Top 100 Restructuring Professionals

“Distinction in Dealmaking”

Exclusive published by Global M&A Network, the 9th annual list features highly respected, successful and innovative group of 25 consultants, 25 investment bankers and 50 lawyers from the restructuring and turnaround communities this year.

Highly competitive process begins with evaluating firms and best performing or “Turnaround Atlas Awards” winning transactions closed during the 2021. Selection is then narrowed to a single professional from the firm based on their experience, differentiated expertise, and transactions completed among additional attributes. Only one professional is selected from the practice group at the firm per year.

Join us in congratulating top performing professionals and the firm’s they represent!


Brett H. Miller

Brett advises on chapter 11 cases, out–of–court restructurings, bankruptcy–related acquisitions, cross–border insolvency matters, bankruptcy–related litigation, and insolvency–sensitive transactions. He has represented parties in restructurings in industries such as real estate, transportation, retail, manufacturing, food service, oil and gas, and media. His clients include official and ad hoc creditors’ committees, bank groups, individual lenders, court–appointed fiduciaries, debtors, and investors that focus on distressed situations. Mr. Miller earned his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and A.B. from Columbia University.


J. Frasher Murphy

Frasher represents debtors, traditional and nontraditional secured lenders, post-petition lenders, bondholders, asset purchasers and all other types of secured and unsecured creditors. Over the course of two decades of practice, he has handled numerous complex Chapter 11 cases, out-of-court workout matters, and distressed mergers and acquisitions. Mr. Murphy received his J.D. from Texas Tech University School of Law and B.S. from the Vanderbilt University.

What Frasher most enjoys most about his career... There is no “one way” to do things in the restructuring industry, and this area of the law allows people to be creative and innovative in the way we solve our clients’ problems. I enjoy being presented with a complex business issue, and then working with clients to develop a legal strategy to achieve their business goals.


Sam Newman

Sam represents companies and their owners through restructurings including out-of-court restructurings and Chapter 11 cases. He also advises clients in a wide variety of transactions involving distressed assets. Representative clients include Canyon Partners, Fortress Investment Group, Redmile Group, Fundamental Advisors LP, Capstone Investment Advisors, and z-Capital. Sam received his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and B.S. from Georgetown University.


Sean A. O’Neal

Sean focuses on corporate restructuring, insolvency, bankruptcy, corporate governance and related litigation matters. He assists corporate debtors, creditors, investors, financial counterparties, and other interested parties in bankruptcy-related transactions, out-of-court workouts, and liability management transactions. Sean also works with investors in purchasing assets from, or making investments in, distressed companies. Mr. O’Neal received his J.D. from Tulane Law School and B.A from Centenary College of Louisiana.


Richard M. Pachulski

Richard is widely regarded as one of the preeminent corporate restructuring attorneys in America. Over the past few years, he has been lead counsel in the restructurings of Neiman Marcus, Yueting Jia, Easterday Ranches, CarbonLite, Highland Capital Management, and Ruby Tuesday. For the past four decades, Pachulski has represented debtors and creditors’ committees in both out-of-court workouts and in-court proceedings. In addition, he has extensive experience in business reorganizations, as well as debtor/creditor litigation across numerous industries. Mr. Pachulski is a graduate of UCLA and received his J.D. from Stanford University.


Oscar N. Pinkas

Oscar focuses on transactions and turnarounds as well as in-court practice and estate representations. His clients include investors, purchasers, lenders, creditors’ committees, companies, indenture trustees and collateral agents. His work is domestic and cross-border in nature, having advised on transactions and situations on 6 continents, involving up to 12 countries in any given instance and over 25 different countries in total. Mr. Pinkas earned his J.D. from Seton Hall University School of Law, his M.B.A. from Solvay Business School, Université Libre de Bruxelles, and B.A. from Rollins College.


John J. Rapisardi

John has 40 years of domestic and international debtor and creditor restructuring experience across a variety of industries. Over the last five years, John has led O’Melveny’s representation of the Government of Puerto Rico with respect to all aspects of the financial restructuring of Puerto Rico’s debt obligations—marking the largest municipal restructuring in US history. At the height of the 2008 Economic Crisis, John served as lead counsel to President Obama’s Auto Task Force in the restructuring of General Motors and Chrysler, and the automotive supplier Delphi. During that time, he also served as lead debtor counsel for LyondellBasell, one of the world’s largest petro chemical producers, which emerged from chapter 11 within 15 months. He advised in every aspect of its bankruptcy restructuring of more than US$25 billion in debt. John also served as co-lead counsel in representing the Governor of California in the PG&E chapter 11 case. Mr. Rapisardi is recipient of the “Restructuring Leader, Law” accolade at the Turnaround Atlas Awards.

What John most enjoys about his career... I most enjoy the opportunity to work on high profile cutting edge restructuring cases that have made a positive impact on the lives of many people. I am grateful for the wonderful lawyers who helped launched my career and for me to do the same in turn for those I have mentored over the years.


Steven J. Reisman

Steven has a strong reputation for offering practical and innovative solutions to the complex business and legal issues that arise in the world of corporate restructurings. Consistently regarded as one of the country’s top restructuring attorneys, he leads Katten’s New York Insolvency and Restructuring practice. He regularly advises debtors, independent directors, equity sponsors, secured lenders, DIP lenders, indenture trustees, liquidators, trade creditors, creditors’ committees, distressed investors, parties to significant avoidance litigation, and purchasers of assets in Chapter 11 in all types of in court and out of court restructurings. Notable representations include disinterested directors or managers in the restructurings or Chapter 11 cases of GWG Holdings, Mallinckrodt, Gulfport, Seadrill, Travelport, Intelsat, Alex and Ani, Neiman Marcus, JCPenney, Le Tote, Sable Permian Resources, Acosta, Sheridan, Toys “R” Us, PetSmart and Philadelphia Energy. He also served as lead counsel to the debtors in the CraftWorks and Sizmek Chapter 11 cases. Mr. Reisman is recipient of the “Restructuring Leader, Law” accolade at the Turnaround Atlas Awards.

What Steven most enjoys about his career... I enjoy helping clients solve their legal problems effectively and efficiently with creative and practical legal solutions.


Damian S. Schaible

Damian represents debtors, creditors, banks, hedge funds, asset purchasers and other strategic parties in connection with prepackaged and traditional bankruptcies, out-of-court workouts, DIP and exit financings, bankruptcy litigation, section 363 sales and liability management transactions. Mr. Schaible received his J.D. from the New York University School of Law and B.A. in Political Science from College of the Holy Cross.


Ray C. Schrock, P.C.

Ray has extensive experience leading complex, corporate international and U.S. restructuring matters for public companies, financial institutions, private equity funds, portfolio companies and creditors. His recent cutting-edge matters include AMC Entertainment, CBL Properties, Serta Simmons Bedding, J.Crew, Sears Holdings Corporation, PG&E Corporation, Ditech, Fieldwood Energy, Claire’s Stores, and many other ongoing public and non-public matters. Mr. Schrock earned his J.D. from IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law and B.B.A from Western Michigan University.