Geoffrey T. Raicht is a partner in the law firm of McDermott Will & Emery LLP and based in the Firm's New York office. He is co-head of the Restructuring / Insolvency Affinity Group. He focuses his practice on debtors’ and creditors’ rights in large, complex Chapter 11 cases.
Recent and significant bankruptcy cases representing creditors, lenders and other parties in interest include: BankUnited, Lisbon Valley Mining, Chesapeake Corp., Circuit City, Eclipse Aviation, General Growth Properties and General Motors.
Representative Experience
- Represents private equity fund as plan sponsor and DIP lender to mineral mining company
- Represented DIP lender to Eclipse Aviation in its Chapter 11 cases
- Represented landlord interests in Circuit City
- Represented a Chapter 11 debtor who was a global producer of glass fiber material used in composites and a leading home buildings products company
- Represented a Chapter 11 debtor who was an automotive and vehicle parts manufacturer with global operations whose restructuring was accomplished under simultaneous U.S. Chapter 11 and UK administration proceedings
- Represented Issuers and backstop purchasers of rights offerings implemented in Chapter 11
- Represented investment managers of hedge funds and structured investment vehicles
- Represented a state governmental actor as the pre- and post-petition secured lender to several hospital systems in Chapter 11
- Represented the UK Administrators of a large multinational company in connection with several U.S. Chapter 11 matters
- Represented foreign representatives in ancillary proceedings under Chapter 15 (and former section 304)
- Represented a Chapter 11 debtor who was one of the nation’s leading providers of electric power and natural gas in markets restructured to permit retail competition
- Represented a multi-national financial institution as an asset purchaser in 363 sales and receiverships
- Represented the official creditors committee appointed in the Chapter 11 cases of a leading provider of fiber-optic network communications products and services in North America
- Represented the official creditors committee appointed in the Chapter 11 cases of the leading worldwide manufacturer and marketer of self-adhesive, branded, consumer decorative products
Clerkship
Prior to joining the Firm, Geoffrey was a Law Clerk to the Honorable Jeffry H. Gallet, United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Southern District of New York, from 1997 to 1999.
Publications, Speaking Engagements and Memberships
Geoffrey has authored and co-authored several articles including “2d Circuit Reverses Bankruptcy Court’s Decision on PBGC Termination Premiums” published by Pension Plan Fix-It Handbook (July 2009), "Buyer Beware" published by The Deal Magazine (February 2009), “Private Equity Firms: Targets for Bankruptcy Litigation” published by Financier Worldwide (October 2008), “China’s New Bankruptcy Law: A Significant Step Forward in Cross Border Restructuring” published by Financier Worldwide (April 2007), “China Will Be Global Restructuring Player” published by Global Turnaround (November 2006), and “A Practical Note Regarding Bankruptcy Approach of Pension Creditors” published by Financier Worldwide (February 2006). In June 2009 Geoffrey was featured in Law 360’s article, “Q&A with McDermott’s Geoffrey Raicht.”
He has also had several speaking engagements on a variety of bankruptcy issues including as a moderator of a panel on healthcare restructuring issues at INSOL 2009 Eighth World Quadrennial Congress in Vancouver, Canada, a lecturer at the 6th Annual Advanced Restructuring and Plan of Reorganization Conference sponsored by the Association of Insolvency & Restructuring Advisors discussing “The Mysteries of Chapter 15 Revealed” and as a co-lecturer at the “Workshop on Issues of Public Companies Restructuring under U.S. Chapter 11 and U.K. Administration” in Beijing. Additionally, he served as a moderator at the McDermott Healthcare Private Equity Symposium "Acquiring Healthcare Assets in Distressed Situations."
Geoffrey is a member of the American Bankruptcy Institute, the New York City Bar Association, the New York University - General Studies Program Alumni Association, as well as a member of the Technical Research Committee at the International Association of Restructuring, Insolvency & Bankruptcy Professionals (INSOL). He was The New York City Law Review’s Editor-in-Chief from 1996-1997.
Geoffrey is admitted to practice in New York as well as before the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and the Eastern District of New York.
Education
- City University of New York School of Law, J.D., 1997
- New York University, M.P.A., 1992
- New York University, B.A., 1990
