On the Move

Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP has announced that Frank A. Merola joined the Financial Restructuring Practice Group as a partner in the Los Angeles office. Merola was previously a Managing Director in the Recapitalization and Reorganization Group of investment banking firm Jefferies & Company. His recent representations include the Trustees of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Trust; the Debtors in ATP Oil & Gas, Crusader Energy and Insight Health; the Official Committees of Unsecured Creditors in Tronox, Inc., Herbst Gaming, Innkeepers USA Trust and MSR Resorts Golf Course LLC. Prior to Jefferies, Merola was an attorney with the Los Angeles boutique of Stutman, Treister & Glatt, P.C.

Freeborn & Peters LLP has named Eugene (“Gene”) J. Geekie, Jr. as a senior member of the Bankruptcy, Reorganization and Creditors' Rights Practice and Chair of the firm's Bankruptcy Litigation Practice in Chicago. Formerly a partner at Schiff Hardin LLP, Geekie focuses his practice on the representation of secured and unsecured lenders in complex bankruptcies in the financial markets, food, energy and automotive industries, as well as creditors' committees, bankruptcy trustees, and court-appointed receivers.

Gerald Bender has joined the New York office of Lowenstein Sandler PC as a member of the firm's Bankruptcy, Financial Reorganization & Creditors' Rights Department. Bender regularly represents companies that invest in or acquire debt of troubled companies, including private equity funds, hedge funds, and other control investors. He was previously a partner at O'Melveny & Myers LLP.

Andrew D. Shaffer has joined Butzel Long as a shareholder in the firm's New York office. Formerly a partner at Mayer Brown, Shaffer's experience includes representing creditors in bankruptcy proceedings as well as liquidations and rehabilitations of banks, brokers, future commission merchants and insurance companies.

Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy has announced that Gerard Uzzi has joined the firm as a partner in its Financial Restructuring Group. Uzzi is moving from the New York office of White & Case, where he was a partner in the firm's Financial Restructuring and Insolvency Group. He has played a central role in some of the country's largest and most complex bankruptcies in recent years, advising key stakeholders, including debtors, creditors and acquirors.

Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP has announced that Frank A. Merola joined the Financial Restructuring Practice Group as a partner in the Los Angeles office. Merola was previously a Managing Director in the Recapitalization and Reorganization Group of investment banking firm Jefferies & Company. His recent representations include the Trustees of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Trust; the Debtors in ATP Oil & Gas, Crusader Energy and Insight Health; the Official Committees of Unsecured Creditors in Tronox, Inc., Herbst Gaming, Innkeepers USA Trust and MSR Resorts Golf Course LLC. Prior to Jefferies, Merola was an attorney with the Los Angeles boutique of Stutman, Treister & Glatt, P.C.

Freeborn & Peters LLP has named Eugene (“Gene”) J. Geekie, Jr. as a senior member of the Bankruptcy, Reorganization and Creditors' Rights Practice and Chair of the firm's Bankruptcy Litigation Practice in Chicago. Formerly a partner at Schiff Hardin LLP, Geekie focuses his practice on the representation of secured and unsecured lenders in complex bankruptcies in the financial markets, food, energy and automotive industries, as well as creditors' committees, bankruptcy trustees, and court-appointed receivers.

Gerald Bender has joined the New York office of Lowenstein Sandler PC as a member of the firm's Bankruptcy, Financial Reorganization & Creditors' Rights Department. Bender regularly represents companies that invest in or acquire debt of troubled companies, including private equity funds, hedge funds, and other control investors. He was previously a partner at O'Melveny & Myers LLP.

Andrew D. Shaffer has joined Butzel Long as a shareholder in the firm's New York office. Formerly a partner at Mayer Brown, Shaffer's experience includes representing creditors in bankruptcy proceedings as well as liquidations and rehabilitations of banks, brokers, future commission merchants and insurance companies.

Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy has announced that Gerard Uzzi has joined the firm as a partner in its Financial Restructuring Group. Uzzi is moving from the New York office of White & Case, where he was a partner in the firm's Financial Restructuring and Insolvency Group. He has played a central role in some of the country's largest and most complex bankruptcies in recent years, advising key stakeholders, including debtors, creditors and acquirors.