Jimmy Ryan
Overview
Experience
Representative Matters
Northvolt AB — Representation of Northvolt AB and eight of its affiliates in their Chapter 11 cases filed in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas. Northvolt is a Swedish manufacturer of electric vehicle batteries with a mission to build the world’s greenest battery. As of the petition date, Northvolt had nearly $6 billion in funded debt obligations. Northvolt filed Chapter 11 with commitments of $100 million in new money debtor-in-possession financing from a key customer and access to approximately $145 million in cash collateral from its project finance lenders.
WeWork, Inc. — Representation of WeWork, Inc. and its debtor affiliates — the leading global flexible space provider — in their Chapter 11 cases in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey. With approximately $17 billion in funded debt and lease obligations at the time of filing and posing complex, novel issues of international, regulatory and foreign law, WeWork, with over 500 entities, is one of the largest jointly administered Chapter 11 cases in history. Through its Chapter 11 cases, WeWork was able to equitize all $4.3 billion of its funded indebtedness, right size its lease portfolio and reduce future obligations by $11 billion as the result of a pioneering strategy for rent negotiations, facilitate a global settlement with numerous stakeholders and navigate complex cross-border issues.
West Marine, Inc. — Representation of West Marine, Inc. and its affiliates, the nation’s leading omnichannel provider in the marine aftermarket, in multiple transactions, including a comprehensive out-of-court restructuring of its existing capital structure supported by 100 percent of the Company’s existing lenders and its equity sponsor. The comprehensive transaction delevered the Company’s funded indebtedness by more than $500 million, provided the Company access to $125 million of new money term loan financing, and left trade claims unimpaired.
Learfield Communications, LLC — Representation of Learfield Communications, LLC and its affiliates, a leading media and technology company in the college sports market, in a nearly $1 billion out-of-court restructuring with unanimous support from Learfield’s existing lenders and equity sponsors. The transactions substantially delevered Learfield’s balance sheet and provided access to significant new money equity investments, strengthening Learfield’s financial and liquidity positions.
Lannett Company, Inc. — Representation of Lannett Company, Inc., and its debtor affiliates in their prepackaged Chapter 11 cases filed the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. Lannett is a manufacturer and distributor of generic pharmaceutical products that had more than $650 million of prepetition funded debt obligations. Prior to commencing the Chapter 11 cases, Lannett entered into a restructuring support agreement with holders of more than 80% of Lannett’s first lien notes and 100% of its second lien term lenders to implement a comprehensive restructuring, eliminate approximately $597 million of funded debt obligations, and emerge as a privately owned company.
Lincoln Power, L.L.C. — Representation of Investec Bank plc (“Investec”), as administrative agent under a senior secured credit agreement, in negotiating the successful Chapter 11 purchase of substantially all of Lincoln Power, L.L.C.’s (“Lincoln”) assets by Avenue Capital Group in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. The purchase included Lincoln’s two gas-fired, power-generation facilities in Illinois that can produce up to 810 MW of energy.
BlockFi — Representation of BlockFi Inc. and certain of its subsidiaries (“BlockFi”) in their Chapter 11 cases in the District of New Jersey. BlockFi is an industry-leading provider of cryptocurrency related products and services, allowing its retail and institutional clients access to liquidity, yield, and credit. Following disruption in the cryptocurrency industry, BlockFi commenced Chapter 11 to stabilize its business and provide for the opportunity to consummate a comprehensive restructuring transaction that maximizes value for its clients and stakeholders.
Carestream Health, Inc. — Representation of Carestream Health, Inc. and its debtor affiliates in their prepackaged Chapter 11 cases filed in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. Carestream, a Rochester, New York based global provider of medical imaging systems and non-destructive testing products had more than $1.3 billion of prepetition funded debt obligations. Prior to commencing the Chapter 11 cases, Carestream entered into a restructuring support agreement with a majority of its secured creditors to implement the comprehensive restructuring, eliminate approximately $470 million of funded debt obligations, and provide the Company with new liquidity through an $85 million exit facility and $75 million equity rights offering.
Celsius Network LLC — Representation of Celsius Network LLC and its affiliates in their Chapter 11 cases filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. Celsius is one of the largest and most sophisticated cryptocurrency-based finance platforms in the world and provides financial services to institutional, corporate, and retail clients across more than 100 countries.
HONX, Inc. — Representation of HONX, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Hess Corporation, in its successful Chapter 11 case filed in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas. HONX and its corporate predecessors had for decades been subject to thousands of asbestos-related personal injury claims in connection with HONX’s former ownership and operation of an oil refinery on St. Croix, in the U.S. Virgin Islands. HONX filed its Chapter 11 bankruptcy case in April 2022 with the goal of fully and finally resolving all asbestos-related personal injury claims that were or could be asserted against HONX and Hess in one forum, using section 524(g) of the Bankruptcy Code. HONX confirmed its plan utilizing a section 524(g) channeling injunction in less than two years at a confirmation hearing jointly presided over by Judge Alfred H. Bennett of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas and Judge Marvin P. Isgur of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas. Pursuant to the plan, HONX established a settlement trust, funded with up to $190 million from Hess, to satisfy all valid current and future asbestos claims, which resulted in prompt and fair compensation for claimants and finality from current and potential future asbestos tort litigation for HONX and Hess.
Carlson Travel, Inc. — Representation of Carlson Travel, Inc. and 37 of its affiliates (“CWT”) in the fastest cross-border prepackaged restructuring transaction to date. On November 12, 2021, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas entered an order confirming CWT’s prepackaged Chapter 11 plan of reorganization, just 18 hours after commencing bankruptcy proceedings. CWT is a leader in business travel management with over 12,000 employees and operations in 140 countries and territories around the world. As a result of the restructuring, CWT eliminated almost $900 million of its $1.6 billion of debt, secured access to $775 million of exit facilities and a $350 million equity investment, and preserved the entirety of its worldwide employee base.
Clerk & Government Experience
Judicial InternHonorable Joseph N. LaplanteUnited States District Court for the District of New HampshireSummer 2019
Prior Experience
Summer Associate, Kirkland & Ellis LLP, Summer 2020
Project Coordinator, Hanscom Federal Credit Union, 2017–2018
Marketing Intern, Speedway LLC, Spring 2016
More
Thought Leadership
Publications
Co-Author with Robert S. Reder, "Jarden Appraisal: Delaware Supreme Court Affirms Chancery Court’s Exclusive Reliance on Unaffected Market Price in Determining ‘Fair Value’ Under DGCL § 262,” 74 Vanderbilt Law Review En Banc 241, 2021
Memberships & Affiliations
American Bar Association
Credentials
Admissions & Qualifications
- 2022New York
Courts
- United States Department of Veterans Affairs, Accreditation
- United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
Education
- Vanderbilt Law SchoolJ.D.2021
Certificate in Law and Business
Law Clerk, Vanderbilt University Office of General Counsel, Spring 2021
Research Assistant, Professor Jeffrey Schoenblum, Fall 2020
Student Attorney, The Stanton Foundation First Amendment Clinic, Spring 2020
- Johnson & Wales UniversityB.S., Marketingmagna cum laude2017
Dean's List
Varsity Wrestling Team