Overview

David Nemecek is a superstar leveraged finance lawyer. - Chambers USA, 2022

Dave Nemecek is a nationally recognized corporate partner in the Dallas and New York offices. Dave's practice focuses on debt finance transactions with an emphasis on representing private equity sponsors, portfolio companies, hedge funds, asset managers and alternative capital sources in complex financing transactions, including leveraged buyouts, liability management exercises, recapitalizations, restructurings and other special situation transactions.

Dave has led the design of some of the most complex and novel liability management exercises completed in recent years, including exercises for Apex Tool Group, GoTo Group, Radiology Partners, U.S. Renal Care, Wheel Pros, At Home, Carvana, Anywhere, Boardriders, Envision Healthcare, Travelport, TriMark, Tupperware, PetSmart, Macy’s, Cineworld, Neiman Marcus, Cirque du Soleil, Guitar Center, and California Pizza Kitchen. 

In 2023, Dave was recognized by the Los Angeles Business Journal as one of Los Angeles’ Top 100 Lawyers. Dave is rated as a “Band 1” Banking and Finance attorney by Chambers USA, and has been recognized by Chambers USA since 2014. The 2022 edition of Chambers USA noted that Dave “is one of the best lawyers in the business. He is truly creative as they come, smarter than almost anyone I know and a true, loyal partner in every sense of the word." “He is the best liability management attorney in the business hands-down."

Previous editions of Chambers USA cited clients describing Dave as:

  • “super smart; one of the smartest in the room. He can quickly distill a business point into what matters and what doesn't to get to the bottom line more quickly." "He has pure brain power."
  • my first call any time I have a complicated situation. I can’t think of any weaknesses for him, he is simply a phenomenal debt lawyer.”
  • "hands down the best lawyer I have ever worked with;” "his strengths are his depth of knowledge, his response time and his ability to fight for the issues that actually matter."
  • “a leading trailblazer in the terms folks are able to get;”
  • “the thing that sets him apart from other counsel is that he gets to the answer fast; he can quickly understand a business issue and come up with a solution.”

Dave was among 10 lawyers recognized as “The Most Innovative Individual Practitioner” in the Financial Times’ 2020 North America Innovative Lawyers Report, for his creative approach to debt-financing transactions, devising deal structures other lawyers said could not be accomplished, including his work advising Macy’s on a groundbreaking $4.5 billion recapitalization during the COVID-19 pandemic. The National Law Journal named Dave to its 2019 list of “Finance, Banking & Capital Markets Trailblazers,” for his work on behalf of such clients as Neiman Marcus and PetSmart. The Legal 500 U.S. praised Dave as being "thorough, knowledgeable, responsive and deal oriented," and the IFLR1000 noted him as “Highly Regarded.” Dave is designated a “Super Lawyer” by Southern California Super Lawyers. In 2023, the Los Angeles Business Journal named Dave to its list of the "Top 100 Lawyers," and in 2017, he was named one of the “Top 40 Under 40” lawyers for the State of California by the Daily Journal.

Dave has negotiated and closed transactions in a diverse group of industries, including retail, restaurant, apparel, energy, healthcare, media, software, cosmetics, specialty finance and biotechnology.

More

Thought Leadership

Panelist, “Liability Management or Opportunity Run Amok: Debt Restructuring Transactions 2.0,” National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges 97th Annual Conference, October 12, 2023

Moderator, Panel on Private Credit, Wharton Private Equity & Venture Capital Virtual Conference, April 9, 2021 

Panelist, "Distressed Finance to the Rescue," 2020 Refinitiv LPC Middle Market and Large Corporate Loans Virtual Conference, September 15, 2020

Guest Lecturer, “Advanced Private Equity,” Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, 2018–2020

Columbia Business School PE & VC Conference, February 23, 2018

'Tis the Season—The Real Deal on Retail, Financial Lawyers Conference, December 7, 2017

A Spooky Brew: Trends in the Finance Cauldron Create a Potion of Unexpected Outcomes in Recent Restructurings, Financial Lawyers Conference, November 2, 2017

Co-Lecturer with Andy Kaufman, “Syndicated Loan Transactions,” University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law, Spring 2013

Recognition

Recognized by Chambers USA for California Banking & Finance, 2014–2023

Recognized by the Los Angeles Business Journal as one of Los Angeles’ Top 100 Lawyers, 2023

Recognized as a “Banking and Finance Visionary” by the Los Angeles Times in the inaugural edition of their Banking & Finance Magazine, 2021

Recognized by The Legal 500 U.S. for Restructuring (including bankruptcy), 2022 

Recognized by The Legal 500 U.S. for Commercial Lending, 2012, 2015–2016, 2018–2022 and Private Equity Buyouts, 2016

Named among 10 lawyers recognized as the “Most Innovative Individual Practitioner” in the Financial Times’ North America Innovative Lawyers Report, 2020 

Recognized by the Los Angeles Business Journal as one of Los Angeles’ leading professionals in their 40’s, 2020 

Recognized by The National Law Journal as a “Finance, Banking & Capital Markets Trailblazer,” 2019

Recognized by IFLR1000 as "Highly Regarded" in California for Banking and Real Estate Finance, 2018–2023

Selected as one of the “Top 40 Under 40” by the Daily Journal, April 2017

“Super Lawyer” Southern California Super Lawyers, 2018–2020

"Rising Star" Southern California Super Lawyers, 2012–2017

Credentials

Admissions & Qualifications

  • Texas
  • California
  • New York

Education

  • Harvard Law SchoolJ.D.2002
  • Northwestern UniversityB.A., American Studiesmagna cum laude1999
    Phi Beta Kappa