On the Move

Milberg LLP announces that Jonathan M. Landers has joined the firm as a partner. He will be resident in Milberg's New York headquarters and will head the bankruptcy practice. Landers was previously a partner in the New York office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, where he practiced for 22 years. He served as lead counsel for numerous clients, including: debtors in The Finova Group, Inc., Hoop (Disney Stores), Odyssey Group (North Face and Head Sportswear); secured lenders in the cases of Insilco and Concap I, II, IV, and V; and represented Merrill Lynch in the Enron and Adelphia bankruptcies; Wells Fargo Bank in the Placid and Penrod bankruptcies; and Dial Corporation in the Greyhound and Bergner bankruptcies; asset purchasers in the U.S. Aggregates, Greate Bay Casinos, Liquor Barn, Sonic Telecommunications, Grand Palais Riverboat and Rivermeadows (Crescent H Ranch) bankruptcies; and was lead counsel for lending groups in numerous workout and restructuring transactions; and Citibank in connection with the liquidation and bankruptcy of a number of major U.S. law firms, most recently, Heller Ehrman, Thelen and Brobeck.

Lazard Ltd announces that Timothy R. Pohl has joined the firm's Financial Advisory business as a managing director in its Restructuring Group in Chicago. Previously, Pohl was one of three global co-leaders of the 100-plus attorney corporate restructuring practice of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. While at Skadden, Pohl led a number of successful out-of-court restructurings including for Rural Cellular Communications, Meridian Technologies, and Krispy Kreme in the restructuring of its troubled franchises. He also led numerous large Chapter 11 restructurings, including most recently for VeraSun Energy, as well as for National Steel Corporation, McLeodUSA, Radnor Holdings, ICG Communications and Diamond Brands.

Dechert LLP announces that Michael J. Sage has joined the firm as a partner in the business restructuring and reorganization practice group. Sage, who is resident in the firm's New York office, was most recently a partner at O'Melveny & Myers LLP and co-head of its financial restructuring group. A member of this newsletter's Board of Editors, Sage has represented ad hoc committees of bondholders, noteholders, term lenders and other creditors, official creditors' committees, individual creditors, acquirers, and debtors in bankruptcy proceedings and out-of-court restructurings.

Greenberg Traurig, LLP has announced the addition of Bruce R. Zirinsky as co-chairman and John Bae as a senior member of the firm's Global Business Reorganization and Bankruptcy Practice in New York. Both were previously members of the Financial Restructuring Department at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP, where Zirinsky headed that group for 10 years. In 2008, The American Lawyer named Zirinsky a “Dealmaker of the Year” for his lead role in the Chapter 11 reorganization of Northwest Airlines. Bae has practiced in the bankruptcy and reorganization field for almost 20 years and has worked closely with Zirinsky for much of that time. Greenberg Traurig's Business Reorganization and Bankruptcy Practice now numbers 80 lawyers worldwide and is co-chaired by Keith Shapiro of the Chicago office, and Mark Bloom of the Miami office. Zirinsky will join Shapiro and Bloom as a co-chair of the global group. Zirinsky and Bae will work collaboratively with them and Nancy Mitchell, who heads the group's business development and integration efforts, to expand and enhance the practice.

Milberg LLP announces that Jonathan M. Landers has joined the firm as a partner. He will be resident in Milberg's New York headquarters and will head the bankruptcy practice. Landers was previously a partner in the New York office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, where he practiced for 22 years. He served as lead counsel for numerous clients, including: debtors in The Finova Group, Inc., Hoop (Disney Stores), Odyssey Group (North Face and Head Sportswear); secured lenders in the cases of Insilco and Concap I, II, IV, and V; and represented Merrill Lynch in the Enron and Adelphia bankruptcies; Wells Fargo Bank in the Placid and Penrod bankruptcies; and Dial Corporation in the Greyhound and Bergner bankruptcies; asset purchasers in the U.S. Aggregates, Greate Bay Casinos, Liquor Barn, Sonic Telecommunications, Grand Palais Riverboat and Rivermeadows (Crescent H Ranch) bankruptcies; and was lead counsel for lending groups in numerous workout and restructuring transactions; and Citibank in connection with the liquidation and bankruptcy of a number of major U.S. law firms, most recently, Heller Ehrman, Thelen and Brobeck.

Lazard Ltd announces that Timothy R. Pohl has joined the firm's Financial Advisory business as a managing director in its Restructuring Group in Chicago. Previously, Pohl was one of three global co-leaders of the 100-plus attorney corporate restructuring practice of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP . While at Skadden, Pohl led a number of successful out-of-court restructurings including for Rural Cellular Communications, Meridian Technologies, and Krispy Kreme in the restructuring of its troubled franchises. He also led numerous large Chapter 11 restructurings, including most recently for VeraSun Energy, as well as for National Steel Corporation, McLeodUSA, Radnor Holdings, ICG Communications and Diamond Brands.

Dechert LLP announces that Michael J. Sage has joined the firm as a partner in the business restructuring and reorganization practice group. Sage, who is resident in the firm's New York office, was most recently a partner at O'Melveny & Myers LLP and co-head of its financial restructuring group. A member of this newsletter's Board of Editors, Sage has represented ad hoc committees of bondholders, noteholders, term lenders and other creditors, official creditors' committees, individual creditors, acquirers, and debtors in bankruptcy proceedings and out-of-court restructurings.

Greenberg Traurig, LLP has announced the addition of Bruce R. Zirinsky as co-chairman and John Bae as a senior member of the firm's Global Business Reorganization and Bankruptcy Practice in New York. Both were previously members of the Financial Restructuring Department at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP, where Zirinsky headed that group for 10 years. In 2008, The American Lawyer named Zirinsky a “Dealmaker of the Year” for his lead role in the Chapter 11 reorganization of Northwest Airlines. Bae has practiced in the bankruptcy and reorganization field for almost 20 years and has worked closely with Zirinsky for much of that time. Greenberg Traurig's Business Reorganization and Bankruptcy Practice now numbers 80 lawyers worldwide and is co-chaired by Keith Shapiro of the Chicago office, and Mark Bloom of the Miami office. Zirinsky will join Shapiro and Bloom as a co-chair of the global group. Zirinsky and Bae will work collaboratively with them and Nancy Mitchell, who heads the group's business development and integration efforts, to expand and enhance the practice.