Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP is pleased to announce that the firm's Corporate Restructuring and Bankruptcy practice was named one of Law360's "Top Practice Groups of 2012." Kramer Levin was one of only five firms selected for this honor. Firms were chosen for the significance, size and complexity, and the number of large or complex deals the group worked on in the last year. In 2012 alone, Kramer Levin played a leading role in several of the biggest and most significant bankruptcy cases. The firm represented entities in the top three biggest bankruptcies and handled various complex cases on behalf of debtors, committees, creditors and other significant players.
Kramer Levin's bankruptcy group, co-chaired by Kenneth H. Eckstein and Thomas Moers Mayer, currently represents committees in Residential Capital, the largest bankruptcy filed in 2012, Patriot Coal, the third largest bankruptcy in 2012, WP Steel Ventures – RG Steel, the fourth largest flat-rolled steel facilities in the United States and Hostess Brands. The firm also served as debtors' counsel to General Maritime, one of the top 10 reported bankruptcies in 2011 and Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Center, one of the biggest hospital bankruptcies of all time. Additionally, Kramer Levin represents a wide variety of distressed investors including a significant creditor in the Washington Mutual Chapter 11 case. The group also represents an ad hoc group of holders of $650 million in sewer warrants issued by Jefferson County, Alabama, the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history. The firm is representing the bank lenders in the Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP bankruptcy, which is one of the most high profile bankruptcies in 2012 involving the legal community. Kramer Levin also represents the bankruptcy trustees appointed in the insolvency proceedings of Lehman Brothers Treasury Co. B.V. and the largest bondholder in the American Airlines bankruptcy.
The bankruptcy practice's accomplishments have been widely recognized. In addition to the Law360 recognition, the practice was recently awarded "Bankruptcy Litigation Law Firm of the Year" by the 2012 U.S. News and World Report "Best Law Firm Rankings." The practice was also listed as one of the country's best in Chambers USA and Legal 500 and one of the best in the United States by International Financial Law Review. Several partners in the practice were recently recognized by Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, Lawdragon, Turnarounds & Workouts and M&A Advisor.