Alston & Bird has strengthened its Financial Restructuring & Reorganization Group with the additions of partner Leah Fiorenza McNeill in Atlanta and counsel Stephen Blank in New York. Both attorneys have considerable experience representing major stakeholders in Chapter 11 cases and out-of-court workouts, and their arrival demonstrates the firm’s commitment to strategic growth and development of the group as economic markets continue to show signs of disruption and uncertainty.

“We are delighted to welcome Leah and Stephen. Leah’s practice emphasizes health care and food and beverage restructurings, which aligns with our goal to bring best-in-class resources to clients in those sectors,” said Gerard Catalanello, partner and chair of Alston & Bird’s Financial Restructuring & Reorganization Group. “Similarly, my colleagues and I look forward to working closely with Stephen, who serves as a critical link between the areas of restructuring, finance, and corporate transactions, given his solid experience representing institutions, special situation lenders, opportunistic funds, and other creditor constituencies.”

Fiorenza McNeill joins from Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, where she represented distressed health care organizations in Chapter 11 cases and out-of-court workouts, including community hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, health care REITS, and retirement communities. In addition, her experience advising clients in the food and beverage distressed space – and on matters involving the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act in particular – provides additional depth to the group’s food and beverage restructuring capabilities.

Arriving from King & Spalding, Blank counsels borrowers, lenders, investors, agents, ad hoc lender groups, and creditors on distressed and non-distressed financial situations, including debt restructurings and workouts, financing and securitization transactions, and distressed merger and acquisition transactions. His practice also encompasses forbearance agreements, debt-for-equity exchanges, intercreditor arrangements, 363 asset sales, out-of-court distressed investing, Chapter 15 and cross-border proceedings, and all aspects of prepackaged and prearranged Chapter 11 cases. Notably, Blank served as a law clerk to the Honorable James M. Peck of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York.

Alston & Bird’s Financial Restructuring & Reorganization Group handles a range of restructuring matters that involve complex issues and high financial stakes in the U.S. and abroad. The group assembles dedicated teams who represent secured lenders, funds, ad hoc creditor groups, indentured trustees, creditors’ committees, debtors, and buyers of distressed assets in out-of-court restructurings and bankruptcy cases. In addition, the group advises master servicers, special servicers, agents, participants, and other financial institutions on complex financial transactions involving out-of-court workouts, debt restructurings, receivership appointments, fiduciary duties, investigations, examinations, fraudulent conveyances, and remedy enforcement procedures.