Overview
Brett Lawrence is a partner in the Financial Restructuring group at Paul Hastings and is based in the firm’s New York office. Mr. Lawrence focuses on in-court and out-of-court restructuring and distressed M&A issues for creditors, distressed investors, and equity holders. He represents official and ad hoc committees of creditors and equity holders, and counsels individual investors in structuring and executing investments, raising capital, and acquiring distressed assets.
Mr. Lawrence frequently counsels a wide range of clients on foreclosures, rights offerings, and the many securities-related questions that arise when trading securities, including the use of Big Boy letters and other compliance strategies.
Recognitions
- Best Lawyers: Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, 2025
- Best Lawyers
- IFLR1000, Notable Practitioner
- The Legal 500
Education
- J.D., University of Pennsylvania Law School, 1994; Managing Editor, University of Pennsylvania Law Review
- M.B.A., The Wharton School, The University of Pennsylvania, 1994
- B.A., cum laude, Yale University, 1989
Representations
His recent M&A representations include the following:
- APW Communications (controlling stockholder)
- Bryson Broadcast (selling minority stockholder)
- Cenveo (selling stockholders)
- Day International (selling stockholders)
- Delta Education (acquirer)
- DTN Holding Company (selling stockholders)
- Etalk (selling stockholders)
- Flint (sale of division)
- Oneida (selling stockholders)
- Platt (acquirer)
- STVT-AAI (acquirer)
His recent distressed and bankruptcy-related representations include the following:
- ADF Restaurants (secured lender)
- Affirmative Insurance (secured lenders)
- Allied Nevada Gold Corp. (DIP lenders and ad hoc committee of noteholders)
- Alltran (secured lender)
- Ascend Wellness Holdings (agents/lenders)
- ATI Education, Inc. (secured lenders)
- Aventine Property Group (convertible noteholders)
- Bankruptcy Management Solutions (secured lenders)
- Burkhalter Rigging, Inc. (secured lender)
- Citadel Broadcasting Corporation (official creditors’ committee)
- CNG Holdings (secured lender)
- Colt Defense (senior secured lender)
- Delphi Automotive Group (rights offering backstop provider)
- Delta Education (secured lender)
- Emergent (convertible noteholders)
- FairPoint Communications, Inc. (ad hoc committee of noteholders)
- Golden Gaming, Inc. (secured lenders)
- Healogics (secured lenders)
- Hughes Supply Company (ad hoc committee of noteholders)
- Imageware (convert holders)
- Landsbanki (directors)
- LSC Communication (official creditors’ committee)
- Mark Andy (secured lender)
- MF Global Holdings (directors)
- MModal (official creditors’ committee)
- Mood Media (units offering backstop providers)
- Morris Publishing Group (ad hoc committee of noteholders)
- Pegasus Satellite Communications (ad hoc committee of noteholders)
- PharmaCann (senior secured lender)
- Pizza Hut Franchisee (secured lender)
- Plews (secured lender)
- Owens Corning Corporation (rights offering backstop provider)
- School Specialty (ad hoc committee of noteholders)
- Solutia, Inc. (rights offering backstop providers)
- SONIFI (f/k/a LodgeNet) (individual lender)
- Targus Group International, Inc. (secured lenders)
- Teligent (convertible noteholders)
- Texas Petrochemicals, Inc. (official creditors’ committee)
- Universal Fiber (secured lenders)
His recent borrower and company-related representations include the following:
- Archway Marketing
- Ancora Education
- Cenveo Corporation
- Innovairre Holdings
Engagement & Publications
- Co-author, "Rights Offerings: Raising Cash Without Registering Securities," Journal of Corporate Renewal, 2004
- Co-author, "Big Boy Letters: Playing it Safe After O'Hagan," Journal of Corporate Renewal, 2004