Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP, one of the world's leading
international law firms, announced today that Deryck A. Palmer, John
J. Rapisardi, George A. Davis, and Andrew M. Troop will join the firm
as partners in the Financial Restructuring Department, based in New
York. Each is currently a partner in the Business Finance &
Restructuring Department of Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP.
The four bring over 85 collective years of restructuring
experience to Cadwalader's already thriving practice, having
represented debtors, creditors, lenders, and investors in complex
domestic and international business reorganizations, debt
restructurings, and distressed mergers and acquisitions in a wide
array of industries, including healthcare, automotive,
telecommunications, airline, energy, financial, retail, and
manufacturing. Together, they have represented debtors in some of the
largest and most complex bankruptcy cases, including Saint Vincents
Catholic Medical Centers; WestPoint Stevens; IMPATH Inc.; Bethlehem
Steel Corporation; Doctor's Community Health Care Corporation;
Syratech Corporation; Sunbeam Corporation; Marvel Entertainment, Inc.;
Carmike Cinemas, Inc.; Global Star; Metallurg; Olympia & York; F&M
Distributors; Drexel Burnham Lambert; Texaco, Inc.; and United
Healthcare Newark Children's Hospital. They have also represented
lenders, committees and major creditor groups in numerous recent
high-profile cases, including Calpine Corporation; Delta Airlines; US
Airways; Independence Air; Owens Corning; Safety Kleen; Solutia; Tower
Automotive; Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corporation; Mirant; Iridium;
Pliant Corporation; Eagle Pitcher; Genesis Health Care; Mariner
Post-Acute Care; Mariner Health Care; Centennial Health Care; Galey &
Lord; WCI Steel; Weirton Steel; Cable and Wireless; FAO Schwarz;
Aladdin Casino and Hotel; Montgomery Ward I; NSM Steel; Trump Atlantic
City Casinos; FPA; MedPartners; and PhyCor. Most recently, they have
been involved in three major out-of-court restructurings: Detroit
Medical Center; Florida Healthplans and a major sports franchise. They
also have extensive expertise in international cross-border
restructurings, including unparalleled experience advising investors
with regard to Chinese restructuring law.
Cadwalader Chairman and Managing Partner Robert O. Link, Jr.
stated, "We are thrilled to have these well-regarded and highly
experienced lawyers join our firm. Their impressive record of
transactions and client base will greatly enhance our global
restructuring capacity and provide us with phenomenal opportunities
for cross-selling and growth. We look forward to capitalizing on the
many synergies between our practices."
Bruce R. Zirinsky, the Chairman of the firm's Financial
Restructuring Department, stated, "I have worked with these fantastic
lawyers for much of my career, and am delighted to have them join our
practice. The addition of this team of top restructuring lawyers, with
wide-ranging connections and experience, to our already strong and
diverse restructuring practice, is a major step in accomplishing many
of our strategic goals. It will broaden our representation of the
corporations, financial institutions and advisory firms that form
Cadwalader's core client base, substantially enhance our ability to
handle a greater number of large U.S. and multinational restructuring
matters, and add to our already deep knowledge and experience in the
health care industry. In addition, we will be able to take on a
broader role in distressed company investments and acquisitions,
continue to capitalize on cross-border work in collaboration with our
London office, and develop a robust Asian restructuring presence
through our Beijing office."
Mr. Palmer was recently recognized by Turnarounds and Workouts as
one of the nation's "Outstanding Bankruptcy Lawyers." He serves as the
co-vice-chair of the American Bar Association's Business Bankruptcy
Committee's Healthcare Working Group and as a member of the New York
State Bar Association's Committee on Bankruptcy and Committee on
Courts and Community. Also an adjunct professor of law at New York Law
School, he teaches advanced topics in bankruptcy and corporate
reorganization and lectures at many other law schools nationwide. He
is a frequent commentator and consultant on issues relating to Chinese
bankruptcy laws. Mr. Palmer received his B.A. from Syracuse University
and his J.D. from the University of Michigan.
Mr. Rapisardi is included in the 2007 edition of The Best Lawyers
in America and identified as "highly recommended counsel" in the PLC
Cross-border Restructuring and Insolvency Handbook for 2006-2007. He
was also ranked in the 2005, 2006, and 2007 editions of Chambers USA:
America's Leading Lawyers for Business, which said Mr. Rapisardi's
"star continues to rise in the healthcare industry" and that
"interviewees value his integrity, calling him 'as honest as the day
is long'." Currently the bankruptcy columnist for the New York Law
Journal and an adjunct professor of law at Pace Law School, Mr.
Rapisardi publishes frequently and lectures extensively on a variety
of subjects, including cross-border restructurings and Chinese
bankruptcy law. He received his B.S. from Fordham University, his J.D.
from Pace University School of Law, and his LL.M. (with a
concentration in corporate and commercial law) from New York
University School of Law.
Mr. Davis was selected for the 2007 edition of The Best Lawyers in
America. He was also recognized as a "rising star" by Chambers in 2005
and ranked in Chambers in 2006 and 2007, in which it was said that
Mr. Davis "stands out due to his success in building consensus
among groups with extremely different viewpoints." Turnarounds and
Workouts also named Mr. Davis as one of the top ten outstanding young
restructuring lawyers in 2005. He is a frequent writer and speaker on
restructuring topics and an active member of the Committee on
Bankruptcy and Corporate Reorganizations of the Association of the Bar
of the City of New York. He received his B.S., magna cum laude, from
SUNY at Binghamton and his J.D., with distinction, from Hofstra
University School of Law.
Mr. Troop has been included in The Best Lawyers in America since
2002. He was recently honored by Nightingale Health Care News as one
of the top ten health care transaction lawyers of the year. He
lectures regularly on a wide array of topics, including the
intersection of nonprofit and financial restructuring laws and
healthcare restructuring issues. Mr. Troop is committed to pro bono
work, and was honored in 2006 by the Asian American Lawyers
Association of Massachusetts for his representation of the interests
of Asian and Hispanic Americans. He received his B.A., cum laude, from
Amherst College and his J.D., cum laude, from Northwestern University
School of Law.
"We are excited to bring our talents to Cadwalader's already
impressive practice. Given our relationships and experiences with
Cadwalader's restructuring group and our shared vision regarding the
future of the practice, we believe that Cadwalader offers a strong
platform from which to make an investment in a truly international
bankruptcy practice - capabilities shared by few firms in the world,"
stated Mr. Palmer.
About Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP
Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP, established in 1792, is one of
the world's leading international law firms, with offices in New York,
London, Charlotte, Washington and Beijing. Cadwalader serves a diverse
client base, including many of the world's top financial institutions,
undertaking business in more than 50 countries in six continents. The
firm offers legal expertise in antitrust, banking, business fraud,
corporate finance, corporate governance, environmental, financial
restructuring and reorganizations, healthcare, insurance and
reinsurance, litigation, mergers and acquisitions, private client,
private equity, real estate, securities and financial institutions
regulation, securitization, structured finance, and tax. More
information about Cadwalader can be found at www.cadwalader.com.
