Richard M. Pachulski

Mr. Pachulski is widely regarded as one of the preeminent corporate restructuring attorneys in America. He has been named an “Attorney of the Year” by American Lawyer Media’s Recorder, and has been lead counsel on several deals that have been recognized as “Deal of the Year” by The M&A Advisor, Turnaround & Workouts and Global M&A Network. During 2019, in addition to working on several out-of-court workouts, Mr. Pachulski served as creditors' committee counsel in the successful chapter 11 reorganization of Woodbridge Group of Companies, a $1.2 billion fraud/Ponzi scheme also involving hundreds of millions of dollars of very high-end residential real estate; as debtor's counsel in White Eagle Asset Portfolio, owner of over $2.5 billion in face amount of life-insurance policies; and as debtor's counsel in Fuse LLC, a leading multicultural media company owning two cable networks. During the first few months of 2020, in addition to working on certain out-of-court workouts, Mr. Pachulski has principally worked on the chapter 11 case of Yueting Jia, an individual seeking to restructure approximately $4 billion of debt who historically has been referred to as the "Steve Jobs of China."

Over Mr. Pachulski's career, a sampling of his roles as lead debtor counsel include the corporate restructurings of American Suzuki Motor Corporation, Solyndra LLC, and Mesa Airlines. Additionally, Mr. Pachulski also recently was lead bankruptcy counsel to Lehman Brothers in a matter involving over $2 billion due to Lehman Brothers.

For the past four decades, Mr. Pachulski has represented debtors and creditors' committees in both out-of-court workouts and in-court proceedings. In addition, he has extensive experience in business reorganizations, as well as debtor/creditor litigation across numerous industries. During the 1980s, he was a well-known chapter 7 and chapter 11 trustee. His work over this time span led to inclusion in the American College of Bankruptcy, an honorary association of the nation’s most esteemed bankruptcy and insolvency professionals. 

Other career highlights include representation of the debtors in MagnaChip Semiconductor, Breed Technologies, Sizzler International, Covad Communications and Peregrine Systems; representation of the Circuit City creditors’ committee and, thereafter, the Circuit City liquidating trustee; representation of the ad hoc bondholders' committee in Adelphia Corporation; and lead counsel in the restructuring of the debts of internationally acclaimed singer-songwriter Toni Braxton. In total, he has assisted in tens of billions of dollars in restructurings during his career.

Several national publications and organizations frequently recognize Mr. Pachulski for his work in the restructuring and turnaround field. For example, Chambers USA repeatedly ranks him as a top-tier national bankruptcy/restructuring attorney; Best Lawyers in America has listed him among the nation’s top bankruptcy attorneys every year since 1995; K&R Restructuring Register and Turnaround & Workouts listed him as one of America's top restructuring professionals; California Law Business listed him as one of “California's 100 Most Influential Attorneys;” and Los Angeles Business Journal listed him as one of fifteen top banking & finance “turnaround artists.” He also holds an “AV Preeminent Peer Rating,” Martindale-Hubbell's highest recognition for ethical standards and legal ability. In 2016, he was named to Thomson Reuters’ “Top 10: 2016 Southern California Super Lawyers” list and in 2018 was listed by Who's Who Legal among "Thought Leaders -  Restructuring & Insolvency." He was listed by Lawdragon as one of the 2020 "Lawdragon 500 Leading Global Restructuring & Insolvency Lawyers."

Mr. Pachulski is a graduate of UCLA, and received his J.D. from Stanford University. He is admitted to practice in California, and is resident in our Los Angeles office.

Representations

• Chapter 11 debtors in White Eagle Asset Portfolio; Fuse LLC; American Suzuki Motor Corporation; Highway Technolgies; Peregrine Systems; Breed Technologies; Solyndra; Covad Communications Group, Commonwealth Equity Trust; Sizzler International; Toni Braxton; Mesa Air Group; MagnaChip Semiconductor
• Creditors' committees in Woodbridge Group of Companies; Circuit City; First Executive Corporation; Northpoint Communications
• Ad hoc bondholders' committee in Adelphia Communications
• Lehman Brothers in Palmdale Hills Property
• Trustees in Triad America Corporation and Ezri Namvar

Professional Affiliations

• Fellow, American College of Bankruptcy
• Member, Financial Lawyers Conference Board of Governors (1989-92)

News

Publications

• Coauthor, "Chapter 11 - The Bank of Last Resort," 45 Business Lawyer 261 (1989)
• Coauthor, "Plan Wars - The Use of Chapter 11 to Coax Continued Financing From a Reluctant Lender," 738 PLI/Comm. 7 (1996)

Events