Jeffrey D. Pawlitz
Partner, Business Reorganization & Restructuring
Jeff Pawlitz is a partner in the Business Reorganization & Restructuring Department of Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP.
Jeff advises sophisticated investors in distressed and opportunistic financing transactions and complex restructuring matters, including multi-jurisdictional and cross-border matters spanning numerous industries. He also has significant experience serving as lead counsel to companies in chapter 11 and out-of-court restructuring transactions.
Jeff is a dealmaker recognized for his ability to identify and execute creative solutions in complex distressed situations. Clients praise his situational awareness and relentless pursuit to achieve their desired results. Chambers USA (2024) ranks him among the leading practitioners in the area of Bankruptcy/Restructuring (New York).
Experience
- “PRIMER: Chapter 11 Bankruptcy,” IFLR1000, April 24, 2019 (quoted)
- A Practitioner’s Guide to Prepackaged Bankruptcy: A Primer, American Bankruptcy Institute (2011)
- “The Race to the Starting Line: Developing Prepackaged and Prenegotiated Reorganization Plans to Maximize Value,” Navigating Today’s Environment, The Directors’ and Officers’ Guide to Restructuring (2010) (Authored chapter)
- Jeff is a panelist and speaker on restructuring and distressed debt-related topics at various industry events, including the ABI New York City Bankruptcy Conference, J.P. Morgan Global High Yield & Leveraged Finance Conference and Debtwire Distressed Mid-Market Conference.
Jeff’s significant engagements include:
- American Tire Distributors (ATD) (administrative agent)
- AMF Bowling (company)
- Apex Energy (minority lender)
- Caesar’s Entertainment (company)
- The Dolan Company (company)
- Drive Medical dba Drive DeVilbiss (first lien lender group)
- Friendly’ s Ice Cream (company)
- GSE Environmental (company)
- hibu fka Yellowbook (company)
- Horizon Lines (company)
- ITR Concession Company (company)
- J.Crew (significant secured creditor)
- Lecta (bondholder group)
- Ligado Networks (preferred equity group)
- Logan’s Roadhouse (significant secured lender)
- Natural American Foods (purchaser)
- Nine West (crossover lender group
- Northwest Hardwoods (secured bondholder group)
- Optima Speciality Steel (exit facility lender)
- Payless Holdings (first lien lender group)
- PIRCH (company)
- Platinum Energy Solutions (company)
- Seadrill Partners (minority lender group)
- Stallion Oilfield Services (company)
- TNT Crane & Rigging (crossholder lender group)
- Transtar (DACCO Transmission Parts) (minority lender group)
- Tropicana Entertainment (company)
- U.S. Concrete (company)
- VER Technologies (sponsor)
- Vince Camuto (first lien lender group)
Credentials
Education
Washington University, J.D. (magna cum laude), 2007 University of Missouri - Columbia, B.S., 2004