Dennis C. O’Donnell has been Of Counsel in Milbank’s Financial Restructuring Group since 2007 and is based in the firm’s New York Office. Prior to joining Milbank in 2001, Mr. O’Donnell spent ten years as a litigator at two New York-based AmLaw 100 law firms.
Primary Focus and Experience
Mr. O’Donnell has extensive experience in corporate reorganization and bankruptcy-related litigation matters, and has represented debtors, lenders, official and unofficial committees, significant creditors, equity holders, examiners, and acquirors in chapter 11 cases, loan restructurings and out-of-court workouts.
His representations have included the following:
- representing the official committee of unsecured creditors in the chapter 11 cases of Lehman Brothers Holdings, Inc., Refco Inc., Enron Corp., Winn-Dixie Stores, and Intermet Corp.
- representing the debtors and debtors in possession in the Lernout & Hauspie, Rexene Corp., RCM Global Long Term Capital Appreciation Fund, Hagerstown Fiber, and WRT Energy Corp. chapter 11 cases;
- representing ad hoc committees (of note holders or lenders) in the chapter 11 cases or out-of-court restructurings related to MPower Corp., Maxim Crane, Horizon Natural Resources Co., Geo Specialty Chemicals, Inc, Delta Air Lines, Inc., and Transeastern LLC.
- representing agents and/or secured lenders in various out-of-court restructurings or chapter 11 cases, including that of Interco, Inc., Zale Corp., Leslie Fay Cos., Polymer, Inc., HomeBanc Corp., Journal Register Co., and Grede Foundries, Inc..
- representing hedge fund clients as significant stakeholder and/or potential plan funders in the chapter 11 cases of Magellan Health Services, Inc., WestPoint Stevens, Inc., Interstate Bakeries Corp., and Seitel, Inc.
- representing avoidance action defendants, including (i) a group of 19 major financial institutions in the chapter 11 cases of TOUSA, Inc.; and (ii) a major UK financial institution in the chapter 11 cases of Maxwell Communications plc;
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representing the corporate governance examiner in the Olympia & York chapter 11 cases;
Recognitions and Accomplishments
Mr. O’Donnell has appeared in federal courts throughout the United States, including before the United States Supreme Court, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and numerous district and bankruptcy courts. He has spoken widely on bankruptcy topics and is a contributor to Colliers on Bankruptcy. Mr. O’Donnell received his Juris Doctor from Benjamin R. Cardozo School of Law in 1991, where he was articles editor for the Cardozo Law Review. He received a B.A., in Classics and Philosophy, from Haverford College in 1979.