Director, Research, S&P Global Markets Intelligence
Rachelle specializes in data-driven trend analysis and commentary on the leveraged finance markets, focusing her efforts on showcasing developments and movements as tracked by LCD’s S&P/LSTA Leveraged Loan Index – a widely used proxy for the $1.2 trillion leveraged loan market.
Reporter, Wall Street Journal
Alexander Gladstone covers financial distress and restructuring for The Wall Street Journal and WSJ Pro Bankruptcy. He was previously at Debtwire, and before that spent several years as a business correspondent in Shanghai, China
Partner, Hogan Lovells
Judge Carey is a partner in Hogan Lovells US LLP’s Business Restructuring and Insolvency practice, resident in the firm’s Philadelphia, Pennsylvania office. Judge Carey was first appointed to the Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in 2001, then, in 2005, began service on the Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware (as chief judge from 2008-2011). Judge Carey is on the Executive Committee of the Board of the American Bankruptcy Institute and serves as Vice President of Membership. He is a past Global Chairman of the Turnaround Management Association and is an honorary member of the Turnaround, Restructuring and Distressed Investing Hall of Fame. Judge Carey is a Fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy and a member of the International Insolvency Institute. He is a member of the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges. Judge Carey is also a part-time adjunct professor in the LL.M. in Bankruptcy program at St. John’s University School of Law in New York City, New York. He began his legal career in 1979 as law clerk to Bankruptcy Judge Thomas M. Twardowski, and then served as Clerk of Court of the Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Judge Carey received his J.D. in 1979 from the Villanova University School of Law and his B.A. in 1976 from The Pennsylvania State University.
Senior Managing Director, Co-Head of Investment Banking And Head of Restructuring, B. Riley Securities, Inc.
Perry Mandarino is senior managing director, co-head of investment banking and head of corporate restructuring at B. Riley Securities, Inc. He has advised several hundred companies over his 30-year career in corporate finance and has significant retail and consumer industry expertise. He helps companies develop strategic solutions and financial alternatives to improve operational inefficiencies, specializing in complex debt and equity transactions and strategic planning in support of companies’ business transformation initiatives. He has advised stakeholders across a broad range of industries, including retail, distribution, communications, business services, manufacturing, healthcare, construction energy and real estate companies, among others. Perry is nationally recognized for his contributions to the financial services industry as a thought leader. He regularly speaks at conferences and is a frequent contributor to the media on the evolving retail industry landscape. He regularly appears on CNBC, Fox Business, and Bloomberg TV and has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, among others.
CEO, Birch Lake
One of the most highly regarded dealmakers and thought leaders in the restructuring, corporate reorganization and M&A communities, Jack has been credited as one of the principal architects of restructuring solutions for dozens of companies across a diverse range of industries, including Delphi Corporation, Kmart Corporation, Masonite International, Inc., Per-Se Technologies, Inc., Rite Aid Corporation, Sprint Corporation, Warnaco Group, Inc., Xerox Corporation and on behalf of creditors in the American Airlines’ reorganization and merger with US Airways Group, Inc. He co-founded the corporate restructuring practice at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, where he was a practice leader for twenty-three years and previously served on the executive leadership team at Hilco Global. Jack’s recent transactions at Birch Lake include leadership of merchant banking relationships in the food, consumer electronics, legal tech and transportation industries, among others.
Vice Chairman Global Advisory, Rothschild & Co.
Jay Goffman is a Vice Chairman of Rothschild & Co’s Global Advisory practice in North America, advising clients across the firm’s Restructuring, Debt and M&A practices. Mr. Goffman has over 36 years of experience in restructuring and M&A, and prior to joining Rothschild & Co in 2020, he was the Global Co-Head of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom’s Corporate Restructuring Group. Mr. Goffman has been honored with numerous awards directly related to restructuring. He was named among The Decade’s Most Influential Lawyers by The National Law Journal in 2010. He was recognized as one of The American Lawyer’s Dealmakers of the Year in 2011 for his work in restructuring MGM, the largest prepackaged bankruptcy ever completed in under 33 days. In the 2011 Financial Times’ U.S. Innovative Lawyers report, Mr. Goffman was named as one of the 10 most innovative lawyers in the U.S. and recognized as a “pioneer” and a leader in out-of-court and prepackaged restructurings. In 2016, Mr. Goffman was presented with the Restructuring Leadership Achievement award at the 8th Annual Turnaround Atlas Awards recognizing his leadership and numerous contributions to the broader restructuring community over more than three decades. In 2016, The American Lawyer bestowed upon Mr. Goffman its Transatlantic Finance Dealmaker: Restructuring (U.S.) award for his contributions to international restructuring. In 2015, the New York Institute of Credit bestowed upon Mr. Goffman its 42nd Leadership in Credit Education Award for his dedication and commitment to the credit industry. He also has been named one of Law360’s MVPs and one of the Leading Restructuring Attorneys in the U.S. by Turnarounds and Workouts on numerous occasions. Mr. Goffman holds a BS from The State University of New York of Binghamton and a JD with honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Managing Director, Wynnchurch Capital
Duncan Bourne has been with Wynnchurch since 2003. He brought more than twenty-two years of consulting and operational experience to the firm, including stints as Senior Manager with Ernst & Young, Senior Associate with Alix Partners and Partner with BDO Seidman LLP. Duncan began his career with BP Amoco as a chemical engineer. He is a Certified Turnaround Professional and a Certified Insolvency and Restructuring Advisor.
Senior Managing Director, Head of Private Equity, North America, Sun Capital
M. Steven Liff, Senior Managing Director & Head of Private Equity in North America, has extensive leveraged finance and mergers and acquisitions experience. Mr. Liff is a member of Sun Capital's Investment Committee which approves all investments made by Sun Capital. In addition, Mr. Liff is a member of the Sun Capital Executive Committee which oversees and manages the overall strategy of the firm. Aside from his committee responsibilities, Mr. Liff manages the North American private equity team which includes the offices in Boca Raton, Los Angeles, and New York City. Furthermore, Mr. Liff provides oversight for the transaction team in Europe to ensure commonality in our investment approach on a global basis. Prior to joining Sun Capital in March of 2000, he worked at NationsBank and Bank of America Commercial Finance, focusing on marketing, underwriting, and closing new leveraged finance transactions.
Partner in the Restructuring and Special Situations Group, PJT Partners
Nick Leone is a Partner in the Restructuring and Special Situations Group at PJT Partners, based in New York. Mr. Leone has spent more than 25 years in finance, advising companies in a wide range of activities including restructuring, capital raising, mergers and acquisitions. Prior to joining PJT Partners, Mr. Leone worked at Blackstone for 20 years, serving as a Senior Managing Director. Before that, Mr. Leone worked at both Drexel Burnham and Salomon Brothers. Mr. Leone has been involved in a variety of restructuring transactions across numerous industries. In addition to his experience advising U.S. companies, he has represented companies based in Brazil, England, France and Canada. Mr. Leone received a BA from Columbia University and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
President and Head of Restructuring and Distressed M&A, Gordian Group, LLC
Peter Kaufman is President of Gordian Group, the leading investment bank focused solely on advising boards and private equity firms interested in shareholder recoveries in tough situations. He heads the firm’s Restructuring and Distressed M&A practice. Peter has been ranked the #1 investment banker nationally in financial restructuring. He is the co-author of the definitive books in the field, Distressed Investment Banking: To the Abyss and Back – 2nd Edition and Equity Holders Under Siege: Strategies and Tactics for Distressed Businesses. He is also the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Bacchus Capital Management, a private equity firm that invests in wineries. Mr. Kaufman received a B.A. with honors in History and Art History from Yale College (where he lettered in lacrosse), and a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law, where he graduated in the top quarter of his class and where he serves as an Adjunct teaching “Advising Boards of Directors Under Siege”.
EVP Global Corporate Development, UDG Healthcare plc
Liam Logue is Executive Vice President of Global Corporate Development at UDG Healthcare plc., leading all of its investment activity. Liam joined UDG in 2003 and has led its transformation from an Irish and UK distribution services company into an international pharmaceutical services business. UDG has invested in more than 50 acquisitions and joint ventures in this timeframe, and today has operations in 35 countries.
Partner, Waller Law
John Tishler is a partner in the Nashville office of Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, LLP where his legal practice focuses on the representation of hospitals, health systems and healthcare companies – along with their financial advisors and lenders – in complex strategic transactions involving organizations facing financial difficulty. Leveraging more than three decades of experience as an insolvency and restructuring attorney, Mr. Tishler develops and delivers creative solutions and strategic planning advice that address both immediate challenges and long-term objectives. His extensive experience includes corporate insolvency/board advice; creditor’s rights; financial services; defaulted bonds and commercial litigation.
Member, McDonald Hopkins
Emily focuses her practice on matters primarily for clients in the healthcare industry. She provides regulatory and compliance assistance on both a federal and state level. She has assisted clinical laboratories, hospitals, long-term acute care hospitals, community hospitals, physician specialty groups, telehealth providers, surgery centers, healthcare associations, pharmacies, and other healthcare providers on regulatory, licensing, compliance, reimbursement, contractual, and corporate matters. She has provided support to entities during licensure and accreditation surveys and assisted in navigating state professional licensure laws, CLIA standards and state and federal laboratory laws and regulations, government and private payor reimbursement, state and federal fraud and abuse rules, state telehealth laws, and state and federal pharmacy regulation. She also has advised clients on direct to consumer testing issues and applicable state requirements.
Partner, US Leader – Business Recovery Services, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Steve is a Principal in the New York office of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, and the US leader of the firm’s Business Recovery Services practice (“BRS”). He has more than 22 years of business advisory experience with PwC, during which he has been assigned to the firm’s London, New York and Dubai offices.
Managing Director, Configure Partners
Vin has more than 25 years of investment banking and financial advisory experience across mergers and acquisitions, financings, and special situations.
Board Member & Former Chief Human Resources Officer
Amy Cappellanti-Wolf is an accomplished senior human resources professional, executive coach, public speaker, with leadership experience from startups to Fortune 500 enterprises. Her expertise focuses on developing high performance teams and guiding organizations through complex and challenging business transformations, including pre-IPO, rapid growth, mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and consolidations. Her management roles span high-tech (Symantec, Silver Spring Networks, Cisco, Sun Microsystems), entertainment (The Walt Disney Company), and consumer goods (Frito-Lay). Amy’s specialty areas include Business Transformation and Change Management, Organizational Design and Process Management, Business Partnership, and Total Rewards.
Principal, People Advisory Americas Transaction Leader, Ernst & Young
Shari Yocum is a Principal leading EY's People Transaction Practice in the Americas. With more than twenty years of experience, Shari has successfully advised global companies on complex mergers & acquisitions, large corporate change initiatives, and HR transformations. As a practitioner of HR, Shari spent a number of years working in HR COE’s and as a client facing HR Business Leader in the large technology firms. Shari is often cited in industry publications on Human Resources Strategy and Post-Merger Integration issues and she speaks regularly at industry conferences.
Executive Vice President, Hilco Real Estate
Over the fifteen years Navin has been with Hilco, he has served as a central deal maker in many of Hilco’s largest principal and advisory-related transactions. His primary responsibilities include leading several key strategic initiatives for the firm, including shaping the real estate business development strategy and execution as well as overseeing deal origination, deal qualification and transaction structuring.
Vice President, Strategic Business Development, Citrix
Sanjay Kacholiya is a seasoned tech executive with over 20 years of experience across numerous functional areas including Corporate/Business Development, Strategy, Finance, and Operations. His career spans both consumer and enterprise environments within larger public and privately held companies as well. Sanjay has worked across several domains including hardware, enterprise software, industrial software, b2b/b2c, and media/telecom.
Managing Director, Burford Capital
Responsible for assessing and underwriting legal risk across a broad range of practice areas and for identifying high-value investments in the marketplace.
Director, Fennemore
Cathy has represented committees and trustees in large Ponzi-scheme/securities fraud cases and has helped draft the plans and trust documents to set up trusts, as well as representing trusts implementing the plans.
Partner, Binder & Schwartz
His practice focuses on bankruptcy litigation and other complex commercial disputes
Partner, UHY LLP, Managing Director, UHY Advisors
Corey Massella has more than twenty-five years of experience as an entrepreneur, tax, and business advisor, and as a specialist in SEC accounting and audit services. Additionally, Corey has experience serving as a Private Equity and Technology Industry Group Practice Leader for a Top Twenty accounting firm.
Managing Partner, Prophet Equity
As Managing Partner of Prophet Equity, Mr. Gatlin is focused on identifying, making, managing and realizing a portfolio of control investments in strategically viable, asset intensive, middle market companies where there are significant value creation opportunities and maintaining key financial and banking relationships in order to maximize portfolio companies’ financial returns. He is also focused on driving increases in equity value by optimizing portfolio and business unit strategy while being responsible for day-to-day operations of the partnership and relations with the limited partners. He is a member of the Office of Change Management of each investment.
Director / Advisor, American Industrial Acquisition Co.
Rob is an Investor with experience in corporate, growth, turnaround, and start up situations. Rob is also a previous political appointee in the U.S. related to United Nations, Asia, and technology. Prior platforms include Ford Motor Company, Bank of America, Keppel (Asia) IVI Investments, and family office.
Partner, DLA Piper
Jamila Justine Willis focuses her practice in the area of financial and corporate restructuring and has extensive experience in complex restructurings across industries.