The National Bankruptcy Conference (NBC) has elected Stephen D. Lerner, partner and global chair of the Squire Patton Boggs Restructuring & Insolvency Practice Group, to membership as Conferee.
NBC is a non-profit, non-partisan organization of approximately 60 lawyers, law professors and bankruptcy judges whose primary purpose is to advise Congress on the operation of bankruptcy and related laws and any proposed changes to those laws. It was formed in the 1930’s at the request of Congress to assist in the drafting of major Depression-era bankruptcy law amendments, ultimately resulting in the Chandler Act of 1938.
"Our three new Conferees are outstanding leaders of our profession, and each promises to bring a distinctive set of skills to the ongoing challenge of improving our bankruptcy laws and their administration," said Professor Douglas Baird, NBC Chair.
Mr. Lerner has an extensive national and cross-border restructuring practice in which he represents debtors, distressed businesses, committees of unsecured creditors, secured and unsecured creditors, equity interest holders, boards of directors and acquirers of troubled businesses in Chapter 11 reorganization cases, Chapter 15 cross-border cases, Chapter 9 municipal restructurings and out-of-court restructurings throughout the US, Europe, the United Arab Emirates, South America and India. Mr. Lerner has led the representation of clients in the Chapter 11 cases of Lehman Brothers, Enron, Chrysler, WorldCom, FirstEnergy Solutions, AmFin Financial, Blackjewel, Hartshorne Mining Group, Midway Gold, and EaglePicher, among many others. Lerner is currently serving as lead restructuring counsel for Ferrellgas. He has served as special counsel to the State of New Jersey in the out of court restructuring of Atlantic City and as lead restructuring advisor to Dana Gas PJSC, the largest independent gas company in the Middle East, in its US$700 million Islamic financing restructuring.
A recognized leader in his field, Mr. Lerner is a Fellow and Chair of the International Committee of the American College of Bankruptcy, and previously served as Chair of the Board of Regents, Director and Regent for the 6th Circuit. He is a member of the International Insolvency Institute, the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of the American Bankruptcy Institute, and the Cincinnati chapter of the Turnaround Management Association. Mr. Lerner is the Founder and member of the Tri-State Association for Corporate Renewal and is the former Program Chair of the American Bankruptcy Institute’s Midwest Regional Bankruptcy Seminar.