Overview
James Grogan is a partner in the Financial Restructuring group, based in Houston. He has a national reputation for successfully representing company and creditor clients in complex financial restructurings, bankruptcy cases, and out-of-court workouts. He focuses on solving his clients’ most challenging problems by designing and implementing negotiation and litigation strategies, and serving as lead trial counsel in bankruptcy disputes.
Mr. Grogan recently led the Firm’s successful representation of Cred Inc. in the first bankruptcy in the United States involving a cryptocurrency business, achieving confirmation of a consensual chapter 11 plan in only four months. Having addressed numerous issues of first impression during that engagement, Mr. Grogan regularly advises Fintech and other clients on cryptocurrency issues related to financial restructurings.
Mr. Grogan has also assisted clients in numerous complex business restructurings, both inside and outside chapter 11, including the restructurings of AbitibiBowater, Adelphia Communications, AIG, Alta Mesa Resources, American Airlines, BJ Services, Castex Energy, CHC Helicopters, Chisholm Oil & Gas, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Cred, Francis’ Drilling Fluids, FairPoint Communications, Furniture Brands International, General Motors, GT Advanced Technologies, Lehman Brothers, Magna Entertainment, MolyCorp, NewPage, Pioneer Energy Services, Pliant, PRC LLC, Qimonda, SandRidge Energy, Sable Permian Resources, Six Flags, Southcross Holdings, TECNET, Vanguard Natural Resources, VarTec Telecom, Washington Mutual and WorldCom.
Recognitions
- Recognized by Chambers USA 2022 - Bankruptcy and Restructuring: Texas
- Chambers USA, Bankruptcy/Restructuring (2022)
- The Legal 500 USA, Restructuring Including Bankruptcy: Corporate (2021-2022)
- The Legal 500, Finance - Restructuring: Corporate (2021)
- Honored with the Consumer and Retail Products Deal of the Year award for work on Furniture Brands, The M&A Advisor Turnaround Awards, 2014
Education
- University of Kansas School of Law, J.D. (Order of the Coif), 2000
- Wheaton College, BA, 1988
news
- Paul Hastings Launches Interdisciplinary Energy Transition & Infrastructure Team to Help Clients Prepare for Low-Carbon Future - June 9th, 2021
- Paul Hastings Continues Lateral Growth Hot Streak, Adding Restructuring Partner James Grogan in Houston - April 16th, 2020
- Vanguard Natural Resources Successfully Completes Financial Restructuring - August 2nd, 2017
- Paul Hastings Advises Furniture Brands International in Chapter 11 Bankruptcy - September 10th, 2013
Recognitions
insights
- Are Buyers of Assets Acquired from Debtors in Section 363 Bankruptcy Sales Protected from Product Liability Claims? - July 27th, 2016
- Delaware Bankruptcy Court Refuses to Dismiss Chapter 11 Case Despite Existence of Secured Lender’s “Golden Share” in Debtor’s Delaware LLC Agreement: Could Bankruptcy-Remote Structures Be at Risk? - June 16th, 2016
- Back to the Future: Appeals Court Lets Bankruptcy Court Decide State Law Claims - August 26th, 2013
- Delaware Bankruptcy Court in In re School Specialty Affirms Lenders Ability to Recover 37 Percent Make-Whole Premium as Part of Its Secured Claim - April 29th, 2013
- United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York Holds That a UCC-3 Filing Without Authorization is No Filing At All - March 28th, 2013
- This Trend May Not Be Your Friend: Could Catalyst Paper Spawn a New Breed of Chapter 15 Cases for U.S. Debtors? - April 2nd, 2012
- Game Changer: Second Circuit Finds Gifting By Secured Creditor to Old Equity Pursuant to Chapter 11 Plan Violates Absolute Priority Rule - February 9th, 2011
Engagement & Publications
- Lectures and writes on various topics relating to financial restructurings
- Assisted in teaching commercial law and secured credit at the University of Kansas School of Law
- During law school, served as an associate editor for the Kansas Law Review
Involvement
- Member, State Bars of New York and Texas
- Member, Turnaround Management Association
- Member, Association of Insolvency and Restructuring Advisors
- Admitted to practice before numerous federal courts, including the U.S. District Courts for the Southern District of New York, and the Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western Districts of Texas