Barnes & Thornburg Strengthens Chicago Office's Restructuring Department with Arrival of Partner Aaron Gavant

Barnes & Thornburg Strengthens Chicago Office's Restructuring Department with Arrival of Partner Aaron Gavant

Barnes & Thornburg, a renowned US law firm, has announced the addition of Aaron Gavant to their Chicago office as a partner in the Finance, Insolvency, and Restructuring department.

Gavant brings a versatile practice that encompasses both conventional in-court and out-of-court restructurings, along with a focus on diverse special situations within the structured finance domain.

Gavant’s arrival at the firm follows the recent addition of fellow restructuring partner Gregory Plotko, who joined Barnes & Thornburg's New York office earlier this year. Aaron has joined the firm from Mayer Brown

In the realm of traditional restructuring, Aaron Gavant's diverse clientele consists of institutional lenders, syndicated bank groups, and various credit and equity providers of different sizes and types. These clients depend on his expertise in a wide array of distress scenarios, such as M&A transactions conducted both within and outside the judicial process, litigation preceding and following bankruptcy proceedings, matters related to liquidation, and comprehensive Chapter 11 reorganisations.

Michael Carrillo, the managing partner of Barnes & Thornburg's Chicago office, expressed his excitement over Aaron Gavant joining the firm, emphasising that Gavant brings nearly 15 years of valuable experience in the field of restructuring.

“He is our third partner addition of 2023 and will be a great addition to our team. We are looking forward to continuing this momentum through the rest of the year,” Carrillo stated.

In his role within the structured finance special situation domain, Gavant primarily advocates for indentured trustees, special services, administrative agents, and similar entities as they confront challenges during distress or other exceptional circumstances.

He possesses extensive experience across various deal types, encompassing residential and commercial mortgage-backed securities trusts, student loan securitisations, whole business securitisations, and more. Furthermore, Gavant's industry expertise extends to areas such as mortgage finance, energy, and retail.

Mark Owens, the chair of Barnes & Thornburg's Finance, Insolvency, and Restructuring department, expressed enthusiasm about Gavant joining the firm. Owens emphasised that Gavant's expertise in handling both pre- and post-default issues makes him a valuable addition to their already accomplished roster of restructuring attorneys.

“Our clients are in need of well-rounded counsel in this area, and we’re excited to have Aaron on our team as we continue to meet this need,” Owens said.

Gavant earned his B.A. from Yeshiva University and his J.D. from the University of Maryland School of Law. Throughout his career, he has garnered industry-wide recognition for his exceptional work. This includes being honoured as an Emerging Leader by the M&A Advisor and as a Rising Star Dealmaker by the Global M&A Network.