As Chairman of Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor, LLP and a partner in the Bankruptcy and Corporate Restructuring section, Jim is nationally recognized particularly for his representation of large troubled companies in workouts and bankruptcies and his involvement in complex asbestos bankruptcies.
Jim specializes in corporate restructurings, cross-border insolvencies, and mass tort insolvencies. He has extensive experience representing debtors, creditors' committees, equity committees, future claimants representatives, and shareholder groups in out-of-court workouts, complex foreign and domestic restructurings, pre-planned bankruptcies and chapter 11 cases.
Ranked as a leading Bankruptcy/Restructuring Lawyer in Chambers USA - America's Leading Lawyers for Business since its inception, Jim is said to be an "all-around class act," who is described by clients as "an even-keeled, unflappable attorney at the top of his game," and an "outstanding bankruptcy lawyer." (Chambers 2006) In recent comments, clients have described Jim as a "doyen of the Bar" and a "true gentlemen". (Chambers 2009)
He has been involved in virtually every significant bankruptcy in the region and numerous significant bankruptcy cases around the country including Alterra Healthcare Corporation, American Home Mortgage Holdings, Inc., Catholic Diocese of Wilmington, Inc., Columbia Gas Systems, Inc., Continental Airlines, Inc., Days Inns of America, Inc., DBSI, Inc., Florida Coast Paper Company, Fuller-Austin Insulation Company, Global Industrial Technologies, Inc. (A.P. Green), Lomas Financial Corporation, MEI Diversified, Inc., Simmons Upholstered Furniture, Inc., Trico Steel, Transworld Airlines, Inc. In addition, Jim has represented debtors in over 40 prepackaged bankruptcy cases including the first successful asbestos related package, In re Fuller Austin. He has also represented the asbestos future claims representatives in connection with Armstrong World Industries, Inc., Babcock & Wilcox Company, The Celotex Corporation, Federal-Mogul Global Inc., Kaiser Aluminium Corporation, Mid-Valley, Inc. (Halliburton), North American Refractories Company, Owens-Corning, Pittsburgh Corning Corporation, and USG Corporation. Jim's recent U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals arguments include Solow v. PPI Enters., E. Pilots Merger Cmte. v. Cont'l Airlines, Inc., and Construction Management Servs. v. Manufacturers Hanover Trust Co.
Distinctions
· Chambers USA - America's Leading Lawyers for Business, Bankruptcy/Restructuring, 2006-2010
· Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America, Bankruptcy, 2010
· Top 100 Trial Lawyers, The American Trial Lawyers Association, 2010
· The Best Lawyers in America®, Bankruptcy and Creditor-Debtor Rights Law, recognized since 1993
· The International Who's Who of Insolvency & Restructuring Lawyers, Delaware, 2010
· Delaware Super Lawyers®, Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights, 2007-2009
Memberships and Affiliations
· American College of Bankruptcy, Fellow
· American Bar Association, Business Law Section; Business Bankruptcy Committee; Claims Trading Subcommittee, Chair, 2002-present
· American Bankruptcy Institute, Member
· Delaware State Bar Association, Chairman, Bankruptcy Law Subcommittee, Commercial Law Section, 1986-2004
· American Association for Justice, Member
· Turnaround Management Association, Member
· Association of Insolvency & Restructuring Advisors, Member
· Board of Contributors, Fletcher Corporate Bankruptcy, Reorganization and Dissolution, Clark, Boardman, Callaghan, 1992
· Participant, Judge Scirica's Working Group on Mass Torts in connection with the Report of the Advisory Committee on Civil Rules and the Working Group on Mass Torts to the Chief Justice of the United States and to the Judicial Conference of the United States, 1999
Experience
Travelers Indemnity Co., et. al., and Common Law Settlement Counsel v. Bailey, et. al. (Docket Nos. 08-295 & 08-307)
American Home Mortgage Holdings Inc.
Armstrong World Industries, Inc.
Columbia Gas Systems, Inc.
Young Conaway served as co-counsel to Columbia Gas System, Inc. and Columbia Gas Transmission Corporation in the successful confirmation of chapter 11 plans for both entities.
Continental Airlines, Inc.
Following the successful reorganization of Continental Airlines, Young Conaway continues to represent Continental as lead counsel in certain ongoing appellate, litigation and employment matters.
Crown Books Corporation
Global Ocean Carriers Limited, et al.
Golden Ocean Group Limited
Harvard Industries
Institute for Cancer Prevention
Kaiser Aluminum Corporation
Loewen Group International, Inc.
Oneita Industries, Inc.
Planet Hollywood
Smith Corona Corporation
Young Conaway served as lead counsel for Smith Corona, who was a provider of typewriters, supplies and various office products but ceased its manufacturing operations in late 1997 and transitioned into a sales and marketing organization.
The Babcock & Wilcox Company
Transworld Airlines, Inc.
Trico Steel Company
Media
The Deal Ranks Young Conaway #7 Bankruptcy Firm, 1.5.2011
In The News
Young Conaway Attorneys Honored in The Best Lawyers in America, 8.9.2010
Press Release
Most Super Lawyers® In Delaware...Again!, 6.16.2010
Press Release
Chambers USA Recognizes Young Conaway Attorneys As Leaders In Their Field, 6.10.2010
Press Release
Publications
The "Stipulated Asset Allocation" Model for a Non-consolidated Liquidating Chapter 11 Plan, ABI Journal, Vol. XXVIII, No. 7, 54-55, 92-93, September 2009, 9.1.2009
Journals
Prepackaged Asbestos Bankruptcies: Down but Not Out, New York University, Annual Survey of American Law, Volume 63, Issue 4 (2008), 9.1.2008
Journals
A Modern History of Bankruptcy in Delaware, 24 Delaware Lawyer 12, Winter 2006/2007, 1.1.2007
Articles
KPMG Ruling Calls Into Question Thompson Memo Footnote On Payment Of Attorneys' Fees, Atlantic Coast In-house, Vol. 3, No. 4, Lawyers Weekly, Inc. (July 2006), 7.1.2006
Articles
Current Issues and Developments in Cross-Border Insolvencies, Handout from Delaware Views from The Bench and Bar, Hotel du Pont, Wilmington, DE, June 9, 2006, 6.9.2006
Reference Materials
Prepackaged Bankruptcies: Resolving Overwhelming Mass Tort Liabilities Using the Bankruptcy Code, FW Global Restructuring & Insolvency Review 2005, 9.1.2005
Articles