Overview
Kris Hansen is Co-Chair of the Financial Restructuring group at Paul Hastings and is based in the firm’s New York office. Mr. Hansen is a dealmaker and a consummate tactician renowned for his strong judgment, financial IQ and expansive market knowledge.
Throughout his career, Mr. Hansen has guided clients through proceedings in bankruptcy and appellate courts across the country, as well as through many out-of-court situations.
Mr. Hansen helps sophisticated investors in distressed credit formulate and execute complex strategies involving mergers and acquisitions, financing and litigation in and outside of actual bankruptcy. He represents official creditors’ committees in complex corporate chapter 11 cases, and corporate debtors in connection with formal bankruptcy proceedings and informal negotiations to restructure their debt obligations.
Recognitions
- Best Lawyers: Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, 2025
- Benchmark Litigation, “Litigation Star”
- Best Lawyers, “various national rankings in the area of Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights”
- Chambers Global: Bankruptcy/Restructuring: The Elite
- Chambers USA: Bankruptcy/Restructuring
- Chambers New York: Bankruptcy/Restructuring
- Futures and Options 2021 “Dream Big” Honoree
- IFLR1000, Highly Regarded
- IFLR1000, 2020 “Deal of the Year: Banking and Finance” for Pacific Gas and Electric Company
- K&A Restructuring Register, “Outstanding Lawyers”
- Law360, “Bankruptcy MVP”
- The Legal 500 USA, Leading Lawyer, Restructuring Including Bankruptcy: Corporate (2022)
- Super Lawyers
- Turnaround & Workouts, “Outstanding Restructuring Lawyers”
- Turnaround Management Association, 2018 Turnaround of the Year: Mega Company
Mr. Hansen was also recently inducted into the American College of Bankruptcy, a highly selective honorary and educational association of bankruptcy and insolvency professionals.
Education
- Fordham University School of Law, J.D., 1995
- Fordham University, B.S. in Finance, 1992
Representations
Some of Mr. Hansen’s notable creditor representations include the following:
- Avaya, Inc. (ad hoc group of first and second lien creditors)
- Boardriders (ad hoc group of noteholders)
- Brookstone, Inc. (ad hoc committee of second lien noteholders)
- Calpine Corporation (ad hoc committee of convertible noteholders)
- Caesars Entertainment Corporation (ad hoc group of first lien lenders)
- Carlson Wagonlit Travel (ad hoc group of secured noteholders)
- Core Scientific (ad hoc group of noteholders)
- Dana Corporation (ad hoc committee of noteholders)
- Dayton Superior (official creditors’ committee)
- Extraction Oil & Gas (official creditors’ committee)
- FTX (official creditors’ committee)
- Guitar Center (ad hoc group of noteholders)
- Harry & David (ad hoc committee of noteholders)
- IAC/InterActiveCorp (ad hoc committee of noteholders)
- Indiana Downs/Indiana Live! (ad hoc committee of noteholders)
- J.C. Penney Company, Inc. (ad hoc secured crossover group)
- K-V Pharmaceutical Company (official creditors’ committee)
- Lear Corporation (ad hoc committee of noteholders)
- LightSquared Inc. (secured creditor)
- Lone Pine Resources (certain noteholders)
- LSC Communications (official committee of unsecured creditors)
- The McClatchy Company (official committee of unsecured creditors)
- NationsRent, Inc. (ad hoc committee of secured lenders and plan sponsor)
- Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust (lenders)
- SmileDirectClub (official committee of unsecured creditors)
- Steward Health Care (ABL)
- Strike (asset purchaser, DIP lender, ABL and term lender)
- TPC Group (first and second lien noteholders, DIP lenders, backstop parties)
- WeWork (official committee of unsecured creditors)
In addition, Mr. Hansen has acted as debtors’ counsel to: Ambassadors International, Inc., AMF Bowling, Flushing Hospital, Loehmann’s Inc., Recoton Corporation, Trism Trucking, Trump Entertainment Resorts and Union Hospital.
Engagement & Publications
Mr. Hansen is a frequent panelist and lecturer at American Bankruptcy Institute, Southeastern Bankruptcy Law Institute, Turnaround Management Association and other industry-sponsored events.
Select engagements include:
- Speaker, “Post-Restructuring,” American Bankruptcy Institute New York City Bankruptcy Conference, 2021,
- Panelist, "Lender-on-Lender Violence and Its Impact on Valuation Controversies," American Bankruptcy Institute VALCON, 2021
- Moderator, “CDS Markets,” American Bankruptcy Institute New York City Bankruptcy Conference, New York City, 2019
- Moderator, “Practical Issues in Corporate Governance Before, During and Upon Emergence from Chapter 11,” American Bankruptcy Institute 19th Annual New York City Bankruptcy Conference, 2017
- Speaker, “The Intersection of Bankruptcy and Intellectual Property,” District of Delaware Second Annual Bench and Bar Conference, 2016
- Speaker, “Flashpoints for Intercreditor Disputes,” American Bankruptcy Institute 18th Annual New York City Bankruptcy Conference, 2016