blackstone, Mr. Herlihy worked as an investment banker at Lazard, providing M&A and corporate finance advice to consumer, food and retail clients. Mr. Herlihy received an MBA from Harvard Business School and a JD from Harvard Law School, where he graduated cum laude. Mr. Herlihy also received a BA in Politics from Princeton University, where he graduated cum laude.

Camilo T. Gerosa Gomes Partner Machado Meyer

Specialist in banking, financial and corporate nature affairs, represented some of the largest national and international companies and financial institutions. His practice encompasses providing legal assistance on structuring financing transactions, restructuring debts and mergers and acquisitions, investment funds, and securitized receivables, besides regulatory affairs applicable to such sectors. Has previous experience in the areas of knowledge of banking, food and beverage, automotive, e-commerce, civil construction, mining, sugar and alcohol, and services.

RECENT ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

• The Legal 500: Bankruptcy (2019)
• IFLR Americas Awards: Individual National Firm - Rising Star of the Year (2021)

EDUCATION

• Boston University School of Law, USA (LL.M. in Banking and Financial Law, 2014)
• Insper – Instituto de Ensino e Pesquisa (LL.M. in Corporate Law, 2011)
• PUC-SP, Brazil (Bachelor of Laws, 2007)

EXPERIENCE ABROAD

• Greenberg, Traurig, P.A., USA (2014-2015)

ENTITIES

• Brazilian Bar Association

As of now I am the CEO for Andbanc Brokerage in Miami and Board member of Andbank in Brazil a full Banking licensed entity in Brazil.

I have been working with International Markets for over 30 years , started working my career for Banco Real in Brazil but also worked for Banco Real in New York and London where I was involved as a creditor in the debt renegotiation of Brazil in 1990 , the so-called Brady Plan.

After that I worked for Banks in Brazil like Banco Boavista, Bozano Simonsen , Maxima always involved with Debt Capital Markets.

In 2011 I moved back to the United States invited by Tradewire Securities to build a Brazil Desk and we were acquired by FC Stone. 

In 2014 I was invited to build the Broker Dealer by Andbank , a family-owned Bank with Headquarters in Andorra and Banking licenses in Spain, Luxembourg, Monaco and Brazil and Broker Dealer in United States, Panama, Uruguay, and Israel.

The Bank manages over EUR 32 billion in Assets worldwide and over US$ 1.2 billion in the US, only involved in Wealth Management.

Christopher Stradling Managing Director Lincoln International

As co-head of Lincoln’s consumer group, Chris leads the firm’s consumer product initiatives and advises companies on mergers and acquisitions. Through a hands-on style of processing deals, Chris develops close relationships with owners and management to learn the priorities of all stakeholders and position companies for maximum valuation.

Chris has deep knowledge of the key dynamics, such as ecommerce and direct-to-consumer marketing, that drive the consumer industry. He brings significant experience leading transactions in the active lifestyle, ecommerce, functional apparel, food and beverage, home furnishings and merchandizing sectors. Chris and his teams lead processes that yield outlier valuations through identifying and positioning his clients’ unique points of differentiation.

Chris brings practical life experience having spent his pre-college years deeply involved in running his family’s business, as well as post-educational stints working in operations and corporate development in a Fortune 500 company and auditing large companies at a major global accounting firm.

Chris holds a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor of Science from Northern Arizona University.

Daniel Flores Partner & Head of US Restructurings and Turnarounds GoldenTree Asset Management

Daniel Flores is a Partner and Head of US Restructurings and Turnarounds at GoldenTree Asset Management where he is responsible for restructurings and turnarounds in North America. In addition, Mr. Flores is a member of GoldenTree’s Distressed Committee. Prior to joining GoldenTree, Mr. Flores was a Senior Vice President at Avenue Capital Group, where he focused on U.S. distressed opportunities and restructuring transactions. Previously, Mr. Flores worked in the Restructuring and Finance Group at Lehman Brothers, where he advised clients in connection with out-of-court workouts and Chapter 11 cases in the U.S. and Europe.  Prior to joining Lehman Brothers, Mr. Flores was an analyst in Merrill Lynch’s Global Power Group in New York and Singapore. In addition, Mr. Flores co-Founded MENU Pte Ltd, a leading operator of Western food and beverage concepts in Singapore. Mr. Flores received an A.B. degree from Duke University and his M.B.A. from Columbia Business School.

Daniel Kamensky Board Member Creditor Rights Coalition

Mr. Kamensky is a Member of the Advisory Board of the Creditor Rights Coalition, a nonprofit association established to serve as the collective and leading voice representing all stakeholders with an interest in protecting creditor rights. Mr. Kamensky is the former managing partner of an SEC-registered investment advisory firm that was recognized as a leading manager by Absolute Return Magazine for two consecutive years.

Prior to founding his firm, Mr. Kamensky was a Partner at Paulson & Co. Inc., and held various senior positions at Barclays Capital and Lehman Brothers in their Distressed & Special Situations Groups. Mr. Kamensky started his career as an attorney at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett.

He formerly served as Chairman of the Bankruptcy & Creditor Rights Group of the Managed Funds Association and as Co-Chair of the Trade Practices Committee of the Loan Sales & Trading Association. He also served as an advisory board member of the American Bankruptcy Institute Commission to Study Reform of Chapter 11 and has written and lectured extensively on bankruptcy and restructuring topics.

David Turetsky Partner White & Case

David Turetsky is a partner in the Financial Restructuring and Insolvency Practice at White & Case. David represents companies and other parties in complex business reorganizations, out-of-court restructurings and workouts, debt restructurings, and insolvency matters. Recognized as an "Emerging Leader" by M&A Advisor, David has advised on the restructuring of billions of dollars of debt across a variety of industries and jurisdictions.

David has played a significant role representing numerous debtors in their Chapter 11 cases, including Atlas Resource Partners, FiberMark, GenTek, Herbst Gaming, Savient Pharmaceuticals, Spectrum Brands, Sterling Chemicals, Syms and Filene's Basement, and Winn-Dixie Stores.* The Savient Pharmaceuticals Chapter 11 sale to Crealta Pharmaceuticals was recognized by Turnaround Atlas as the "Pharmaceuticals Turnaround" of the Year in 2015.* In 2007, the reorganization of Winn-Dixie Stores was named the "Mega Turnaround of the Year" by Turnaround Management Association.*

David also has had substantial involvement representing companies in connection with out-of-court restructurings, refinancings and workouts, including Archstone, DS Waters, ION Media Networks and Residential Capital.* The out-of-court restructuring of DS Waters was recognized as one of the "Most Successful Restructurings of 2012" by Turnarounds & Workouts.* In 2008, the comprehensive recapitalization of ION Media Networks was recognized as the "Turnaround Deal of the Year" (Media, Telecom & Technology) and as the "Refinancing Deal of the Year" by The M&A Advisor.*

In addition, David has played a significant role representing creditors, sponsors, and other interested parties in connection with Chapter 11 cases and out-of-court restructurings, including: Apax Partners in the out-of-court restructuring of Contech; Citibank, Goldman Sachs and Deutsche Bank Securities in their litigation arising out of an exit financing for Solutia; claimants in the pre-negotiated Chapter 11 Case of Signal International; Clayton, Dubilier & Rice in the Chapter 11 reorganization of CHC Group; Credit Suisse as agent for a syndicate of lenders to Ginn Resorts; the official equity committee in Chemtura’s Chapter 11 case; Pfizer Inc. in connection with aspects of Quigley’s Chapter 11 case; and Sealed Air Corporation in connection with the Chapter 11 case of W.R. Grace.

In 2017, David was named a BTI Client Service All-Star in recognition of his outstanding client service.  David has been recognized as a "Top Rated Bankruptcy Attorney" by Super Lawyers and received an "Emerging Leader" award from M&A Advisor for being among the top 40 M&A, financing and turn­around professionals under the age of 40. David also repeatedly has been selected as one of the country's "Outstanding Young Restructuring Lawyers" by Turnarounds & Workouts. In addition, David has been selected as a member of the International Insolvency Institute’s "Next Generation," has served as a member of the New York City Bar Committee on Restructuring and Reorganization, and is a member of the UJA-Federation’s "Next Generation" Bankruptcy & Reorganization Group.

David H. Botter Partner Akin Gump

Practice

David Botter advises on large, complex restructuring cases, both out of court and in Chapter 11, across a variety of industries. He frequently handles multijurisdictional and cross-border matters for both distressed companies and major creditors, with an emphasis on creditors’ committees and bondholder committees.

Chambers USA recognizes David as “a calming presence, cerebral and experienced”. He is particularly respected for his representation of bondholders as part of his broad creditor-side practice. He has experience with matters in the health care, transportation and energy sectors, among others.

David advises a broad range of clients, including: bondholders, institutional investors, hedge funds, debtors-in-possession, post-petition lenders, and acquirors of distressed assets.

Representative Work

• Advised an ad hoc group of senior noteholders of Aerovias de Mexico, S.A. de C.V. in the Chapter 11 cases of Aeroméxico, Mexico’s flagship airline.
• Representing an ad hoc group in connection with the restructuring of Credito Real, a nonbank financial institution headquartered in Mexico City, Mexico, that provides payroll loans and small business loans in Mexico and Latin America and used auto loans in Mexico, Latin America and the United States.
• Representing an ad hoc group of bondholders in connection with the restructuring of Unifin Financiera, S.A.B. de C.V., a Mexico-based non-banking financial company, which engages in the provision of leasing services including operations leasing, factoring and other credits.
• Representing the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors in connection with the chapter 11 cases of Pipeline Health System, LLC, an independent healthcare network with hospitals across California, Texas and Illinois.
• Assisted an ad hoc group of private placement noteholders of Nordic Aviation Capital in its Irish scheme of arrangement.
• Represented the ad hoc committee of senior unsecured noteholders in Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s (PG&E) closely watched $30+ billion Chapter 11 cases—one of the industry’s largest ongoing bankruptcies. Throughout this highly complex and widely publicized restructuring, the Akin Gump team has been working tirelessly to promote the interests of the noteholders and navigate through myriad complicated disputes in connection with PG&E’s attempt to reorganize.
• Advised the official committee of unsecured creditors of Adeptus Health Inc., one of the largest operators of freestanding emergency rooms in the United States. Despite the contentious, controversial and complex nature of the case, the debtors obtained plan approval less than six months after filing following a two-day trial. Under the plan, and due to the efforts of Akin Gump, the general unsecured creditors achieved substantially better outcomes than they would have recovered in a straight waterfall plan or a liquidation.
• Advised FirstEnergy Solutions Corp. (FES) in its $5 billion debt restructuring, which was among the largest and most complex filings of 2018. The Akin Gump team devised a multipronged operational and balance sheet restructuring strategy in an effort to save plants and more than 4,500 jobs. FES secured big wins over the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and contract counterparties on rejecting costly power purchase agreements, and developed a massive public affairs operation aimed at delivering regulatory support for the fleet. It also secured a comprehensive $1 billion plus global settlement, eliminating the threat of years of protracted litigation, and sold its certain noncore assets. FES emerged from bankruptcy in February 2020.
• Other seminal engagements include Delta Airlines, Nortel Networks, Answers Corporation, Hercules Offshore Inc. and International Shipholding Corporation.

David M. Hillman Partner Proskauer

David M. Hillman is co-head of the Private Credit Restructuring Group and a member of the Business Solutions, Governance, Restructuring & Bankruptcy Group.

David has over 25 years of experience with an emphasis on representing private credit lenders, private funds, sovereign wealth funds and other alternative lenders and distressed investors in special situations and restructurings both in and out of court, whether the lender is secured or unsecured, unitranche or structured preferred. He has substantial experience in every phase of restructuring and distressed investing, including credit bid sales under section 363, debt-for-equity swaps, chapter 11 plans, out-of-court restructurings and foreclosures, as well as navigating inter-creditor issues involving the relative rights of majority and minority lenders. David also litigates the issues facing private credit lenders, including issues involving plan confirmation, solvency, valuation, inter-creditor disputes, financing and cash collateral disputes, fraudulent transfers, equitable subordination, recharacterization, breach of fiduciary duty and similar disputes.

David was listed as a “leading individual” in bankruptcy/restructuring by Chambers USA, which noted that interviewees praised him as “wonderful to deal with,” “very effective” and an “excellent litigator and strategist” who “thinks outside the box.” Chambers also noted that David is “an excellent counselor for distressed situations with significant litigation elements” and “a terrific, conscientious and focused lawyer.” Additionally, he has been recognized as a leader in his field by New York Super Lawyers as well. A member of the American Bankruptcy Institute, David speaks frequently on bankruptcy-related topics including recent decisions affecting secured creditor rights and preparing creditors for bankruptcy risks.

Dominique Mielle Author Damsel in Distressed

Dominique Mielle is the author of Damsel in Distressed, the only female hedge fund memoir written, published in September 2021, and a Forbes contributor.

She is a former partner of Canyon Capital, a $25 billion multi-strategy hedge fund. Her 20-year career focused on stressed and distressed investments as well as corporate securitizations. She also led Canyon’s collateralized loan obligations business. In 2017, she was named one of the “50 Leading Women in Hedge Funds” by the Hedge Fund Journal and E&Y.

Ms. Mielle has played key roles in complicated bankruptcies, serving as a leading creditors’ committee member for Puerto Rico, and as a restructuring committee member for various U.S. airlines in the wake of the September 11 attacks. She was a director and the audit committee chairperson for PG&E during its fifteen-month bankruptcy process and emergence. She currently serves on the board of five public and private corporations.

Ms. Mielle graduated from Stanford Business School and HEC Paris.

Greg Gordon Partner Jones Day

Greg Gordon represents clients in complex, high-profile chapter 11 cases and corporate restructurings. His experience includes out-of-court restructurings, prepackaged bankruptcies, distressed M&A transactions, and cross-border insolvencies. In recent years, Greg has assisted clients in achieving permanent resolutions of mass tort liabilities, including asbestos and talc liabilities.

Greg represented RadioShack in its successful chapter 11 reorganization, including in connection with a going concern sale of a substantial portion of RadioShack's business following a contentious auction and sale hearing, and Bondex and Specialty Products in their successful section 524(g) chapter 11 reorganization that resolved their asbestos liabilities. Greg also represented the owners of the Vogtle nuclear plant in Westinghouse's chapter 11 case, which resulted in a full recovery on their approximate $3.7 billion dollar claim. He is currently representing LTL Management, an affiliate of Johnson & Johnson, in a chapter 11 case it filed to resolve its talc liability, and is representing Bestwall, an affiliate of Georgia-Pacific, and DBMP, an affiliate of CertainTeed, in chapter 11 cases they filed to resolve their asbestos liabilities. Greg is also representing Hanson Permanente Cement and Kaiser Gypsum in chapter 11 cases they filed to resolve asbestos and environmental liabilities. Other significant engagements include the successful chapter 11 reorganizations of Swift Energy, achieved in less than four months through a prepackaged plan of reorganization, and Kaiser Aluminum, which included successful restructurings of pension, retiree medical, environmental, and asbestos liabilities.

Greg is a Fellow in the American College of Bankruptcy.

Iván J. Romo Managing Partner SOELI Consulting

He obtained his Law Degree from Escuela Libre de Derecho, his Master in Business Administration in Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México, his Masters in Global Management in Tulane University and his PhD in law in Instituto de Investigaciones Jurídicas of UNAM.

He was CEO of Sonpetrol México for more than 4 years and currently he is Managing Partner of SOELI Consulting.

In 2019, he was honored as one of the 40 under 40 by the American Bankruptcy Institute. It was the first time such recognition was given to a Mexican.

He has been appointed as leading counsel, off-counsel and expert witness in some of the most relevant insolvency cases in Mexico as REFA Mexicana, Vitro, Mexicana de Aviación, Oceanografía, Altos Hornos de México, ICA, Abengoa México, Interjet, Interjet Vacations, among others.

He has given television, radio and internet conferences, lectures, and interviews in several countries as: Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Spain, U.S.A., and the United Kingdom. He has given classes to undergraduates, diploma and master degrees in many Universities as Escuela Libre de Derecho, in which he is the joint professor of the insolvency course; Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM), Universidad Panamericana, Universidad Anahuac, Instituto Nacional de Desarrollo Jurídico, the Supreme Court of Justice of Hidalgo and the Mexican Supreme Court.

He is author of the book: “La conservación de la empresa mercantil” published by Editorial Tirant lo Blanch and co-author of the book: “Todo concursal” published by Wolters Kluwer.

Ivo Waisberg Partner TWK Advogados

Ivo has been advising clients on debt restructuring, insolvency and business litigation for more than 10 years, having played an important role in some of the most challenging reorganization cases in Brazil, including advising investors and sellers in the divestment of assets of companies in distress.

Ivo Waisberg has more than 25 years of experience in legal practice – in matter involving business, corporate, banking, antitrust and contract law – having assisted large companies and banks by representing their interests in large-scale transactions involving financing, mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructuring, agribusiness and also on strategic litigations relating to such areas. He has also represented clients in highly complex litigation cases and negotiations.

Ivo also participates in commercial and corporate arbitration, both as counsel for the parties and as an arbitrator, as he is included in the list of arbitrators of the Chamber of Market Arbitration of the São Paulo Stock Exchange – CAM BMF&Bovespa, among others.

Waisberg has been cited many times as one of the leading attorneys practicing in areas related to commercial law, bankruptcy law and debt restructuring by renowned international publications such as Latin Lawyer, Legal 500 and Chambers Latin America.

Ivo is also a professor of commercial law at the Catholic University of São Paulo (PUC-SP), both in undergraduate and graduate programs. He is also a visiting professor in commercial law courses organized by local business school GVLaw.

He obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Law from the Catholic University of São Paulo in 1996; his Master’s degree in Commercial Law from the Catholic University of São Paulo in 2001; completed the Master of Laws – LLM program in Economic Regulation and Antitrust at New York University in 2003; obtained his PhD in International Economic Relations from the Catholic University of São Paulo in 2005 and his Full Professor degree (post-doctorate) in Commercial Law from the Catholic University of São Paulo in 2015.

Jordan Bryk Managing Director Marathon Asset Management

Jordan Bryk is a Managing Director at Marathon Asset Management focused on growing the firm’s Capital Solutions platform. Mr. Bryk is responsible for sourcing, underwriting and structuring bespoke private credit transactions for high-quality companies in transition. Mr. Bryk joined Marathon from Centerview Partners where he was a Principal in the Debt Advisory & Restructuring group. Prior to Centerview, Mr. Bryk was a restructuring attorney at Weil Gotshal. At both Centerview and Weil Gotshal, Mr. Bryk represented debtors, creditors and sponsors in all aspects of recapitalization transactions. Mr. Bryk received a JD/MBA from Columbia Law School and Columbia Business School in 2011 and a B.A. degree from Columbia College (cum laude) in 2007.

Ken Monaghan Managing Director; Co-Head of High Yield Amundi Pioneer

Ken Monaghan is a Managing Director, Co-Director of High Yield, a Portfolio Manager, and member of the team managing US High Yield and Global High Yield portfolios and separate accounts. He is a member of Amundi US’s Investment Committee.

Prior to joining Amundi US in 2014, Ken was a Partner and Portfolio Manager at Rogge Global Partners where he was responsible for US High Yield and was an integral part of Rogge’s GlobalHigh Yield strategy; he also ran Rogge’s New York office. He joined Rogge in 2008 from INGInvestment Management where he was Managing Director and Portfolio Manager responsible forUS High Yield. Ken brought ING’s institutional US high yield strategy to Rogge. He co-founded the strategy in 1996 at a predecessor organization to ING and was co-portfolio manager of the strategy from its inception and the sole senior portfolio manager from 2007 through June 2014 when he left Rogge. Prior to becoming a portfolio manager, Ken spent 13 years at Salomon Brothers, starting as a high yield analyst eventually heading Salomon’s high yield research effort in New York. He subsequently spent five years in London as head of Salomon’s London credit research team and upon his return to New York in 1991 launched Salomon’s nascent distressed credit effort. He spent his final years at Salomon as a Director of Institutional Sales. He began his career as a credit analyst at Lord, Abbett & Co.Ken is a graduate of Colgate University and holds both a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree in Finance and a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree from New York University

Kevin Alexander Managing Director—AB Private Credit Investors AllianceBernstein

Kevin Alexander joined AB in 2015 and is a Managing Director of AB Private Credit Investors, where he is also a member of the investment committee. As a senior credit team member, he plays a leadership role in structuring, underwriting and execution, as well as portfolio management for investments in the energy sector and other industries. Alexander was previously a director at ORIX, where he held a similar role. Prior to that, he was a senior research analyst with Plainfield Asset Management and an analyst with both D.E. Shaw and Merrill Lynch. Alexander holds a BBA (Hons) in financial consulting from the Southern Methodist University and an MBA in finance and economics from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Location: Austin

Leonard Klingbaum Partner Ropes & Gray

Leonard Klingbaum is co-head of Ropes & Gray’s global capital solutions and private credit group and actively participates in the firm’s finance group. Leonard’s practice focuses on event driven and opportunistic financing transactions, as well as special situations, workouts, restructurings and insolvency matters. He routinely represents participants in all aspects of the capital solutions' arena, including distressed investing, strategic lending, loan-to-own, and restructuring matters. He has represented lenders (credit funds) and borrowers in direct lending, high yield, and mezzanine transactions, from the lower middle market to large cap transactions. He also acts on behalf of public and private corporate clients as general finance counsel.

Leonard has been recognized by The Legal 500 (United States), where clients recognize him as “diligent and hardworking" and "adept at locating problems and finding solutions.” Additionally, IFLR 1000 ranks him as “highly regarded,” and he has been recognized by the Turnaround Management Association with a Transaction of the Year award. Leonard also has been ranked by Chambers USA as one of America's Leading Lawyers for Business (2021).

Maja Vujinovic Managing Director OGROUP LLC

In 2005 Ms. Vujinovic identified a global need for mobile payment networks. She went on to acquire and develop over $700M assets across Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin American in mobile payments. This led her to Bitcoin and DLT in 2010 and since, has been an avid builder and an investor in digital assets. In 2013, Maja was involved in buying a first bank that held Tether. In 2014, as a CIO of Emerging Tech at General Electric, she was the catalyst for blockchain across all General Electric. She was responsible for the idea and team construction and management of blockchain as a service platform for all GE customers, inspiring JP Morgan Quorum and Microsoft’s blockchain as a service. 

Currently, Maja runs OGroup focused on investments and scale of digital assets/Web3, particularly merging Web3 technology and ideas with Web2 users. Her focus lies in helping Web3 companies scale and exit through operational know-how and M&A advisory. Second, she provides guidance to institutional investors and family offices interested in Web3. Maja is an investor in over 55 companies in digital assets and is an operational and growth partner to Kauffman Fellows DAO. 

Maja is on the board of Nayms, Civic, Prism partners and Coindesk, a lead contributor to InfoMoney.br and holds frequent talks at DAS Blockworks, Abudance 360, Financial Times, BTC Miami, large family office gatherings and CEO’s and CIO’s of Fortune500 companies globally. Maja is also an investor in longevity and on a board of Longevity Science Foundation. 

Matt Rahmani Executive Director PERELLA WEINBERG PARTNERS

• Mr. Rahmani is an Executive Director in Perella Weinberg Partners’ Advisory business. He focuses on advising companies, creditor groups, and investors on corporate restructurings, financings, M&A and other transactions. 
• During his tenure at Perella Weinberg Partners, Mr. Rahmani has advised a wide range of companies and boards, including Concordia International, Del Monte, EB Holdings, Halcon Resources, iHeartMedia, Oasis Petroleum, and Vantage Drilling. Mr. Rahmani also has experience representing creditor groups, unsecured creditor committees, and investors both in-court and out-of-court, including on transactions involving Celsius Networks, Diamond Offshore, Hexion, Ocean Rig, Peabody, Pyxus, Salt Creek Midstream, Savers, Travel Leaders Group, and VER Technologies. 
• Prior to joining Perella Weinberg Partners, Mr. Rahmani was at CIT Group from 2012 to 2016 where he invested in middle-market private debt and syndicated loans in the TMT and Gaming sectors. He began his career at Deloitte, participating in a rotation program through the strategy consulting and financial advisory groups. 
• Mr. Rahmani received a Bachelor’s of Science, with a double major in Accounting and Finance from Yeshiva University.  Mr. Rahmani currently holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and was previously a CPA in NY

Michael Handler Partner King & Spalding

Michael R. Handler is a partner in King & Spalding’s Financial Restructuring practice. Michael specializes in representing lenders and bondholders in all aspects of workout and restructuring matters. He also has significant experience representing financial institutions, institutional investors and large corporations in commercial finance transactions, mergers & acquisitions and other corporate transactions.

Michael Schwartz Managing Director, North American Investment Team Strategic Value Partners

Mr. Schwartz is a member of the North American investment team and joined SVPGlobal in 2006

Mr. Schwartz has a particular focus on global restructurings involving bankruptcies, administrations, workouts, and litigations, leveraging his prior experience as a corporate and restructuring attorney. From 2005 to 2006, Mr. Schwartz was an associate in the Transactional group of Arnold & Porter LLP’s New York office, where he focused on representing investment funds in acquisitions, divestitures, financings and restructuring transactions. From 2003 to 2005, Mr. Schwartz was an associate in the Mergers and Acquisitions group of Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, where he focused on private M&A transactions in the financial services industry.

Mr. Schwartz received his J.D. from Harvard Law School in 2003 and his B.A. from Wesleyan University in 2000, where he double majored in Economics and Psychology and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Since 2022, Mr. Schwartz also serves as the Firm’s General Counsel.

Michael Weissenburger Director BlackRock

Michael Weissenburger, Director, is a member of Blackrock's Global Credit Platform. He is responsible for originating and executing direct lending and special situations investment opportunities and maintaining relationships with key deal sources and intermediaries across the US including private equity groups, investment banks, turnaround advisors and others. The investments sourced can be placed across the BlackRock Alternative Investors (BAI) platform but sit primarily in the BlackRock Private Credit group which since 1999 has invested nearly $27 billion in over 800 portfolio companies.

Prior to his current role, Mr. Weissenburger was a Managing Director at DDJ Capital Management, LLC a leading institutional investment advisor with $8 billion in assets under management, specializing in leveraged credit market investments. Prior to joining DDJ in 2015, Mr. Weissenburger was a Director, Direct Loan Originations at Wells Fargo Capital Finance, providing senior secured financing solutions from $3M to $1B to middle market companies across North American and Canada, to refinance debt, improve liquidity and to provide capital for acquisition or expansion.

Mr. Weissenburger earned a MBA in finance from D’Amore-McKim School of Business at Northeastern University and a BA in political science from University of Connecticut.

Mohsin Meghji Managing Partner M3 Partners, L.P.

Mo Meghji is a nationally recognized U.S. turnaround professional with an exemplary track record of accomplishment across a wide range of industries. His 30+ year career has focused primarily on reviving companies experiencing financial, operational or strategic transitions to maximize value for stakeholders. He has accomplished this through management and/or advisory roles in partnership with some of the world’s leading financial institutions, private equity and distressed hedge fund investors.

Mo has led some of the most significant financial restructurings in recent years, including serving as the Chief Restructuring Officer of Sears Holdings Corporation, Barney’s Inc., Real Alloy Intermediate Holdings, Sanchez Energy Corporation and Capmark Financial Group. In 2021, Mo was appointed to the board of directors of the Nassau County Interim Finance Authority (NIFA) by New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo at the recommendation of Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins.

Prior to founding M3 Partners, Mo served as Executive Vice President & Head of Strategy at Springleaf Holdings, LLC as well as CEO of its captive insurance companies.  At Springleaf, he was a key member of the management team that transformed the struggling consumer lender into a highly successful IPO in late 2013.  Prior to Springleaf, Mo co-founded Loughlin Meghji + Company, a financial and restructuring advisory firm which became one of the leading restructuring boutiques in the U.S.  Earlier in his career, Mo spent 12 years with Arthur Andersen & Co. in the firm’s London, Toronto and New York offices, reaching the position of Partner in the Global Corporate Finance group.

Mo has recently served as a director on corporate boards of, among others, Frontier Communications, Toys “R” Us, Philadelphia Energy Solutions Refining and Marketing LLC and SHOPKO Corporation.  He also previously has served as a director of, among others, Mariner Health Care Inc, Cascade Timberlands, LLC, Dan River, Inc. and MS Resorts.  He is a director of Equity Group International Foundation, which provides funding for underprivileged high potential students in Kenya. Previously, he served on the Boards of The Children’s Museum of Manhattan from 2012 to 2018 and HealthRight International from 2004 to 2012.

Mo is a graduate of the Schulich School of Business, York University, Canada and has taken executive courses at the INSEAD School of Business in France. He has qualified as a U.K. and Canadian Chartered Accountant as well as a U.S. Certified Turnaround Professional.

Paul J. Keenan Jr. Partner Baker & McKenzie

Biography

Paul Keenan is a partner with the Restructuring and Insolvency Practice Group based in the Firm's Miami office. His practice includes the representation of foreign and domestic corporate debtors and creditors in out-of-court restructurings, bankruptcy cases, receiverships, assignments for the benefit of creditors, distressed asset sales, corporate wind downs and UCC foreclosures. Paul has been recognized by Chambers & Partners in corporate restructurings every year since 2014.

Paul has been inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy and a member of the International Insolvency Institute.

Practice Focus

Paul has substantial experience in cross-border restructurings and bankruptcies. He speaks Spanish and has significant experience living and working in Latin America and the Caribbean. He is a Fellow of INSOL International for having completed an intensive course in cross-border restructurings. Among other accomplishments in this area, Paul represented a leading Latin American airline in its successful out-of-court restructuring of USD 2.5 billion in debt and a Mexican satellite company in its restructuring of USD 420 million in debt through a prepackaged plan of reorganization in Delaware. Paul has significant experience with the UNCITRAL Model Law on Cross-Border Insolvency (enacted as Chapter 15 under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code). He obtained official recognition in Colombia of a U.S. Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization case, and also official recognition in the United States of a Colombian restructuring proceeding. In each case, it was the first time that the courts of Colombia and the United States had recognized each other’s corporate restructuring proceedings.

Paul represents clients in courts across Florida and nationwide, including wide-ranging experience before the bankruptcy courts in Delaware. He is a past President of the Bankruptcy Bar Association for the Southern District of Florida. He also provides insolvency-related structuring advice and legal opinions in connection with complex financial transactions.

Before attending law school, Paul served as an officer in the United States Navy on active duty for seven years.

Peter J. Young Partner Proskauer

Peter J. Young concentrates his practice on complex corporate workouts, restructurings and bankruptcies. Peter represents public and private companies, boards of directors, lenders, unsecured creditors, sellers, purchasers and investors in a wide variety of out-of-court and in-court workout, restructuring and reorganization matters. Peter also represents parties in bankruptcy-related litigation.

Chambers USA notes that Peter is praised by clients as someone who “thoroughly knows the law and understands the temperament of the court” and is “incredibly diligent, creative and decisive.”

Philip Brown Co-Portfolio Manager, Credit PSAM

Mr. Brown is a Partner and Portfolio Manager at P. Schoenfeld Asset Management LP where he focuses on investments in stressed and distressed credit across a broad range of industries.  Prior to joining PSAM in 2009, he was a Vice President at Sun Capital Partners an operationally focused private equity firm and was a Partner at Buckeye Capital Partners LP responsible for investments in credit and merger arbitrage.  He began his career at Wasserstein Perella & Co. in its industrials group.  Mr. Brown received a B.A. in Economics and History from Georgetown University.  Mr. Brown is on the Board of Directors of Genon Holdings and previously served on the Boards of Linn Energy and Riviera Resources.

Rita Mangalick Managing Director and Global Head of ESG Blackstone Credit

Rita Mangalick is a Managing Director and Global Head of ESG for Blackstone Credit where she focuses on ESG integration and sustainable investing approaches, ESG engagement with portfolio companies, and transparency on ESG analysis and reporting.

Prior to her current role, Ms. Mangalick led the design and implementation of BAAM’s ESG program and worked with hedge fund managers to develop their ESG programs. She was also a member of BAAM’s Business & Financial Evaluation team, performing operational due diligence of hedge fund managers. Before joining Blackstone in 2013, Ms. Mangalick was a Director at UBS Asset Management. Ms. Mangalick was previously with Union Bancaire Privee after starting her career at KPMG.

Ms. Mangalick received her BA from The George Washington University.

Robert L. Rauch Managing Director Miller Buckfire

Robert L Rauch

Managing Director, Miller Buckfire & Co

Robert L Rauch is a managing director at Miller Buckfire & Co, a Stifel Company. He focuses on debt restructuring services for issuers and investors in the global emerging markets, covering the full spectrum of corporate and sovereign debt liability management, recapitalizations and restructurings. Prior to joining Miller Buckfire/Stifel in March 2021, Rob was senior partner and portfolio manager at Gramercy Funds Management, a US$5 billion investment firm specializing in emerging markets fixed income and special situations investments. During his 20-year tenure at the firm, he was portfolio manager for Gramercy’s high-yield and distressed funds, served on its investment committees, and was committee chair or a leading creditor in the restructuring of US$79 billion of debt across four dozen emerging markets issuers. He also served on the boards of Satmex, Pendulum, Banro and Credivalores. Earlier in his career, Rob served in a variety of advisory, credit, trading and corporate finance roles at firms including Lehman Brothers, CS First Boston, First Interstate Bank and Swiss Bank Corporation. Rob has a graduate business degree from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University and an undergraduate degree from Williams College.

Ryan Preston Dahl Partner Ropes & Gray

Ryan Preston Dahl is co-chair of the business restructuring practice group at Ropes & Gray, with extensive experience representing publicly- and privately-held debtors, investors, and financial sponsors in special situations, out-of-court restructurings and distressed acquisitions, and in-court chapter 11 processes through prepackaged, prearranged, and traditional restructurings. His practice also includes a broad range of transactional and litigation matters across a number of industries including automotive, technology, retail, media, gaming, manufacturing, professional services and financial services. Ryan is a leading commentator on corporate governance, special situations, and restructuring topics, having been interviewed and quoted in leading publications such the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and the Financial Times. 

Ryan has been named among Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Global Restructuring & Insolvency Lawyers in 2020 and Turnarounds & Workouts’ “Outstanding Young Restructuring Lawyer” for 2018, as well as receiving the Rising Star award from Euromoney Legal Media Group and the Law360 40 Under 40 award, also in 2018. Ryan was previously recognized by the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges for participation in its Next Generation Program at the NCBJ's 2017 annual conference.

Ryan also regularly speaks on a variety of restructuring, executive compensation, corporate governance, and ethics-related topics at institutions and organizations including the University of Michigan Law School, the University of Chicago Law School, the Insolvency Institute of Canada, and the International Bar Association. He is a member of the Turnaround Management Association and the International Bar Association.

Steve S. McNew Senior Managing Director, Global Leader of Blockchain and Digital Assets FTI Consulting

Steve McNew leads the Technology segment’s Blockchain and Digital Assets practice. He provides strategic advice and expert services for companies looking to innovate with crypto assets and blockchain technology. An expert in digital currencies, blockchain and smart contracts, Mr. McNew has developed strategies for validating assets under control (AUC) in M&A engagements, evaluated the technological soundness of potential targets in due diligence pre-acquisition matters, developed large scale blockchain technology implementations using smart contracts development, AI and IoT devices, and provided forensic investigations expertise into disputes involving various forms of cryptocurrencies.

In addition to Mr. McNew’s work on crypto assets and blockchain, he leads large scale engagements for clients in data governance and data privacy, has authored an enterprise search patent application and has led a myriad of engagements related to emerging technologies and digital forensics for 32 years.

Mr. McNew has led projects involving the technological assessment of cryptocurrency exchanges, validating assets under control (AUC) of potential acquisition targets, blockchain assessments, pilot projects, blockchain strategy and implementation as well as investigations into disputes involving various forms of cryptocurrencies.