James Carr is the chair of the Bankruptcy and Restructuring practice group at Kelley Drye. He is also a member of the firm's Executive Committee. Mr. Carr's practice focuses on all aspects of corporate bankruptcy, with an emphasis on creditor representations for companies in the financial, petroleum, energy, chemical, retail and airline industries. He is a member of the Mediation Panels of the United States Bankruptcy Courts for the Southern District of New York and the District of New Jersey, and he has been selected as mediator in numerous actions.
Representative Experience
Represents one of the world's largest integrated oil/energy/chemical companies, as a creditor, in all of its bankruptcy cases across the country.
Represents parties to derivative contracts in drafting, negotiating and restructuring such contracts, and advises such clients on their rights under the safe harbor provisions of the Bankruptcy Code.
Provides advice to companies on how to minimize bad accounts.
Represents owners and management companies of shopping centers in retail bankruptcy cases and advises such clients on how to minimize their bankruptcy exposure.
Represents lenders and borrowers in bankruptcy cases and in real estate workouts.
Represents bond holders and indenture trustees.
Represents purchasers of bankrupt companies.
Represents creditors' committees in Chapter 11 cases and ad hoc committees in out-of-court workouts.
Regularly assists the firm's commercial lending practice group with protecting lenders’ rights, and the firm's real estate practice group with protecting and enforcing landlords' rights and claims in bankruptcy cases, and real estate workouts.
Memberships & Associations
The Notre Dame Law Association, Board of DirectorsAmerican Bankruptcy Institute
American Bar Association, Business Bankruptcy Committee
International Council of Shopping Centers
New York State Bar Association, Bankruptcy Committee
Turnaround Management Association
Honors & Awards
Selected as one of Law360's 10 Most Admired Bankruptcy Attorneys, 2010.
Selected as one of The Best Lawyers in America in the Bankruptcy and Creditor-Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law and Litigation - Bankruptcy areas, 2010-2012.
Ranked by The Deal as a "Top Bankruptcy Lawyer" based on the number of retentions in the largest bankruptcy cases filed in 2010.
Recommended in US Legal 500 for his work in the Corporate Restructuring area, 2009-2011.
Listed in New York "Super Lawyers," 2008-2011.
Ranked as a leading practitioner in the Bankruptcy/Restructuring area by Chambers USA, 2008-2011.
Represented the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors of Jennifer Convertibles, which reorganization was recognized as 2011 Turnaround Atlas Awards' Retail & Services Turnaround Deal of the Year.
