New York, NY (February 28, 2006) Heller Ehrman LLP today announced the addition of Russell L. Reid Jr. as a shareholder in the firm’s New York office. Mr. Reid joins Heller Ehrman from Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, where his practice focused on all facets of restructuring and insolvency. Mr. Reid is the fifth new shareholder to join the firm’s New York office this year, following the recent announcement of Kelley Drye & Warren’s Labor and Employment Practice Group joining the firm last month. Since the beginning of 2006, Heller Ehrman has added 22 attorneys and professionals on the East Coast, including Wesley Fredericks, Chair of American Bar Association International Business Law Committee (New York); Ted Henneberry, former Member of the Irish Competition Authority (Washington, D.C.); and, most recently, Swidler Berlin’s Insurance Practice (Washington, D.C.).
“Russell’s experience fits very well with the kinds of bankruptcy litigation, insolvency counseling and debt enforcement services our restructuring and insolvency practice currently provides,” said Joseph T. McLaughlin, Chairman of Heller Ehrman’s New York office. “Russell also has specific experience representing servicers of securitized mortgage trusts in default situations, a specialty practice increasingly important to our existing financial institution clients. We have a very active restructuring and insolvency practice and Russell’s addition will allow us to continue to provide high-level senior advice to our clients in New York as the practice expands.”
Russell L. Reid, Jr.
Mr. Reid earned his B.F.A., magna cum laude, in journalism and his B.B.A., cum laude, from Southern Methodist University. He received his J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law, where he was Chief Articles Editor of The Review of Litigation and a member of the Board of Advocates. Upon graduation, Mr. Reid joined Vinson & Elkins LLP’s Dallas office as an associate and was elected partner in 1998. In 2003, Mr. Reid joined Akin Gump Strauss Hauer Feld LLP. His practice focuses on the areas of creditors’ rights, bankruptcy, and corporate reorganization and refinance, with particular emphasis on default administration for corporate trustees and servicers of securitized mortgage trusts. Mr. Reid’s client representations include parties in bankruptcy proceedings, receiverships and out-of-court restructurings, as well as in related litigation. His experience also encompasses the representation of Chapter 7 and Chapter 11 trustees and defendant creditors in fraudulent transfer and preference actions and turnover proceedings. He has served clients in matters involving national, regional and local businesses in the areas of agriculture, banking, energy, fine art, health care, insurance, professional sports, real estate, retailing and telecommunications.
“Heller Ehrman provides an excellent platform for further developing my practice and the firm’s commitment to its core values was of special interest to me,” said Mr. Reid. “The reputation of the firm’s bankruptcy practice and the opportunity to help build and strengthen the practice on the East Coast were very important reasons for my choosing to join Heller Ehrman.”
Heller Ehrman’s Restructuring & Insolvency Practice Group includes more than 20 attorneys focused on all aspects of complex bankruptcy, reorganizations and debt restructurings. We have significant experience in large, complex domestic and international insolvency proceedings. We also handle complex restructuring work with the world’s largest institutional lenders and other secured and unsecured creditors, creditor and equity committees, debtors, trustees, lessors of real and personal property, acquirers of distressed assets and businesses, state and federal court receivers, and equity holders. We take a multidisciplinary approach to debt-related problems by drawing on the resources of our bankruptcy, corporate, finance, tax, litigation and real estate practices. Our international presence in Hong Kong, Beijing and Singapore and our affiliations in Europe have allowed us to guide clients through the often-inconsistent insolvency laws around the world.
Facts About Our Restructuring & Insolvency Practice
* Internationally recognized bankruptcy and restructuring team includes attorneys recognized among the leaders in their field in the American College of Bankruptcy, Corporate Counsel, Chambers USA’s America’s Leading Business Lawyers, Best Lawyers in America and Guide to World’s Leading Insolvency and Restructuring Lawyers.
* Involved in some of the most significant bankruptcy cases in U.S. history, including Pacific Gas and Electric Company, United Airlines, Enron, Mirant, Calpine, NextWave and WorldCom.
* Successfully negotiated on behalf of W.R. Carpenter of North America, Inc. one of the Eastern District of California’s largest and most complicated Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings.
* Extensive experience in cross-border matters, drawing upon the resources of our international offices and affiliations. Our team in Asia handled the largest corporate and debt restructuring in Hong Kong’s history.
Heller Ehrman’s New York office has 110 attorneys and recently moved into new offices in the landmark Times Square Tower. Clients represented by attorneys in the New York office include financial institutions, professional service firms and Fortune 500 companies, including VISA U.S.A, Ernst & Young LLP, Deloitte & Touche LLP, KPMG, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Citibank, JP Morgan Chase, Bank of America, Philip Morris USA, Washington Mutual, GMAC Commercial Mortgage Corp., Credit Suisse Securities, Goldman Sachs and Allen & Company, LLC.
Heller Ehrman LLP has more than 700 attorneys and professionals in 12 offices worldwide – Anchorage; Beijing; Hong Kong; Los Angeles; Madison, WI; New York; San Diego; San Francisco; Seattle; Silicon Valley; Singapore; and Washington, D.C. As a full-service law firm, we represent a wide range of industry leaders, from entrepreneurial, technology-driven enterprises to established, multinational conglomerates. At Heller Ehrman, we take a multidisciplinary approach to the practice of law, drawing upon our legal, scientific and industry knowledge from across the firm to build the best legal teams for our clients. Through commitment to our core values of Excellence, People, Teamwork, Innovation, Community and One Firm, we offer clients unparalleled legal service.
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Contact:
John Buchanan
+1.415.772.6715
john.buchanan@hellerehrman.com
Alexi Estrella
+1.415.772.6384
alexi.estrella@hellerehrman.com
