Cooley Adds Michael Neumeister to Business Restructuring Practice

Los Angeles – July 9, 2024 – Michael Neumeister joins Cooley’s Los Angeles office as a partner in the firm’s growing business restructuring practice and global litigation department. He arrives from Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and will provide support to clients in financial distress on a range of matters – including in out-of-court restructurings and as debtors in Chapter 11 cases – based in California and across Cooley’s global platform.

“Michael’s arrival continues our strategic investment in Cooley’s elite business restructuring practice and the expansion of our litigation capabilities in the Los Angeles market,” said Michael Attanasio, chair of Cooley’s global litigation department. “Michael is an exceptionally talented, next-generation restructuring attorney. He will be a perfect fit as we continue to build a team uniquely equipped to assist the world’s most innovative and dynamic companies on their most critical needs.”  

Neumeister represents distressed companies in a range of out-of-court restructurings and Chapter 11 cases, secured lenders, debtor-in-possession (DIP) lenders, and buyers in large and small bankruptcy sales, as well as handling bankruptcy litigation for clients in a variety of industries. He is a member of the American Bankruptcy Institute and the Turnaround Management Association.

Neumeister is the second restructuring partner to recently join the firm, following Daniel Shamah, who joined in New York in April 2024. His arrival extends the wave of litigation hires by the firm this year, which includes former assistant US attorney John Bostic in Palo Alto, former chair of the Consumer Product Safety Commission Elliot Kaye in Washington, DC, commercial litigation partner Teresa Michaud in Los Angeles and congressional investigations partner Susanne Sachsman Grooms in Washington, DC.

“Michael has significant experience representing distressed companies, their boards and financial stakeholders across the capital structure. His experience navigating special situations will be a major benefit to our clients and strengthens our ability to provide exceptional restructuring service in Los Angeles and beyond,” said Cullen Speckhart, chair of Cooley’s business restructuring practice and partner in charge of the firm’s Washington, DC, office. “I am thrilled to welcome Michael to Cooley and look forward to our collaboration.”

“I’m excited to join the incredible team at Cooley at a time when the firm is growing its restructuring and litigation practices,” said Neumeister. “I’ve been incredibly impressed with the firm’s culture of collaboration, and I look forward to partnering with my new colleagues in Los Angeles and across the world to help clients in their challenging situations.”

Cooley’s business restructuring practice is among the most active corporate restructuring and bankruptcy practices in the US, with a reputation for providing forward-focused advice to clients with respect to business risk management and strategic implementation. The practice has experience in all aspects of in- and out-of-court restructurings for private and public companies, and guides clients in all aspects of insolvency proceedings, acquisitions, distressed M&A transactions and bankruptcy-related litigation. The team has handled thousands of insolvency-related disputes, contested matters and adversary proceedings in the past five years – including playing a significant role in some of the largest bankruptcy and out-of-court restructuring cases for Mallinckrodt, Enjoy Technology, Endo International, LTL Management (Johnson & Johnson), Packable, Ascena (Ann Taylor), Lord & Taylor, 24 Hour Fitness and JCPenney.

Neumeister joins a growing roster of lateral partners who have joined Cooley’s flourishing litigation department in the last five years – including former assistant US attorneys John Bostic (Palo Alto), Russell Capone (New York), Rebekah Donaleski (New York), Andrew Goldstein (DC), Danny Grooms (DC), Zach Hafer (Boston), John Hemann (San Francisco) and Matt Kutcher (Chicago), along with federal agency and congressional practitioners Ethan Glass (antitrust), Susanne Sachsman Grooms (congressional investigations), Kathleen Hartnett (Department of Justice), Matt Howsare (Consumer Product Safety Commission), Elliot Kaye (Consumer Product Safety Commission), Travis LeBlanc (Federal Trade Commission and Federal Communications Commission), Robert McDowell (Federal Communications Commission), Sonia Nath (Food and Drug Administration), Kathy O’Neill (antitrust) and Michelle Rogers (financial services).

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