From left, seated are partners William Komaroff, Seth Schafler, Michael Cardozo, partner and vice chair of the litigation department Margaret Dale, partners Steven Obus, and David Picon. Standing in first row are associates Alexander Skellet, Samantha Springer, Lindsey Olson Collins, Jennifer Tarr, Kelly Landers-Hawthorne and Anisha Shenai-Khatkhate, partner Gregg Mashberg, senior counsel Steven Holinstat, associate Julie Ansanelli, partners Jonathan Richman, David Lederkramer, Baldassare Vinti and Steven Kayman, associates Abigail Cousins, Bela Amladi, Alyse Stach and Peter Fishkind. Second row: litigation department legal director Daniel Goldsmith, law clerk Carl Mazurek, associates Shiloh Rainwater, Seth Fiur and Stacey Eilbaum, law clerk Tara Brailey, partners James Shalek, Mark Harris and Bradley Bobroff, associate Seth Fier, senior counsel Nolan Goldberg, partners Lawrence Weinstein, Alexander Kaplan and John Failla, associates Evelyn Pang, Lee Popkin, Brittany Benavidez, Russell Kostelak and Brian Hooven. Last row: associates Fabio Tarud, Edward Canter, Joshua Newville, Om Alladi, Matthew Rotbart and Russell Gorkin, partner Peter Doyle, associate Matthew Morris, partner Anthony Coles, associates Daniel Werb, Adam Deitch and Marissa Tillem (Photo by David Handschuh/NYLJ)
Q: What are some of the department’s most satisfying successes of the past year and why?
A: Puerto Rico faces a historic restructuring as the largest ever U.S. local government to file for bankruptcy. We are proud of our work serving as lead outside counsel to the Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico. Our team is helping the oversight board review and restructure $74 billion of bond debt and $50 billion of underfunded public pension liabilities and advising on active litigation. Our successes include defeating a motion for a preliminary injunction which would have forced Puerto Rico’s Highways and Transportation Authority to turn over $100+ million in toll revenue to pay bondholders instead of using the money to maintain highways and dismissing two different Puerto Rico bankruptcy cases filed by insurers of over $2 billion in bonds.
