George R. Mesires

George is a partner in the Finance and Restructuring Practice, and concentrates his practice on corporate restructuring, distressed mergers and acquisitions, creditors' rights, and insolvency matters. He has represented lenders, debtors, receivers, private equity firms, trade creditors and landlords in a variety of insolvency and distressed situations.

Prior to private practice, George was General Counsel for a start-up telecommunications company. George counseled the board of directors and led the company through the distressed sale process and negotiated the sale of substantially all of the company’s assets to a regional telecommunications company.

Before serving as in-house counsel, George was an Assistant Attorney General in the New York State Attorney General’s Office under Eliot Spitzer and Dennis Vacco.

George is an Associate Editor of the American Bankruptcy Institute Journal, the Editor of the ABI Asset Sales Committee Newsletter, and a monthly contributor to the Distressed Debt Investing blog. He writes and speaks frequently on restructuring topics. 

Selected Significant Recent Engagements

• Lead bankruptcy counsel to Clare Oaks, a continuing care retirement community ("CCRC"), as debtor-in-possession in its bankruptcy case.  Case No. 11-48903 (Bankr. N.D. Ill. 2011)
• Lead bankruptcy counsel to Franciscan Sisters of Chicago Service Corporation, as DIP lender to its CCRC affiliate, Franciscan Communities St. Mary of the Woods, Inc., in its chapter 11 bankruptcy case.  Case No. 11-19865 (Bankr. N.D. Ohio 2011)
• Lead bankruptcy counsel to Franciscan Sisters of Chicago Service Corporation, debtor's parent, in the bankruptcy case of its subsidiary, The Clare at Water Tower (Bankr. N.D. Ill. 2011)
• Lead bankruptcy counsel to Fairview Ministries, Inc. and affiliated debtors (CCRC) in their chapter 11 bankruptcy case.  Case No. 11-04386 (Bankr. N.D. Ill. 2011)
• Lead bankruptcy counsel to Indian Industries, Inc. in its § 363 acquisition of assets of Sportcraft LTD. Case No. 11-46684 (NLW) (Bankr. D.N.J. 2012)
• Bankruptcy counsel to Taylor Prepared Foods, Inc. in its § 363 acquisition of substantially all of the assets of Gourmet Kitchen, Inc. Case No. 11-19605 (Bankr. N.D. Ill. 2011)
• Represents industrial and shopping mall landlords, publicly traded REITS, and real estate private equity firms in numerous bankruptcy proceedings across the country.
• Advised a court-appointed receiver over a private equity firm involving the embezzlement of over $50 million of client assets; analyzed and restructured the fund’s direct investments in real estate developments; and analyzed claims relating to the structuring of private equity funds and co-investment funds.
• Representing a secured lender owed several million dollars in the bankruptcy proceedings of a telecommunications company, including defending the bank against dual fraudulent conveyance actions brought by Ch. 7 and Ch. 11 Trustees in affiliated cases.
• Represented numerous lenders in workouts and foreclosure proceedings, including foreclosures on membership interests in limited liability companies.

Significant Decisions 

• In re Olde Prairie Block Owner, LLC, 448 B.R. 482 (Bankr. N.D. Ill. 2011) (granting debtor-in-possession financing on a priming basis over objection of senior secured creditor)
• In re Kmart Corporation, 371 B.R.823 (Bankr. N.D. Ill. 2007) (successfully defended Debtor against sanctions for purported spoliation of electronic evidence)