Cullen Drescher Speckhart

Cullen is chair of Cooley’s business restructuring practice and partner in charge of its Washington, DC, office. Cullen is a top advocate in corporate restructuring and financial litigation, with a diverse practice spanning a range of industries, including private equity, healthcare, life sciences, technology, energy and retail. She regularly represents debtors, creditors’ committees, trustees and foreign representatives in significant bankruptcy matters throughout the US. Cullen also is recognized for her proactive, forward-focused approach to solvency strategy and for providing tactical guidance to Cooley business clients – including public, private and high-growth companies – in all aspects of contingency planning, risk mitigation and business portfolio improvement. 

Having led some of the largest and most significant restructuring engagements in a multitude of jurisdictions, Cullen has deep experience in complex insolvency litigation. Her recent practice experience includes serving as lead restructuring counsel to official creditor constituencies in Mallinckrodt, LTL Management (Johnson & Johnson), Endo International, Le Tote, 24 Hour Fitness and White Stallion Energy.

Cullen also acts as lead restructuring counsel to companies seeking to reorganize in and out of court and provides business risk management and strategic advice to entities across such industries as technology, life sciences, cyber services and cryptocurrency. Cullen’s company-side practice involves representation of public and private debtors in Chapter 11 cases, and she often confronts complex emerging legal issues and matters of public importance. Her current work on behalf of companies in bankruptcy includes representing Ascena Retail Group (Ann Taylor, Loft, Lane Bryant), as well as serving as lead restructuring counsel to Enjoy Technology, NS8, PhaseBio Pharmaceuticals, Quanergy Systems and Lucira Health in Chapter 11 proceedings.

Cullen has led numerous engagements in the energy sector, representing clients in various roles – including In re Foresight Energy LP; In re Alpha Natural Resources, Inc.; In re Arch Coal, Inc.; In re Patriot Coal Corporation; In re James River Coal Company; In re Armstrong Energy, Inc.; In re Cloud Peak Energy Inc.; In re Westmoreland Coal Company; In re Cambrian Holding Company; In re Blackjewel LLC; and In re Peabody Energy Corporation. Cullen’s other noteworthy engagements include In re Toys R Us, Inc., in which she served as co-counsel to the official committee of unsecured creditors; In re Circuit City Stores, Inc., in which she served as co-counsel to the debtors; In re White Birch Paper Company and Bear Island Paper Company, in which she served as counsel to the Canadian monitor; In re Workflow Management, Inc.; In re USA Discounters, Ltd.; In re Eastman Kodak Company; In re Noranda Aluminum, Inc.; In re Health Diagnostic Laboratory, Inc.; In re The Gymboree Corporation; and In re Windstream Holdings, Inc.

Cullen is a sought-after speaker, presenting to national audiences on a variety of legal considerations, including those surrounding corporate insolvencies, restructuring in life sciences and technology, career and professional development, advocacy and leadership. In 2015, she co-authored the American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI) manual on Chapter 15 of the Bankruptcy Code. In 2017, ABI featured Cullen on its inaugural 40 Under 40 list recognizing bankruptcy, insolvency and restructuring professionals from around the world. In 2021, on account of exemplary practice performance and leadership, she was named Restructuring Lawyer of the Year at the Global M&A Network’s 13th Annual Turnaround Atlas Awards.

Cullen serves on the advisory board of the Institute for Restructuring Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, and her career, practice and leadership experiences have been covered by numerous national media outlets. As part of her work on issues related to diversity, equity and inclusion and women’s initiatives, Cullen led a team in designing and delivering a bespoke leadership training program for Cooley professionals seeking development in confidence, public speaking, and personal branding.

Before entering private practice, Cullen clerked for then-Chief Judge Stephen C. St. John of the US Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. During law school, she was the first prize winner of the ABI’s inaugural Bankruptcy Law Student Writing Competition and the first law student ever to receive the Thatcher Prize for Excellence, an award presented annually to a William & Mary graduate student of outstanding scholarship, leadership, service and character.