Steven J Reisman

Practice Areas

Steven J. Reisman is a Partner and Co-Chair of the Insolvency and Restructuring Practice of Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP. Mr. Reisman handles a wide range of complex domestic and international insolvency, restructuring and creditors’ rights matters. He is widely considered one of the leading practitioners in representing distressed companies, their boards, independent directors and equity sponsors. A client has attested “he knows how to read a room, and how to take a messy situation and sort it out to get to the right answer, not only for us but for as many constituents as possible.” (Chambers USA 2020).

His recent notable representations include disinterested directors or managers in the restructurings or Chapter 11 cases of Mallinckrodt, Gulfport Energy, Travelport, Neiman Marcus, Intelsat, J.C. Penney, Sable Permian Resources, Le Tote (Lord & Taylor), Acosta, Sheridan I, Toys “R” Us, PetSmart, Philadelphia Energy, among others. Other recent notable engagements include acting as conflicts counsel in the Windstream, Sears and Barneys Chapter 11 cases, lead counsel to the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors in the High Ridge Brands Chapter 11 cases, lead counsel to the debtors in the CraftWorks and Sizmek Chapter 11 cases, counsel to the buyers in the Le Pain Quotidien and Cosmoledo (Maison Kayser) Chapter 11 cases, and counsel to large trade creditors and co-chairs of the Official Committees of Unsecured Creditors in the Nine West Holdings, Avaya and SunEdison Chapter 11 cases. Mr. Reisman also commonly represents Gordon Brothers, Flex, Ambac, Glencore, Lazard and Wilmington Trust in a variety of insolvency-related matters. Other prior notable representations include Golden Gate and Blum Capital in the Payless Shoes Chapter 11 cases, Paulson & Co, Inc. in the Chapter 11 cases of General Motors and Energy Future Holdings, certain officers and directors in the Sabine Oil and Gas Chapter 11 cases, the representation of Chapter 11 debtors (both as lead counsel and special counsel) including Lehman Brothers Holdings, La Paloma, Fairway Market, Breitburn Energy Partners, Genco Shipping & Trading, Residential Capital, Ashley Stewart Holdings, Fairchild Corp., Trinity Coal Corp. and Cygnus Business Media, and representations of Official Committees of Unsecured Creditors include special counsel engagements to Peabody Energy Corp., KV Discovery and Hostess Brands. Mr. Reisman also represents hedge funds, private equity firms and distressed debt investors with respect to their restructuring matters. He has also worked on several cross-border insolvency matters involving Mexico, Canada, Argentina, Venezuela and other countries, and offshore restructuring engagements in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Mr. Reisman has also acted as lead counsel in several Chapter 15 cases, including CDS U.S. Holdings (Cirque du Soleil), Nygard Holdings (USA) Limited and Tall Girl.

Career

Admitted: State of New York

Publications

Law360 (May 13, 2019) – “To Guard Against Waiving Privilege, Don't CC The Boss”; New York Law Journal (February 10, 2011) - "Taking it Back – Recovering Transfers in Bankruptcy"; New York Law Journal (March 1, 2010) - "Reasonable Insecurity: Strategies for Doing Business with Financially Troubled Counterparties"; "To Be or Not to Be: Whether or Not to Be a Stalking Horse in a Bankruptcy Sale," Turnaround Management (Spring 2004).

Personal

Mr. Reisman regularly practices in the Southern District of New York, the District of Delaware, the Southern District of Texas, the Eastern District of Virginia and other Bankruptcy Courts throughout the United States. He is admitted to practice in the United States Supreme Court and numerous circuit courts of appeal. He received his JD with Honors from St. John's University School of Law in 1990 and his BS, magna cum laude, from the State University of New York at Oneonta in 1987 with a dual major in Political Science and Business/Economics.

Presentations and Events

American Bankruptcy Institute’s Annual New York City Bankruptcy Conference – Panelist (2008-2016); New York State Bar Association – Panelist (December 13, 2012): Advising Distressed Businesses and Business Bankruptcy Cases; Mexican Institution for Mediation – Keynote Speaker (May 2012): Chapter 11 of the US Bankruptcy Code; American Bankruptcy Institute Spring Meeting 2009 – Panelist.

Community Involvements

American Bankruptcy Institute, Advisory Board; The Noah Benjamin Reisman Foundation, Board Member and President

Education