Justin Bernbrock

Justin Bernbrock represents companies, boards of directors, financial sponsors, lenders and strategic investors in complex restructurings, Chapter 11 cases and distressed acquisitions.

Engaging with clients often in moments of threat—liquidity crises, capital structure impasses and contested proceedings—he combines boardroom judgment with courtroom credibility. Clients turn to him when enterprise survival, governance integrity and stakeholder value are under immediate pressure.

Prior to private practice, Justin served nearly 10 years on active duty in the U.S. Navy, including combat operations in Iraq and deployment to Afghanistan. Service as an aviation warfare systems operator and weapons tactics instructor required rapid risk assessment, disciplined decision-making and leadership in uncertain environments. That crisis-management mindset continues to inform his work in distressed financial engagements, where stakeholders often confront unfamiliar and high-consequence decisions.

Regularly serving as lead counsel in multi-affiliate Chapter 11 cases, Justin navigates layered capital structures involving billions of dollars in funded debt. His experience includes prepackaged, prearranged and traditional proceedings, as well as out-of-court recapitalizations and liability management transactions, with engagements frequently requiring negotiation of debt-for-equity exchanges, new-money investments, exit financings and complex refinancings on compressed timelines demanding clarity and disciplined coordination.

Justin also represents secured lenders, ad hoc creditor groups, private equity sponsors and strategic acquirers in contested Chapter 11 and Chapter 9 proceedings. His bilateral experience across the capital structure strengthens his leverage in negotiations and courtroom advocacy, enabling him to identify pressure points early and craft durable pathways for resolution. In addition, boards, conflicts committees and post-confirmation fiduciaries rely on his steady counsel in matters involving governance oversight and large-scale claims resolution.

Justin hosts the Restructure This! podcast, produced by Sheppard’s Bankruptcy & Restructuring team.