Duane Loft

Practice Areas

Duane leads Pallas’s New York practice. He represents clients in complex commercial litigation, with a particular focus on restructuring disputes, contested issues in bankruptcy, and cross-border litigation. An experienced trial lawyer, Duane is regularly called upon to provide courtroom leadership for creditors, institutional shareholders, and fund principals in cases where litigation drives recoveries.

In the area of restructuring litigation, Duane has represented ad hoc groups of creditors in a number of significant corporate bankruptcies, including the Chapter 11 cases of Intelsat S.A. and LBI Media, in each case serving as trial counsel in multi-week hearings on contested plans of reorganisation.

Duane has delivered exemplary results for institutional shareholders in cross-border disputes, including through Section 1782 discovery proceedings that have led to precedent-setting decisions in district and appellate courts throughout the United States. His cases are featured regularly in Reorg Research, Bloomberg, and the Wall Street Journal.

Work Highlights

• Bombardier Inc.

Representing creditors of Bombardier Inc. in litigation alleging covenant breaches and abuse of bondholder rights.

• Hertz

Representing creditor group of investment funds in prosecuting claims to recover backstop fee owed in connection with restructuring of multinational car rental company.

• Section 1782 Discovery Proceedings

Section 1782 discovery proceedings for dissenting shareholders pursuing billions of dollars in offshore shareholder appraisal claims, including in connection with the take-private mergers of 58.com, Jardine, SINA, LINE Corp., 51Job, Myovant Sciences, Innoplexus, and New Frontier Health.

• Intelsat, S.A.

Representing creditor group of investment funds in challenging proposed bankruptcy plan in contentious restructuring of multinational satellite services provider and related inter-creditor disputes concerning alleged breaches of bond indentures.

• LBI Media Inc.

Representing bondholder in challenging proposed bankruptcy plan and related inter-creditor disputes concerning corporate governance and fraudulent transfer claims in contentious restructuring of major media company.

• Norske Skog

Defending fraudulent transfer claims in Chapter 15 adversary proceedings brought by the trustee of Norske Skogindustrier, an insolvent Norwegian paper company.

• Kaisa Group Holdings

Representing Oasis Management as the holder of New York law governed bonds issued by Kaisa, a China-based property conglomerate in default on billions of dollars in international obligations.

• Revlon

Representing an ad hoc group of unsecured noteholders of Revlon in challenging a potential settlement between the estate and the official committee of unsecured creditor.

Education