Brett Lawrence

Brett Lawrence is a partner in the Financial Restructuring Group, serves as the leader of its “Distressed Corporate” Business Unit and is the Chair of the firm’s Compensation Committee. Brett focuses on in-court and out-of-court restructuring and distressed M&A issues for creditors, distressed investors and equity holders. He represents official and ad hoc committees of creditors and equity holders, and counsels individual investors in structuring and executing investments, raising capital and acquiring distressed assets.

Brett frequently counsels a wide range of clients on foreclosures, rights offerings and the many securities-related questions that arise when trading securities, including the use of Big Boy letters and other compliance strategies.

Brett has been recognized by Best Lawyers in America, Chambers and The Legal 500 USA.

• Capital Markets / Securities / Debt Finance
• Corporate
• Debt Finance
• Financial Restructuring
• Mergers, Acquisitions and Joint Ventures
• Private Equity / Venture Capital

His recent M&A representations include the following:

• APW Communications (controlling stockholder)
• Bryson Broadcast (selling minority stockholder)
• Day International (selling stockholders)
• Delta Education (acquirer)
• DTN Holding Company (selling stockholders)
• Etalk (selling stockholders)
• Flint (sale of division)
• Oneida (selling stockholders)
• Platt (acquirer)
• STVT-AAI (acquirer)

His recent distressed and bankruptcy-related representations include the following:

• Affirmative Insurance (secured lenders)
• Allied Nevada Gold Corp. (DIP lenders and ad hoc committee of noteholders)
• Alltran (secured lender)
• ATI Education, Inc. (secured lenders)
• Bankruptcy Management Solutions (secured lenders)
• Burkhalter Rigging, Inc. (secured lender)
• Citadel Broadcasting Corporation (official creditors’ committee)
• CNG Holdings (secured lender)
• Colt Defense (senior secured lender)
• Delphi Automotive Group (rights offering backstop provider)
• Delta Education (secured lender)
• Emergent (convertible noteholders)
• FairPoint Communications, Inc. (ad hoc committee of noteholders)
• Golden Gaming, Inc. (secured lenders)
• Hughes Supply Company (ad hoc committee of noteholders)
• Landsbanki (directors)
• LSC Communication (official creditors’ committee) 
• Mark Andy (secured lender)
• MF Global Holdings (directors)
• MModal (official creditors’ committee)
• Mood Media (units offering backstop providers)
• Morris Publishing Group (ad hoc committee of noteholders)
• Pegasus Satellite Communications (ad hoc committee of noteholders)
• Pizza Hut Franchisee (secured lender)
• Plews (secured lender)
• Owens Corning Corporation (rights offering backstop provider)
• School Specialty (ad hoc committee of noteholders)
• Solutia, Inc. (rights offering backstop providers)
• SONIFI (f/k/a LodgeNet) (individual lender)
• Targus Group International, Inc. (secured lenders)
• Teligent (convertible noteholders) 
• Texas Petrochemicals, Inc. (official creditors’ committee)

His recent borrower and company-related representations include the following:

• Archway Marketing
• Ancora Education
• Cenveo Corporation
• Innovairre Holdings

• Best Lawyers
• Chambers USA
• The Legal 500

• Member, New York State Bar Association
• Member, Association of the Bar of the City of New York

• "The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008: Opportunities and Challenges," Stroock Webinar, October 14, 2008

• Co-Author, "Steps for Businesses to Consider as Coronavirus Spreads," Stroock Special Bulletin, March 3, 2020
• Co-author, “Final Regulations Confirm the Change to the ‘Deemed Dividend’ Tax Regime and Should Shape Your Thinking on Financing/Collateral Arrangements,” Stroock Special Bulletin, June 12, 2019
• “Rainmaker Q&A: Stroock’s Brett Lawrence,” Law360, November 16, 2016
• Co-Author, "Amended Bankruptcy Rule 2019 Goes into Effect,” Stroock Special Bulletin, December 7, 2011
• Co-author, "Rights Offerings: Raising Cash Without Registering Securities," Journal of Corporate Renewal, October 2004
• Co-author, "Big Boy Letters: Playing it Safe After O'Hagan," Journal of Corporate Renewal, June 2004

New York

U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York

J.D., University of Pennsylvania Law School, 1994; Managing Editor, University of Pennsylvania Law Review

M.B.A., The Wharton School, The University of Pennsylvania, 1994

B.A., cum laude, Yale University, 1989