Gregg M. Galardi
Partner
Gregg Galardi is co-chair of the firm’s business restructuring department. Gregg has broad global experience and has represented some of the most well-known debtors and distressed borrowers, in a wide variety of industries. Gregg has over 25 years of experience in both in court and out of court restructurings and reorganizations. He also serves the firm's sponsor client base and portfolio company clients in distressed M&A and special situations.
Gregg is a Fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy and was recently awarded Law360’s 2021 “Bankruptcy MVP” and The Deal’s 2021 “Debtor Counsel of the Year, Middle Market”. He formerly served as an adjunct professor at Vanderbilt Law School and is a frequent speaker on Chapter 11 issues.
Gregg has garnered significant accolades for his work, including recognition as a “Star Individual” by Chambers & Partners. Chambers USA has recognized Gregg in the area of Bankruptcy/Restructuring. His “reputation as an outstanding practitioner precedes him,” as he “is considered one of the foremost restructuring experts in the country,” with “a very strong track record in large debtor cases.” In addition, he has been praised for his “understanding of client objectives” and for “wanting to execute aggressively and take a pragmatic approach in reaching those goals.” Gregg “does a great job of being succinct and capturing issues in a way that can be digested by business people.” In 2013 and 2014, the Global M&A Network honored Gregg as one of the Top 100: Global Restructuring and Turnaround Professionals. The Legal 500 United States has recommended him, as he has a “wealth of experience.”
Experience
- Representing FB Debt Financing Guarantor, LLC and certain of its subsidiaries (“Forma Brands”), a builder of top beauty brands including Morphe®, Morphe 2®, Jaclyn Cosmetics®, and Born Dreamer®, in their Chapter 11 cases to address approximately $870 million of funded indebtedness, facilitate a going-concern 363 sale transaction for substantially all assets, and resolve numerous complex licensing and potential litigation issues.
- Representing Output Services Group, Inc. and certain of its affiliates in connection with its prepackaged Chapter 11 cases. Output Services Group is a leading provider of integrated customer communications and engagement services. The company’s plan of reorganization successfully restructured approximately $825 million of funded indebtedness through a consensual deleveraging of approximately $134 million and new money capital infusion of approximately $70 million.
- Representing amici curiae law professors in connection with their submission to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in the Purdue Pharma chapter 11 cases.
- Representing the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors in Bouchard Transportation’s chapter 11.
- Representing Altamont Capital Partners in connection with its joint purchase of prepetition debt of Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas, an owner and operator of dine-in movie theaters, joint provision of $60 million of debtor in possession financing, and credit bid for a substantial part of the business and assets of Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas through its chapter 11 cases.
- Represented Aquiline Capital Partners LLC as the pre-petition agent, Aquiline Agent Services LLC as the DIP agent, and In-Shape Acquisition 2021, LLC as stalking horse purchaser and ultimately the successful purchaser in connection with the In-Shape Holdings, LLC chapter 11 cases.
- Representing Rubio’s Grill, the operator and franchisor of approximately 170 limited service restaurants across California, Arizona and Nevada, in its chapter 11 cases to reduce its secured indebtedness on a consensual basis, address its operational footprint, and obtain a significant liquidity infusion upon emergence from chapter 11. Winner of Global M&A Network’s 2021 Turnaround Atlas Awards: Corporate Restructuring.
- Representing Centric Brands Inc., a leading lifestyle brands collective, and certain of its subsidiaries in their chapter 11 cases to recapitalize approximately $1.8 billion in funded indebtedness. Centric filed with a restructuring support agreement backed by its key funded debtholders, $435 million in debtor-in-possession financing, and a path to a quick and consensual emergence with a capital structure reduced by approximately $700 million. Winner of Global M&A Network’s 2021 Turnaround Atlas Awards: Chapter 11 Restructuring.
- Representing VIP Cinema Holdings, Inc. and certain of its affiliates (“VIP”), a multinational enterprise that is one of the largest manufacturers, and a pioneer, of luxury seating products for movie theaters, in its prepackaged Chapter 11 case in Delaware. In connection with its restructuring, VIP reached agreements with its first lien and second lien lenders, and its private equity sponsor, prior to filing the Chapter 11 case to deleverage its balance sheet by approximately $178 million.
- Lead counsel representing AeroGroup International LLC, a women’s footwear retailer, in its Chapter 11 case.
- Lead counsel representing Elliott Management Corporation as the largest unsecured creditor in the Chapter 11 cases of Energy Future Intermediate Holding Company LLC and its debtor affiliates.
- Lead counsel representing Gawker Media, LLC, a media publication, in its Chapter 11 case.
- Lead counsel representing City Sports Inc., a retailer, in its Chapter 11 case.
- Lead counsel representing the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors of Sabine Oil & Gas Corporation, et. al., an oil and gas exploration company, in its Chapter 11 case.
- Co-lead counsel representing Standard General, a hedge fund, in its debtor in possession financing and acquisition of a substantial part of the business and assets of RadioShack in its Chapter 11 case.*
- Lead counsel representing Delia’s Inc., a teen clothing company, in its Chapter 11 case.*
- Lead counsel representing Noble Logistics, a privately held logistics company, in its Chapter 11 case.*
- Lead counsel representing Ahern Rentals, a family owned equipment rental company, with over $620 million in debt, in its successful Chapter 11 reorganization in which equity retained its ownership upon emergence.*
- Lead counsel representing Reddy Ice, Inc., a packaged ice company, in its over US$100MM Chapter 11 reorganization.*
- Lead counsel representing Trailer Bridge, Inc., a shipping company, in its Chapter 11 reorganization.*
- Lead counsel representing CIT Group, Inc. in the largest pre-packaged bankruptcy and fifth largest bankruptcy case of all time, with its successful Chapter 11 Reorganization.*
- Lead counsel representing Fisker Automotive, in the A123 Chapter 11 case.*
- Lead counsel representing Boston Finance Group, the Unsecured Creditors’ Committee Chair, in the Revstone Chapter 11 cases.*
Representations completed prior to joining Ropes & Gray.*
Publications
- Co-author, “Start Your Auctions: Stalking Horse Bidding and Other Considerations for Driving Value in the Chapter 11 Sale Process,” chapter in Navigating Today's Environment: The Directors' and Officers' Guide to Restructuring (2023)
- Quoted, “2022 Outlook: Restructuring Activity May Resume as Companies Approach End of Runway,” Reorg Research (January 7, 2022)
- Quoted, “Bankruptcies are expected to tick higher in 2022. Hear from 5 experts on the industries most likely to crack first,” Business Insider (December 29, 2021)
- Co-author, “Implications of the Rule in Gibbs on the Effectiveness of Schemes of Arrangement to Compromise US Law-Governed Debt,” Global Restructuring Review (December 20, 2022)
- Co-author, “Nondebtor Release Bill Would Excessively Limit Ch. 11 Access,” Law360 (November 5, 2021)
- “MVP: Ropes & Gray’s Gregg Galardi,” Law360 (September 14, 2021)
- Quoted, “U.S. Bankruptcy Tracker: Easy Money Delays ‘Great Reckoning’,” Bloomberg Law (February 29, 2021)
- Quoted, “Gawker Adviser to Market Potential Claims Against Peter Thiel,” The Wall Street Journal (November 2, 2017)
- Martin A. Sosland, Adam Langley, The Honorable Kevin Gross, and Gregg M. Galardi, “Reorganizing Failing Businesses, Third Edition: Volume I, Part II, Chapter 11 Proceedings,” American Bar Association (2017)
- Contributing author, “Chapter 11 Bankruptcy and Restructuring Strategies,” Thomson Reuters (2015)
- “Are Gift Card Holders Receiving Better Treatment in Situations of Insolvency? A US vs UK Comparison,” Global Insights, Issue 16, Q4 (2015) (reprinted in Law 360)
- “Chapter 15: Section 363 Review Trumps Comity,” Global Insights, Issue 15, Q3 (2015)
- “Chapter 15 Venue Selection: Foreign Representatives – Delaware Delivers,” Global Insights, Issue 9, Q1 (2014)
Presentations
- Panelist, “Retail Reinvention,” Debtwire Investors Summit (April 26, 2018)
Education
- JD, cum laude, University of Pennsylvania Law School, University of Pennsylvania Law Review
- PhD (Philosophy), University of Pennsylvania
- MA (Economics), University of Pennsylvania
- BA, cum laude, University of Pennsylvania
Admissions / Qualifications
Qualifications
- New York
- District of Columbia
- Delaware
Court Admissions
- U.S. Supreme Court
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
Awards
- Chambers Global: The World’s Leading Lawyers for Business (2016-2023)
- Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business (2016-2022)
- IFLR 1000 (2019-2023)
- The Deal Debtor Counsel of the Year – Middle Market (2021)
- Law360 “Bankruptcy MVP” (2016, 2021)
- Turnaround Atlas Awards: Chapter 11 Restructuring Winner for the Centrics Brands restructuring (2021)
- Turnaround Atlas Awards: Corporate Restructuring Winner for the Rubio’s Grill restructuring (2021)
- Turnaround Atlas Awards: Cross Border Turnaround Winner for the Global A&T Electronics restructuring (2018)
- Benchmark Litigation (2018-2019)
- The Best of the Best Expert Guide, Top 30 practitioners of Restructuring and insolvency law (2017)
- The Legal 500 U.S. (2017-2018)
- Turnaround Atlas Awards: Special Situation M&A Deal of the Year for Gawker Media Chapter 11 Reorganization sale to Univision (2017)
- The Best Lawyers in America (2005-2018, 2020-2023)
- Benchmark Litigation “Top 10 Bankruptcy Practitioners” (2017); “National Litigation Star” (2017-2018)
- New York Super Lawyers (2007-2021)
- Who's Who Legal (2016)
- Global M&A Network: Top 100: Global Restructuring and Turnaround Professionals (2013-2014)
- M&A Advisor: Sector Deal of the Year for Professional Services Award for work performed in Ahern Rentals (2013)
- Turnaround Atlas Awards: Restructuring Deal of the Year (middle market) for Reddy Ice, Inc. (2013)
- Turnaround Atlas Awards: Transport & Logistics Turnaround of the Year for Trailer Bridge, Inc. (2013)
- Chambers and Partners: Star Individual (2012)
- M&A Advisor: Restructuring Deal of the Year Award (over US$100mm) for Reddy Inc, Inc. (2012)
- Turnaround Atlas: Prepackaged Chapter 11 Reorganization of the Year Award for CIT Group, Inc. (2010)
- Investment Dealers' Digest: Restructuring Deal of the Year Award for CIT Group, Inc. (2010)
- M&A Advisor: ILFR and Sector Deal of the Year Award for Financial Services for work performed in CIT Group, Inc. (2010)
- Turnarounds & Workouts – Special Report: Outstanding Restructuring Lawyers (2009 and 2011)