Let's Get it Out of the Way - I am a Lawyer who Puts Companies in Bankruptcy

I am a Lawyer who Puts Companies in Bankruptcy.

Here is the truth: Looking at the examples of how other businesses have managed to survive distressed situations shows us how to survive downturns and how to build a successful business. This blog will discuss how to apply those lessons and overcome challenges that other businesses have not.

Entrepreneurship is one of the greatest gifts—it ranges from Spiff which recently raised millions of venture capital and started a law firm to the start-up delivery business of 21-year old student Jayson Gonzalez who drove from Minnesota to Iowa and back to pick up Krispy Kreme for his donut-starved neighbors.

In public settings when people used to ask me what I do for a living, I would tell them that I help people keep their Louis Vuitton purses and avoid paying off their credit cards. My wife would cringe. I would laugh.

In reality, I do something quite different. When businesses run into distressed situations, I specialize in restructuring the company. I try to save companies, and I try to save jobs.  Typically, I can work with everyone involved to perform the restructuring without having to put the company into bankruptcy, but when it is necessary to save the company, I use all the tools available and bankruptcy can be an excellent tool.  I also protect creditors facing special situations and facilitate mergers and acquisitions in the distressed market.  The companies I restructure are primarily on the lower-to-middle market, but I also have experience working on billion-dollar restructurings.

Multiple clients have asked me why I chose to focus on restructuring. The reason is simple: what I really do all day, and love doing, is to help companies solve their biggest financial problems. My greatest accomplishments come when I can save jobs in the process.

Making money from starting and growing a business is not easy. I regularly have conversations with small business owners who are staring down the possibility of having to liquidate the business they started from scratch. And then the real bomb drops. They personally guaranteed almost all of the debt. The possible devastation is palpable.

The purpose of this Blog is to share what I have learned from analyzing businesses when they are facing challenges that seem insurmountable. Instead of problems, I see opportunities to re-imagine and re-vitalize the struggling business into a growing, successful concern. I tell business owners that bankruptcy is a tool, but it is not always the solution. I strive to find solutions.