Attorneys from at least seven firms have landed roles advising various parties connected to the increasingly controversial bankruptcy filing this month by government-subsidized solar panel manufacturer Solyndra—a company whose sudden collapse has begun to cast shadows over the entire U.S. solar energy industry.
Solyndra, which made photovoltaic cells for solar power systems marketed to commercial clients in North America and Europe, filed for Chapter 11 after finding it difficult to compete against Chinese manufacturers. The bankruptcy filing came a week after Fremont, Calif.–based Solyndra let go of 1,100 employees—triggering a class action suit under the WARN Act—and shuttered its operations. The company failed despite receiving a $535 million federal loan made under the Energy Department’s 1705 program and authorized by the Treasury Department’s Federal Financing Bank.
