Joe Graham

Murray Energy Holdings Co. — Representing Murray Energy Holdings Co. and certain of its subsidiaries in their Chapter 11 cases in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Ohio. Murray is the largest privately-owned coal company in the United States, headquartered in St. Clairsville, Ohio, and has operations primarily in Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, Alabama, Illinois, Utah, and Colombia, South America. Murray employs nearly 5,500 people, including approximately 2,400 active union members. Murray entered Chapter 11 with approximately $2.7 billion in prepetition funded debt and more than $8 billion in actual or potential pension and employee benefit obligations.

Blackhawk Mining LLC — Representing Blackhawk Mining LLC and its affiliates in their prepackaged Chapter 11 cases in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. Blackhawk is a leading metallurgical coal producer based in Lexington, Kentucky, and has operations primarily in West Virginia and Kentucky. Blackhawk employs more than 2,800 employees. Blackhawk entered Chapter 11 to implement a prepackaged plan of reorganization that will eliminate approximately $650 million of the Company’s nearly $1.1 billion in prepetition funded debt.

Hollander Sleep Products, LLC — Representing Hollander Sleep Products, LLC and certain of its affiliates, a leading bedding products manufacturer and wholesaler, specializing in pillows, comforters, mattress pads and foam products, in connection with their prearranged Chapter 11 restructuring in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York.

Nine West Holdings, Inc. — Representing Nine West Holdings, Inc., and certain affiliates in their Chapter 11 restructuring in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York in Manhattan. Nine West Holdings is a leading designer, manufacturer, and primarily wholesale distributor of jeanswear, women's apparel, jewelry, handbags, and footwear with approximately $1.6 billion in outstanding funded-debt obligations at the time of filing. 

Caesars Entertainment Operating Co. Inc. — Representing Caesars Entertainment Operating Co. Inc. (“CEOC”), a majority owned subsidiary of Caesars Entertainment Corporation, in its Chapter 11 restructuring. CEOC provides casino entertainment services and owns, operates or manages 44 gaming and resort properties in 13 states of the United States and in five countries primarily under the Caesars, Harrah's and Horseshoe brand names. CEOC and its debtor subsidiaries had more than $18.4 billion in funded debt obligations as of the commencement of their Chapter 11 cases. In 2018, the Turnaround Management Association recognized the successful restructuring of Caesars Operating Entertainment Co. Inc. with its “Mega Company Turnaround of the Year Award.”

FloWorks International, LLC — Represented FloWorks International, LLC, a specialty industrial distributor of pipe, valves, and fittings and related technical solutions to energy and industrial sectors, in its successful out-of-court recapitalization transaction supported by Clearlake Capital Group LP, TowerBrook Capital Partners LP, the company’s management team, and other stakeholders. 

GSO Capital Partners LP — Represented funds managed by GSO Capital Partners LP, as subordinated noteholder, in the recapitalization of Corizon Health, the nation’s leading correctional healthcare company.

Goodman Networks Incorporated — Represented Goodman Networks Incorporated and its domestic subsidiaries in their prepackaged Chapter 11 cases filed in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas. Headquartered in Frisco, Texas, Goodman is a leading provider of field services to the satellite television industry, professional services and network infrastructure to the telecommunications industry, and installation and maintenance services for satellite communications. Goodman employs more than 3,400 individuals across thirty-five offices in the United States, and has more than $325 million of funded debt obligations as of the commencement of their Chapter 11 Cases.

LINN Energy, LLC — Represented LINN Energy, LLC and its affiliates in its Chapter 11 cases filed in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas. LINN is a leading independent oil and natural gas exploration and production company with operations in 12 states and eight discrete U.S. regions.

The Dolan Company — Represented The Dolan Company and certain of its subsidiaries and affiliates in their prepackaged Chapter 11 reorganization. Pursuant to the confirmed Chapter 11 plan, Dolan restructured more than $100 million in funded debt obligations through a debt-to-equity transaction with its secured lenders and paid general unsecured creditors in full. These transactions have permitted reorganized Dolan to emerge as a stronger company with a right-sized balance sheet. Dolan litigated confirmation of its Chapter 11 plan with an Official Committee of Equity Security Holders, whose constituents' equity interests in Dolan were cancelled by the plan. Following extensive pretrial discovery and multiple days of trial, Dolan and its secured lenders struck a favorable settlement with the equity committee that permitted Dolan to exit Chapter 11 on a timely basis and preserve the value of its businesses for all stakeholders. Dolan provides diversified information management and professional services to the legal, financial, and real estate sectors in the United States.

Longview Power, LLC — Represented Longview Power, LLC and certain of its affiliates, including Mepco Holdings, LLC and its affiliates, in connection with their Chapter 11 cases involving the restructuring of approximately $1 billion in funded debt. Longview operates a 700 net megawatt supercritical coal fired power generation facility in Maidsville, West Virginia, and Mepco is one of the largest independent coal companies in North Appalachia. Together, Longview and Mepco operate an integrated power generation enterprise that is at the forefront of the clean coal movement.

YRC Worldwide Inc. — Represented YRC Worldwide Inc., one of the country's largest less-than-truckload (LTL) transportation businesses, with operations in the United States, Canada, Mexico and China, in all aspects of its successful and comprehensive refinancing. YRCW's various refinancing transactions included both a $300 million debt for equity conversion of certain of YRCW's convertible notes and a successful refinancing of over $1.1 billion in secured indebtedness. Additionally, the deal deferred YRCW's pension obligations and extended and amended the terms of YRCW's collective bargaining agreement with its primary union, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. YRCW's recent refinancing was supported by the IBT, more than 25 different multi-employer pension funds, and all of the lenders under YRCW's secured credit facilities.

Source Interlink Companies, Inc. ― Represented Source Interlink Companies, Inc. and its affiliates, market leaders in content development, multi-media publishing, and retail sales and logistics, in their successful out-of-court restructuring in October 2013. The fully-consensual recapitalization transaction significantly deleveraged the two Source businesses, Source Interlink Media and Source Interlink Distribution, and provided for enhanced liquidity to support the Source businesses' future growth.

Qualteq, Inc., d/b/a VCT New Jersey, Inc. — Represented the Chapter 11 Trustee appointed in the Chapter 11 cases of Qualteq, Inc. and its affiliated Chapter 11 debtors. Qualteq and its affiliated debtors are world leaders in plastic card production and providers of pre-sort and value-add mail delivery systems.

MS Resorts ― Represented MSR Resort Golf Course LLC and 29 affiliated entities in all aspects of their Chapter 11 restructuring. MS Resorts invested in, owned and operated five iconic luxury resort properties with related real estate properties and amenities, including: the Grand Wailea Resort Hotel & Spa in Maui, Hawaii; the La Quinta Resort & Club and PGA West in La Quinta, California; the Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa in Phoenix, Arizona; the Doral Golf Resort & Spa in Miami, Florida; and the Claremont Hotel Club & Spa in Berkeley, California. As of the February 1, 2011 commencement of its Chapter 11 cases, MS Resorts reported approximately $2.2 billion in consolidated assets and $1.9 billion in consolidated liabilities, including a $1.0 billion securitized mortgage loan and $525 million in aggregate principal of mezzanine loans.

The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company ― Represented The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company (A&P) and its direct and indirect subsidiaries in their Chapter 11 cases. A&P employs more than 40,500 people at 395 stores throughout the northeastern United States under ten retail banners. A&P listed $2.5 billion in assets and $3.2 billion in debt as of the commencement of the cases.

PILI Fellow, Federal Defender Program, Chicago (Summer 2011)

Summer Associate, Kirkland & Ellis LLP, Chicago (Summer 2010)

Law Clerk, Office of the General Counsel, University of Notre Dame (2009–2010)