Overview
Kris Hansen is Co-Chair of the Financial Restructuring group at Paul Hastings and is based in the firm’s New York office. Mr. Hansen is a dealmaker and a consummate tactician renowned for his strong judgment, financial IQ and expansive market knowledge.
Throughout his career, Mr. Hansen has guided clients through proceedings in bankruptcy and appellate courts across the country, as well as through many out-of-court situations.
Mr. Hansen helps sophisticated investors in distressed credit formulate and execute complex strategies involving mergers and acquisitions, financing and litigation in and outside of actual bankruptcy. He represents official creditors’ committees in complex corporate chapter 11 cases, and corporate debtors in connection with formal bankruptcy proceedings and informal negotiations to restructure their debt obligations.
Recognitions
- Benchmark Litigation, "Litigation Star"
- Best Lawyers, "various national rankings in the area of Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights"
- Chambers Global: Bankruptcy/Restructuring: The Elite
- Chambers USA: Bankruptcy/Restructuring
- Chambers New York: Bankruptcy/Restructuring
- Futures and Options 2021 "Dream Big" Honoree
- IFLR1000, Highly Regarded
- IFLR1000, 2020 "Deal of the Year: Banking and Finance" for Pacific Gas and Electric Company
- K&A Restructuring Register, "Outstanding Lawyers"
- Law360, "Bankruptcy MVP"
- The Legal 500 USA, Leading Lawyer, Restructuring Including Bankruptcy: Corporate (2022)
- Super Lawyers
- Turnaround & Workouts, "Outstanding Restructuring Lawyers"
- Turnaround Management Association, 2018 Turnaround of the Year: Mega Company
Mr. Hansen was also recently inducted into the American College of Bankruptcy, a highly selective honorary and educational association of bankruptcy and insolvency professionals.
Education
- Fordham University School of Law, J.D., 1995
- Fordham University, B.S. in Finance, 1992
Representations
Some of Mr. Hansen’s notable creditor representations include the following:
- AMF Bowling Worldwide, Inc. (ad hoc committee of first lien term lenders)
- Aquilex Holdings (ad hoc committee of noteholders)
- Avaya, Inc. (ad hoc group of first and second lien creditors)
- Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company I and II (ad hoc committee of convertible noteholders)
- Brookstone, Inc. (ad hoc committee of second lien noteholders)
- Calpine Corporation (ad hoc committee of convertible noteholders)
- Caraustar Industries (ad hoc committee of noteholders)
- Caesars Entertainment Corporation (ad hoc group of first lien lenders)
- Carlson Wagonlit Travel (ad hoc group of secured noteholders)
- Dana Corporation (ad hoc committee of noteholders)
- Dayton Superior (official creditors’ committee)
- Diebold Nixdorf (debt finance provider)
- Extraction Oil & Gas (official creditors’ committee)
- Fairpoint Communications (ad hoc committee of noteholders)
- FTX (official creditors’ committee)
- Guitar Center (ad hoc group of noteholders)
- Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company I and II (ad hoc committee of convertible noteholders)
- Harry & David (ad hoc committee of noteholders)
- IAC/InterActiveCorp (ad hoc committee of noteholders)
- Indiana Downs/Indiana Live! (ad hoc committee of noteholders)
- Intermet Corporation (ad hoc committee of noteholders)
- Interstate Bakeries (largest shareholder)
- J.C. Penney Company, Inc. (ad hoc secured crossover group)
- K-V Pharmaceutical Company (official creditors’ committee)
- Lear Corporation (ad hoc committee of noteholders)
- LightSquared Inc. (secured creditor)
- Lone Pine Resources (certain noteholders)
- LSC Communications (official committee of unsecured creditors)
- The McClatchy Company (official committee of unsecured creditors)
- Momentive Performance Materials Inc. (certain noteholders and backstop parties)
- Monitronics International, Inc. (ad hoc group of senior unsecured noteholders)
- Morris Publishing Group (ad hoc committee of noteholders)
- NationsRent, Inc. (ad hoc committee of secured lenders and plan sponsor)
- Neenah Foundry (DIP lender and ad hoc committee of secured noteholders)
- Neff Corp. (ad hoc committee of noteholders and purchaser)
- New Gulf Resources, LLC (ad hoc committee of noteholders and DIP lenders)
- Panavision Inc. (ad hoc committee of secured noteholders)
- Party City (ad hoc group of lenders)
- Payless ShoeSource Inc. (Creditor and DIP lender)
- PCA International (official creditors’ committee)
- Pegasus Satellite Communications (ad hoc committee of noteholders)
- PG&E Corporation and Pacific Gas and Electric Company (DIP lender)
- Pliant Corporation (ad hoc committee of noteholders)
- Primus Telecommunications (ad hoc committee of noteholders)
- Pyxus (ad hoc group of lenders)
- RathGibson, Inc. (DIP lender/ad hoc committee of noteholders and purchaser)
- Sandy Creek Energy Station (ad hoc first lien lender group)
- School Specialty, Inc. (DIP lender, ad hoc committee of noteholders)
- Sears Holdings Corp. (second lien lender)
- SFX Entertainment, Inc. (DIP lender and ad hoc bondholder committee)
- Spanish Broadcasting System (company)
- Stations Casinos (member of official creditors’ committee)
- Texas Petrochemicals, Inc. (official creditors’ committee)
- Toys “R” Us, Inc. (FILO DIP lenders)
- Tropicana Entertainment (official creditors’ committee)
- Trump Entertainment Resorts (debtor)
In addition, Mr. Hansen has acted as debtors’ counsel to: Ambassadors International, Inc., AMF Bowling, Flushing Hospital, Loehmann’s Inc., Recoton Corporation, Trism Trucking, Trump Entertainment Resorts and Union Hospital.
news
- Paul Hastings Advised Barnes & Noble Education in Refinancing - July 31st, 2023
- Kris Hansen and Jayme Goldstein Named Among 2022 “Outstanding Restructuring Lawyers” by Turnarounds & Workouts - January 3rd, 2023
- Paul Hastings Selected as Counsel to Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors of FTX - December 22nd, 2022
Recognitions
- Kris Hansen and Jayme Goldstein Named Among 2022 “Outstanding Restructuring Lawyers” by Turnarounds & Workouts - January 3rd, 2023
- Paul Hastings Recognized in Global Restructuring Review’s GRR 100 2022 List - December 21st, 2022
- Paul Hastings Recognized in Benchmark Litigation 2023 - October 11th, 2022
- Paul Hastings Recognized for Legal Excellence in the Legal 500 2022 - June 13th, 2022
- Paul Hastings Financial Restructuring Practice Recognized by Chambers USA 2022 - June 1st, 2022
insights
Engagement & Publications
Mr. Hansen is a frequent panelist and lecturer at American Bankruptcy Institute, Southeastern Bankruptcy Law Institute, Turnaround Management Association and other industry-sponsored events.
Select engagements include:
- Speaker, "Post-Restructuring," American Bankruptcy Institute New York City Bankruptcy Conference, 2021,
- Panelist, "Lender-on-Lender Violence and Its Impact on Valuation Controversies," American Bankruptcy Institute VALCON, 2021
- Moderator, "CDS Markets," American Bankruptcy Institute New York City Bankruptcy Conference, New York City, 2019
- Moderator, "Practical Issues in Corporate Governance Before, During and Upon Emergence from Chapter 11," American Bankruptcy Institute 19th Annual New York City Bankruptcy Conference, 2017
- Speaker, "The Intersection of Bankruptcy and Intellectual Property," District of Delaware Second Annual Bench and Bar Conference, 2016
- Speaker, "Flashpoints for Intercreditor Disputes," American Bankruptcy Institute 18th Annual New York City Bankruptcy Conference, 2016