Jackson Walker congratulates our Bankruptcy, Restructuring, & Recovery team for their recognition as award recipients at the 18^th Annual Turnaround Awards Gala during the 2024 Distressed Investing Summit. The award ceremony took place on Tuesday, March 19, 2023, at The Ben Hotel in Palm Beach, Florida.

Restructuring of the Year ($250MM to $500MM) for Auto Plus

Jackson Walker is proud to have been awarded Restructuring of the Year ($250MM to $500MM) for their role as lead restructuring counsel in the IEH Auto Parts Holding, LLC (Auto Plus) Chapter 11 cases by The M&A Advisor (18th Annual Turnaround Awards). The annual awards recognize leading transactions, firms, and individuals in the distressed investing, bankruptcy, and restructuring industry over the past year. The two pillars supporting this restructuring were a hard-fought mediation resulting in a consensual plan of liquidation and a complex 363 sale process in which substantially all of the assets of Auto Plus were sold to various bidders in a competitive auction. The mediated settlement, the sales, and the Chapter 11 process saved over 75% of jobs and allowed the company to effectuate a post-effective date orderly wind down of remaining operations. The Jackson Walker team thanks The M&A Advisor for this recognition.

The Jackson Walker team included restructuring attorneys Matthew D. Cavenaugh, Veronica Polnick, Vienna Flores Anaya, Genevieve Graham, and Emily Flynn Meraia. Jackson Walker corporate attorneys Michael F. Meskill, Arturo Cavazos Jr., and Bradley S. Knippa put together the financing motion, and a team led by Mario Perez Dolan worked to facilitate the sale of more than 300 retail locations and distribution centers.

Restructuring of the Year ($1B to $5B) for GWG Holdings, Inc.

Jackson Walker is honored to have been recognized by The M&A Advisor (18th Annual Turnaround Awards) for its role in the Chapter 11 cases of GWG Holdings, Inc.—this year’s Restructuring Deal of the Year ($1B-$5B). The annual awards recognize leading transactions, firms, and individuals in the distressed investing, bankruptcy, and restructuring industry over the past year. Jackson Walker served as co-counsel and local counsel for GWG Holdings, Inc. and its affiliates (GWG), a publicly traded life settlements and alternative investments company, in GWG’s fully consensual plan confirmation and ultimate emergence from Chapter 11, resolving more than $2.1 billion in debt.

The team was led by Kristhy M. Peguero, Matthew D. Cavenaugh, Genevieve Graham, and Victoria Nicole Argeroplos.

To learn about the transactions, view:

• The Texas Lawbook | Kane Russell Coleman Logan Team Comes Through for Unsecured Creditors in Icahn Co. Bankruptcy
• Law360 | Icahn-Owned IEH Auto Heads To Ch. 11 Liquidation
• Investment News | California B-D that sold GWG bonds files for bankruptcy
• Life Risk News | GWG Holdings Completes Its Bankruptcy Process in Texas

Meet JW

Since Jackson Walker’s founding in 1887, our attorneys have represented some of the most influential companies and business leaders in the world. Today, we remain firmly rooted in Texas while serving clients around the globe. With more than 500 attorneys, we are the largest firm in Texas and have been recognized by Law360 as a “Texas Powerhouse” and an “elite law firm” that regularly provides counsel to industry-leading clients on highly complex transactions. Our Bankruptcy, Restructuring, & Recovery practice has consistently been ranked among the top in Texas by Chambers and Partners since 2012 and was recognized in the National Tier 2 category in the U.S. News – Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” rankings in 2024. To explore our related experience, visit the Bankruptcy, Restructuring, & Recovery practice page.