Understanding the law on insolvency, restructuring and bankruptcy law can be a valuable business-planning tool for companies in financial trouble. A successful reorganization plan can provide renewed financial stability to a company and a strong foundation for achieving new levels of financial success. Similarly, an innovative workout strategy for salvaging a real estate development can convert a troubled project into an investment vehicle that will attract private funds.
Our Services
Providing effective legal counsel to debtors and creditors wishing to avoid or confronted by insolvency, liquidation, or a range of collection matters is the mission of Lewis Rice's business finance, restructuring and workouts practice. The group handles matters throughout the United States, with its primary focus on Missouri, Illinois, and Kansas. The breadth of experience required to represent clients in this area is reflected in part by our extensive work in the following:
- Sophisticated strategies, negotiations, transactions, and litigation on behalf of secured creditors, official unsecured creditors' committees, debtors, and landlords
- Distressed merger and acquisition issues including sales and acquisitions of a debtor's assets
- Pursuing executions on behalf of unsecured creditors
- U.S. Bankruptcy Code requirements, advising management, and combining the Firm's tax, labor, corporate, real estate, and litigation attorneys as an integrated resource
- Obtaining prompt resolutions of cash collateral, adequate protection, administrative expense, and related issues
- Protecting lender interests by obtaining relief from the automatic stay, abandonment of property, or adequate protection payments where applicable
- Reorganization planning, and negotiating lender interests with the debtor, creditors' committees, and taxing authorities
Our Approach
Due to the pleading-intensive nature of this area of law, this Practice Group employs effective case management, sophisticated automation support, and experienced paralegals. No case is too big or too small; the Practice Group is prepared to staff any matter in a cost-effective manner and within the client's budget.
Taking a “bottom line, deal maker” approach consistent with the goals of the client, our group members are result-oriented and aware of the need for timely and cost-effective resolution.
Our Clients
The breadth of industry knowledge of members of the Business Finance, Restructuring & Workouts Practice Group as well as the Firm is particularly helpful in advising on business finance, restructuring, bankruptcy, insolvency, and workout issues. Our clients come from all sectors, including:
- Financial institutions of all sizes and experience
- Debtors and creditors seeking counsel in the course of bankruptcy proceedings
- Entrepreneurs, lenders, and other entities involved in venture capital
- Companies and organizations in banking, healthcare, retail, real estate, and automotive and thrift industries
