James Sprayregan
Kirkland & Ellis, LLP
James H.M. Sprayregen is a Restructuring partner in the Chicago and New York offices of Kirkland & Ellis LLP and serves on Kirkland’s worldwide management committee. Mr. Sprayregen is recognized as one of the outstanding restructuring lawyers in the United States and around the world. Mr. Sprayregen has extensive experience representing major U.S. and international companies in restructurings out of court and in court around the world. He also has extensive experience advising boards of directors, and generally representing debtors and creditors in workout, insolvency, restructuring, and bankruptcy matters worldwide. He has handled matters for clients in industries as varied as manufacturing, technology, transportation, energy, media, and real estate. Chambers & Partners has described Mr. Sprayregen as a “great clients’ lawyer, admired for his ‘unflustered ways.’” Chambers said that clients it spoke to noted that he is “probably the best restructuring lawyer in the world.” Most recently, in 2014, Mr. Sprayregen was described by Chambers as “the godfather of restructuring” and “one of the major stars of the industry.” In March 2010, Mr. Sprayregen was selected by The National Law Journal as one of “The Decade’s Most Influential Lawyers.” In 2013, Mr. Sprayregen was named “Global Insolvency & Restructuring Lawyer of the Year” by Who’s Who Legal Awards, receiving more votes from clients and peers than any other individual worldwide. In October 2013, Mr. Sprayregen was inducted into the TMA Turnaround, Restructuring, and Distressed Investing Industry Hall of Fame?.
Mr. Sprayregen joined Kirkland in 1990 and built its international Restructuring Group. He joined Goldman Sachs in 2006 where he was co-head of Goldman Sachs’ Restructuring Group and advised clients in restructuring and distressed situations. He rejoined Kirkland three years later. In the 2009 edition of Chambers USA, Mr. Sprayregen was listed as a first tier lawyer practicing in the bankruptcy/restructuring category, and was described as having an “outstanding reputation for complex Chapter 11 cases.” The 2011 edition of Chambers USA, America’s Leading Lawyers for Business recognized Mr. Sprayregen as a key individual, noting that sources refer to him as “a restructuring genius and one of the best strategists in the country.” In the 2012 edition of Chambers USA, Mr. Sprayregen was praised for his “incredible work ethic and skill” and for his ability to “bring a mastery of the law to practical application.” In 2014, Chambers Global named Mr. Sprayregen as “one of the leading practitioners in the industry.” Clients look to him as someone who is “providing leadership and strategic guidance on the big issues.” “Tireless and very creative,” Mr. Sprayregen is described as “very good in complicated and difficult situations” and clients are “impressed by his boundless energy to work on issues.” Sources in the 2014 edition of Chambers USA noted there is “not a question or a nuance that I can ask him that he won’t know about.”
Mr. Sprayregen has led bankruptcy cases for numerous companies including United Airlines, Conseco, General Growth Properties, Energy Future Holdings Corp., Innkeepers USA Trust, Japan Airlines Corporation as U.S. and international counsel, The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, Edison Mission Energy, MSR Resort Golf Course LLC, Hawker Beechcraft Inc., Cengage Learning, Inc., Sbarro Inc., Visteon Corporation, Lear Corporation, The Reader’s Digest Association, Corus Bankshares, Inc., Majestic Star Casino LLC, and ION Media Networks, Inc.
Mr. Sprayregen is a frequent lecturer and speaker, and has published numerous articles on insolvency, fiduciary duty, and distressed M&A issues. He has served as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, New York University School of Law, and University of Pennsylvania Law School. In May 2013, Mr. Sprayregen was appointed to serve a two year term as the President of INSOL International, the leading insolvency association in the world.
Presentations:
- April 2015
Distressed Investing Opportunities and Dangers in the North American Oil and Gas Sector Spring 2015 - April 7
Conferences:
- Spring 2015 - April 7
Past Conference Speakers
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Abrams, David - Abrams Capital, LLC
Ackman, William A. - Pershing Square Capital
Adams, John - Emeritus Professor of Geography, University College London
Aitken, James - Aitken Advisors, LLP
Akre, Chuck - Akre Capital Management
Alexander, Seth - MIT Investment Management Company
Anderson, Keith - Anderson Global Macro, LLC, Chairman and Chief Investment Officer
Arnott, Rob - Research Affiliates, Chairman
Aronson, Theodore - Aronson+Johnson+Ortiz
Aronstein, Michael C. - Preservation Group, LLC
Asness, Ph.D., Clifford S. - AQR Capital Management, LLC, Managing and Founding Principal
Avery, Dennis T. - Author
Ayer, James - Tiedemann/Ayer
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Banerji, Anirvan - Economic Cycle Research Institute
Bass, Kyle - Hayman Capital Management, Managing Member
Battleson, Wendy - Art Strategy Partners
Beach, Bryan - Stansberry Research
Ben-Ur, David - Corbin Capital Partners
Berg, Gilchrist - Water Street Capital
Bernstein, William - Efficient Frontier Advisors
Bessent, Scott - Key Square Group
Bianco, James - Bianco Research, LLC
Bobrow, Barry - Wachovia Corp.
Bogle, John C - The Vanguard Group, Inc.
Boland, John - Remnant Partners
Bonderman, David - TPG Capital
Bregman, Steven - Horizon Kinetics, President, Co-Founder
Bronstein, Keith - TradeLink, LLC
Brosens, Frank - Taconic Capital Partners
Burbank, John - Passport Capital, LLC
Burn, Christopher - Coxe Advisors, LLC
Byrd, Frank - Fielder Capital Group, LLC
Byrne, John J. (Jack) - White Mountains Insurance Group
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Cannell, J. Carlo - Cannell Capital Management
Cantor, Mitch - Mountain Lake Investment Management
Casares, Wences - Xapo
Chancellor, Edward - Financial Historian
Chanos, James S. - Kynikos Associates, LP, Founder and Managing Partner
Chiappinelli, Peter - Grantham, Mayo, Van Otterloo & Co.
Chilton, Jr., Richard L. - Chilton Investment Co.
Chu, Charlene - Autonomous Research
Cochrane, John H. - The University of Chicago Booth School of Business
Cohen, Martin - Cohen & Steers Capital Management
Cohodes, Marc - former managing partner of Copper River Management
Cole, Christopher - Artemis Capital Management
Cooperman, Leon - Omega Advisors, Inc.
Costantini, Giulia - Art Strategy Partners
Coxe, Don - Coxe Advisors, LLC
Curnutt, Dean - Macro Risk Advisors
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D'Alessandro, David - CMDTY Capital Management, LP
Daniels, Francis - Anibok Investment Research Chambers
Deden, Anthony - Edelweiss Holdings, Ltd., Chairman on the Executive Committee
Derman, Emanuel - Columbia University & Prisma Capital Partners
Diamond, Bob - Atlas Merchant Capital, Founder and CEO
Dias, Anne - Aragon Global Holdings
Dimon, Jamie - JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Divecha, Arjun - Grantham, Mayo, Van Otterloo & Co.
Dizard, John - The Financial Times
Doppstadt, Eric - Ford Foundation
Doyle, Mark - Sterling Grace Municpal
Druckenmiller, Stanley - Duquesne Family Office, LLC
Dudley, William - Federal Reserve Bank of New York
Duffy, Kevin - Bearing Asset Management
Dunbar, Nicholas - Risk Magazine
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Egan, Sean - Egan-Jones Rating Co.
Einhorn, David - Greenlight Capital, Inc.
Eisman, Steven - FrontPoint Partners
El-Erian, Mohamed - Harvard Management Co.
Ely, Bert - Ely & Company, Inc.
Eveillard, Jean-Marie - Arnhold & S. Bleichroeder Advisors, LLC - First Eagle Funds
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Falls, Amy - Rockefeller University
Farrell, Michael - Annaly Mortgage Management
Farrell, Bob - former head of research at Merrill Lynch
Feldman, Robert C. - Weil, Gotshal & Manges
Ferrari, Ph.D., Leonard A. - Naval Posgraduate School
Fidalgo, Miguel - Triarii Capital Management, LP
Fieler, Sean - Equinox Partners, LP
Fisher, Peter R. - Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth
Flatt, Bruce - Brookfield Asset Management
Fleckenstein, William - Fleckenstein Capital, Inc.
Flowers, J. Christopher - J.C. Flowers & Co.
Frey, Felix - Options Consulting Group, LLC
Fridson, CFA, Martin - Lehmann Livian Fridson Advisors LLC, CIO
Friedman, Joshua - Canyon Partners, LLC
Friend, Robert - Recon Capital, LLC
Fuss, Daniel - Loomis, Sayles & Co.
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Galbraith, Steve - Herring Creek Capital Management, Managing Member
Gallagher, Thomas - ISI Group, Inc.
Gayner, Thomas - Markel Corp.
Gelernter, David - Yale University
Goehring, Leigh R. - Chilton Investment Co.
Goldstone, Larry - Thornburg Mortgage
Grant, James - Grant's Interest Rate Observer
Grantham, Jeremy - Grantham, Mayo, Van Otterloo & Co.
Gray, Jonathan - Blackstone Group
Greenberg, Maurice - C.V. Starr and Company
Greenig, Ph.D., Douglas - Greenwich Capital Markets
Greenspan, Alan - Greenspan Associates
Greenwald, Bruce - Columbia Business School
Gross, Bill - Janus Capital
Gundlach, Jeffrey E. - Doubleline, Chief Executive Officer & Chief Investment Officer
Gutfreund, John H. - Gutfreund & Company
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Hague, Ian - Firebird Management
Hale, Jr., Martin - Hale Capital Partners
Hall, Andrew - Phibro, Inc.
Hamburger, John - Restaurant Finance Monitor
Hanke, Steve H. - professor The Johns Hopkins University
Harkins, Michael - Levy, Harkins & Co.
Hartnett, Michael - BofA Merrill Lynch Global Research
Haskell, John - Explorador Capital Management
Hathaway, John - Tocqueville Asset Management
Hendry, Hugh - Eclectica Asset Management, CIO and Founder
Hess, Lisa W. - SkyTop Capital Management
Hill, Karl - Country Bank Co.
Hill, Charles L. - Thomson Financial
Hoisington, Van R. - Hoisington Investment Management
Horan, Hubert - Hubert Horan Aviation Consulting
Hughes, John - Quantum Capital Management, LLC
Hunt, Lacy - Hoisington Investment Management Co.
Hyman, Ed - Evercore ISI
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Isaac, Paul J. - Arbiter Partners Capital Management
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Jacobs, Sy - JAM Partners, LP
Jakurski, André - JGP Global Gestao de Recursos
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Kasriel, Paul L. - The Northern Trust Company
Katz, Michael - Glenrock Global Partners
Kelly, Mitchell - Anaconda Capital Management
Klarman, Seth - The Baupost Group, L.L.C., President and CEO
Klody, CFA, Mathew T. - MCN Capital Management, LLC, Managing Partner
Knapp, Robert - Ironsides Partners
Kovner, Bruce - Caxton Alternative Management
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La Nasa, III, Joseph - Serengeti Asset Management, Managing Partner
Lampert, Eddie - ESL Investments, Inc.
Landis, Kevin - Firsthand Capital Management
Langone, Ken - Invemed Associates
Lassonde, Pierre - Franco-Nevada Corp., Chairman
Lawler, M.D., Ph.D., Joseph - Merus Capital Partners
Leder, Michelle - Footnoted.com
Lehrman, Lewis E. - L.E. Lehrman & Co.
Leibowitz, Martin - Morgan Stanley, Managing Director
Levenson, Thomas - Massachusetts Institute of Technology, author of
Levenson, Carol - Gimme Credit Publications
Lewis, Hunter - Author
Lewitt, Michael - Harch Capital Management
Lipper, Steve - Royce & Associates
Lipton, Martin - Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
Litinsky, James H. - JHL Capital Group LLC
Lonski, John - Moody's Investors Service
Lukacs, John - Author
Lusman, Joel - Lusman Capital Management
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Marks, CFA, Howard S. - Oaktree Capital Management, LP, Co-Chairman
Martin, R. Brad - RBM Venture Company
Mayer, Martin - Author,
McEwen, Robert - Goldcorp, Inc.
McKenna, Francine - MarketWatch
McQuarrie, Edward - Leavey School of Business at Santa Clara University
Mikhailovich, Simon A. - Tocqueville Bullion Reserve
Mikuni, Akio - Mikuni & Co., Ltd.
Miller, William - Legg Mason Fund Adviser
Miller, Steven - Standard and Poor's
Millstein, Jim - Millstein & Co.
Mindich, Eric - Eton Park Capital Management
Mindich, Jeremy - Scopia Capital, LLC
Minerd, Scott - Guggenheim Partners
Moffett, Craig - MoffettNathanson, LLC, Partner and Senior Research Analyst
Montier, James - GMO
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Napier, Russell - Orlock Advisors
Ney, Keith - Carmignac
Novogratz, Michael - Galaxy Investment Partners
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O'Connor, Jerry - O'Connor Capital Partners
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Pan, Vivian - Hamlin Capital Management
Partnoy, Frank - University of San Diego
Paulson, John - Paulson & Co.
Peabody, Charles - Ventana Capital
Pellegrini, Paolo - PSQR Management, LLC
Pickens, T. Boone - BP Capital
Porter, Alex - Porter Felleman, Inc.
Price, Michael - MFP Investors
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Redleaf, Andy - Whitebox Advisors, LLC
Reik, Trey - Bristol Investment Partners, CIO
Richardson, Kennedy - Fidelity Investments
Rickards, James - JAC Capital Advisors, Partner
Robertson, Julian - Tiger Management Corp.
Rocha, Bruno - Dynamo Capital, LP
Rogers, James - Author
Rohatyn, Felix - Lazard, Ltd.
Rollert, Jeffery - ALM Advisors
Rosenberg, David - Gluskin Sheff + Associates
Rosenberg, Joe - Loews Corporation, Chief Investment Strategist
Rosenwald, James - Rosenwald Capital Management
Rowe, Frederick - Greenbrier Partners, Ltd.
Royce, Charles - Royce & Associates
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Sandor, Ph.D., Richard - Environmental Financial Products
Sarma, Karthik - SRS Investment Management
Saul, Bob - GMO Renewable Resources, Director Domestic Forestry Investments
Scaramucci, Anthony - SkyBridge Capital
Schiff, David - Schiff's Insurance Observer
Schwarzman, Stephen A. - Blackstone Group, Chairman and CEO
Senor, Dan - Elliott Management
Sherman, David - Cohanzick Management
Shilling, Ph.D., A. Gary - A. Gary Shilling & Co.
Simon, Jr., William E. - William E. Simon & Sons
Singer, Paul E. - Elliott Management Corp.
Smith, Randy - Alden Global Capital
Souza, Cristiano - Dynamo Capital, LP
Sprayregan, James - Kirkland & Ellis, LLP
Stahl, Murray - Horizon Asset Management, Inc.
Stephens, Bret - The Wall Street Journal
Stevenson-Yang, Anne - J Capital Research
Stinchcombe, Kai - True Link Financial
Stockman, David A. - Former Director of the Office of Management and Budget, 1981-85
Succo, John - Alpha Investments of New York
Suria, Ravi - Duquesne Capital Mangement
Sussman, Donald - Paloma Partners
Swensen, David - CIO, Yale University
Sylla, Richard - Professor Emeritus of Economics at the Stern School of Business
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Taleb, Nassim Nicholas - Empirica, LLC
Tarrant, Jeffrey - Protege Partners
Thiel, Peter - Clarium Capital
Thompson, Cullen - Bienville Capital Management
Thorn, Jon - India Capital Management
Tisch, James - Loews Corporation
Trennert, Jason DeSena - Strategas Research Partners, LLC
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Volcker, Paul A. - Chariman Federal Reserve 1979 - 1987
Volent, Paula - Bowdoin College
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Wachenheim, III, Ed - Greenhaven Associates
Wadhwaney, Amit - Third Avenue Management
Walsh, Timothy M. - Division of Investments, State of New Jersey, Director
Walter, Carl E. - Author
Warsh, Kevin - Hoover Institution
Weinstein, Boaz - Saba Capital Management
Weiss, Adam - Scout Capital
Werner, Mark - Pierpont Securities, LLC
Whitman, Martin J. - Third Avenue Management
Whitney, Meredith - Meredith Whitney Advisory Group, LLC
Wien, Byron - The Blackstone Group
Winters, David - Franklin Mutual Advisers, LLC
Wolf, Martin - Financial Times
Wright, Logan - Rhodium Group
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Xiaosheng, Chen - SYWG Research & Consulting, Co.
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Yoo, Simon - Green Visor Capital Management Company, LLC
Yusko, Mark W. - Morgan Creek Capital Management, CEO and Chief Investment Officer
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Zell, Sam - Equity Group Investments
Zelman, Ivy - Zelman & Associates
Zervos, David - Jefferies & Company
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