Michele J. Meises
Biography
Overview
Ms. Meises has over 20 years of experience representing debtors, creditors’ committees, ad hoc committees, lenders, and other parties in interest across multiple industries in large and complex Chapter 11 cases. Prior to joining White & Case, Ms. Meises was Counsel in the business finance & restructuring group of another major international law firm, where she represented debtors in many of the most high-profile and groundbreaking Chapter 11 cases in history. Additionally, while at her prior firm, Ms. Meises was a teaching assistant for Corporate Reorganization and Bankruptcy, taught by Harvey R. Miller at Columbia University School of Law for 15 years, and was a member of the subcommittee to draft the Local Bankruptcy Rules for the Southern District of New York.
Experience
Select Creditor Representations:
- Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors in the chapter 11 cases of Genesis Global, a cryptocurrency lender and borrower.
- Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors in the chapter 11 cases of Samson Resources, the largest privately-held company of crude oil & natural gas in the US.
- Ad Hoc Group of Individual Victims in the chapter 11 cases of Purdue Pharma and its subsidiaries, the pharmaceutical company that manufactures OxyContin.
- Ad hoc group of holders of, and indenture trustee for, unsecured legacy bonds, and member of official creditors' committee, in the chapter 11 cases of iHeart Communications, a diversified media and entertainment business.
- Ad hoc group of holders of, and indenture trustee for, convertible notes, and member of official creditors' committee, in the chapter 11 cases of SunEdison, a global renewable energy company headquartered in the U.S, whose restructuring was one of the largest of 2016.
- Administrative agent and collateral agent in the chapter 11 cases of Mallinckrodt, a manufacturer of specialty pharmaceuticals and generic drugs.
- Term Loan Holder Committee in the chapter 11 cases of Caldor, then one of the largest regional discount retailers in the US.*
Select Chapter 11 Debtor Representations:
- American Airlines, one of the most successful airline chapter 11 cases, exiting chapter 11 as the world's largest airline as a result of its merger with US Airways Group, which enabled creditors to receive a full recovery on their claims (plus postpetition interest) as well as a substantial distribution to existing shareholders.*
- General Motors, the largest industrial chapter 11 case, with $82 billion in assets and $173 billion in liabilities.*
- Lehman Brothers, the largest chapter 11 case in US history, with $639 billion in assets and $613 billion in liabilities.*
- Bethlehem Steel, then the nation's third largest steel company, with $4.2 billion in assets and $4.5 billion in liabilities.*
- Ames Department Stores, then the largest regional discount retailer in the US, with more than 450 stores and revenue exceeding $1 billion.*
*Experience prior to joining White & Case
Fundamentals of Bankruptcy Law, The Corporate Counsellor's Deskbook 5th ed., 2014, (author)
Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code : A Summary, Reorganizing Failing Businesses, 2006, (co-author)
Landmark Bankruptcy Decisions of the Second Circuit, The Development of Bankruptcy & Reorganization Law in the Courts of the Second Circuit of the United States, 2006, (co-author)
The State of the Unions in Reorganization and Restructuring Cases, 15 Am. Bankr. Inst. L. Rev. 465, 2007, (co-author)
Second Lien Financings and the Enforceability of Waiver Provisions in Bankruptcy, 44 Financier Worldwide 41, Aug. 2006, (co-author)
Calpine and the Battle Over Power Contracts, 25 Int'l Fin. L. Rev. 40, June 2006, (co-author)
