Jeffrey L. Jonas

Practice Areas

BANKRUPTCY & RESTRUCTURING

BANKRUPTCY LITIGATION

LITIGATION & DISPUTE RESOLUTION

FUND FORMATION

FINANCE

REAL ESTATE

DISTRESSED REAL ESTATE

Career

Jeffrey Jonas is a partner in Brown Rudnick’s Bankruptcy & Corporate Restructuring Practice Group and Bankruptcy Litigation chair. Jeff represents official and ad hoc creditors’ and equity committees, individual creditors and distressed debt holders, indenture trustees, buyers of assets and other parties in bankruptcy proceedings. He has practiced extensively in bankruptcy courts across the country in connection with a wide range of issues, including plan confirmation and related issues, stay relief, DIP financing arrangements, cash collateral disputes, valuation issues, and dismissal and trustee litigation.

Jeff also represents lenders in connection with problem business credits. He practices frequently in various state and federal courts, in connection with loan collection matters and related issues, including the defense of lender liability claims. Jeff has worked on restructurings and/or bankruptcies in the manufacturing, retail, gaming, waste, energy, airline, automotive, paper, real estate and many other sectors.

Jeff also has extensive experience in real estate law and primarily represents buyers and sellers of commercial properties. He has been involved as lead attorney in acquisition, disposition and/or syndication transactions valued at many billions of dollars.

Jeff is recognized by Chambers USA and The Legal 500 for bankruptcy & restructuring. In the recent guides, clients have made the following comments: “Jeff has an amazing ability to quickly analyze a problem and come up with a solution. He always looks to solve the problem with minimal time and cost.” “Jeff is an outstanding attorney with deep technical knowledge and very strong commercial expertise.” “Jonas is a master in court, taking a good ol’ boy Boston-like approach and winning over judges and adversaries. He is a master trial lawyer, who happens to be a bankruptcy expert.”

Jeff is inducted into the American College of Bankruptcy’s 32nd Class of Fellows.

Jeff is Co-Chair of Strategic Growth for Brown Rudnick.

Professional Memberships

Fellow in the 32nd Class, American College of Bankruptcy

Turnaround Management Association

American Bankruptcy Institute

Work Highlights

Vanderbilt Minerals: Talc-Asbestos Claimants Committee in the Chapter 11 case of Vanderbilt Minerals, a Connecticut-based mining company.

Pat McGrath Cosmetics: GDA Luma, as senior secured creditor, DIP lender and acquiror/plan sponsor, in the Chapter 11 case of Pat McGrath Cosmetics, the luxury cosmetics brand.

First Brands Group: Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors in Chapter 11 case of First Brands Group, an automotive parts manufacturer.

Valves and Controls US: Asbestos Claimants Committee in Chapter 11 case of Valves and Controls US, a valve manufacturer for the oil and gas industry.

Linqto: Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors in Chapter 11 case of Linqto, an investment platform that enables investors to invest in private companies and pre-IPO startups.

Powin: Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors in the Chapter 11 case of Powin, a global clean energy batter storage integrator.

Ascend Performance Materials: Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors in Chapter 11 case of nylon maker Ascend Performance Materials.

Exela Technologies: Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors in Chapter 11 case of Exela Technologies, a business process automation company.

Water Gremlin. Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors in Chapter 11 case of Water Gremlin, a battery terminal and fishing sinker manufacturer.

Lead trial attorney representing the official committee of talc claimants in the first and second LTL (Johnson & Johnson) “Texas two-step” bankruptcy cases (New Jersey after transfer of venue from North Carolina), including in connection with motions to dismiss bankruptcy cases based on alleged bad-faith and other grounds. First case dismissal motion denied in bankruptcy court but reversed by Third Circuit Court of Appeals in January 2023 only to have LTL/J&J refile bankruptcy two hours later. In second case, after a four-day trial on the dismissal motion, in July 2023, the bankruptcy court granted the motion and the bankruptcy case was dismissed.

Co-lead trial attorney representing the official committee of combat arms earplug claimants (greater than 250,000) in Aearo Technologies LLC (3M Company) bankruptcy case (Southern District of Indiana) in successful dismissal of bankruptcy case based on lack of good faith/financial distress.

Represented co-lead counsel for plaintiffs in In re Juul, Inc. Litigation, in negotiating and documenting global out-of-court and out-of-bankruptcy settlements and restructuring of JUUL Labs.

Represented official committee of unsecured creditors in the Chapter 11 bankruptcy of Revlon Inc., including leading multi-day contested DIP trial.

Lead confirmation trial attorney in representing the official committee of unsecured creditors in the Chesapeake Energy Corporation Chapter 11 bankruptcy case (Texas Southern), one of the largest bankruptcies of 2020, and a highly contentious bankruptcy involving allegations that Chesapeake’s pre-bankruptcy efforts inappropriately favored certain large hedge funds over all other creditors. Five-plus day confirmation trial included multibillion-dollar valuation issues.

Co-lead attorney in representing the official equity committee in the Washington Prime Group Chapter 11 bankruptcy case (Texas Southern). On the eve of the confirmation hearing (which would have been a month’s long valuation trial), a settlement was achieved providing 10.5% of reorganized company stock to old stockholders.

Lead attorney in representing an ad hoc group of bondholders (majority of $700 million notes) in the Alpha Credit Capital Chapter 11 bankruptcy case (Delaware), a highly complex cross-border bankruptcy matter concerning entities in the U.S., Mexico, and Colombia.

Lead trial attorney in representing the official committee of unsecured creditors in the Ultra Petroleum Chapter 11 bankruptcy case (Texas) including in connection with prosecuting claims relating to the company’s pre-petition up-tier exchange involving complex issues, including avoidance of intentional and constructive fraudulent transfers, breaches of fiduciary duty, and equitable subordination.

Lead attorney in representing equity sponsor in connection with its investment/ownership of Advantage Rent a Car including Chapter 11 bankruptcy (Delaware) auction.

Lead attorney representing principal DIP lender and plan sponsor in cross-border bankruptcy cases (Canada, New York, and Colombia) of Pacific Exploration, an E&P enterprise with more than $6 billion of prepetition funded debt.

Lead trial attorney in representing the official committee of unsecured creditors in the Legacy Reserves Chapter 11 bankruptcy case (Texas), including for six-day confirmation trial involving issues of good faith and valuation.

Lead attorney representing ad hoc minority lender group in Noranda Aluminum bankruptcy case (St. Louis), involving intercreditor, intra-class, and related lender-group issues.

Co-lead attorney representing prepetition senior lender in SFX Entertainment bankruptcy case (Delaware), including successful negotiation of first-day repayment in full (including substantial make-whole payments) from interim DIP facility.

Lead attorney in representing term loan agent in Patriot Coal bankruptcy case (Virginia) including multi-day contested confirmation trial.

Co-lead attorney in representing ad hoc committee of second lien noteholders in the Energy Future Holdings (TXU) bankruptcy cases (Delaware).

Lead attorney in representing Carl Icahn and affiliates in the Trump Entertainment Resorts bankruptcy cases (New Jersey), including nine-day contested confirmation trial involving competing plans of reorganization and cram-down of $500 million of secured debt.

Lead attorney in representing ad hoc consortium of second lien lenders in Legends Gaming LLC bankruptcy case (Louisiana), including multi-day contested confirmation trial involving cram-down of second lien debt.

Lead attorney in representing senior term lenders in Norwood Promotional Products bankruptcy case (Delaware), including successful 363 sale resulting in substantially better than anticipated recoveries.

Lead attorney in representing senior term lenders in Movie Gallery bankruptcy case (Virginia) involving significant asset sales and liquidation of more than 2,600 retail store locations.

Co-lead attorney in successfully representing ad hoc group of tort victims opposing Quigley Company Inc.’s bankruptcy (New York) plan of reorganization which sought to channel billions of dollars of asbestos personal injury claims (12 day contested confirmation trial).

Key member of trial team representing the Equity Committee in the Mirant Corporation bankruptcy case (Texas) which, after a 27-day trial, successfully achieved value exceeding a billion dollars for alleged “out of the money” equity.

Lead attorney representing national finance company in managing distressed loan portfolio involving real estate and other loans in an aggregate amount exceeding $500 million, including restructurings, sales, foreclosures, receiverships and related activities across the country for senior, mezzanine, syndicated and participated loans.

Education