Firm News
Feb 9, 2010
Greg Yates Joins Seyfarth Shaw’s Litigation Department in the New York Office
New York, NY (February 9, 2010)—Seyfarth Shaw LLP, one of America’s leading full-service law firms, today announced that the Greg Yates has joined the firm’s New York office as a partner in the Bankruptcy Practice Group. Previously, Yates was a partner in the New York and Washington, D.C. offices of Steptoe & Johnson LLP.
Yates is a trusted advisor to financial institutions as well as non-institutional lenders and investors. His national practice is concentrated in the area of debtor/creditor relations, including workouts, restructurings, and bankruptcy. A key focus of his practice is advising clients on creative solutions to distressed commercial real estate transactions and, where necessary, litigation relating to those transactions. Additionally, he negotiates, structures, documents and closes many types of transactions involving distressed projects and litigates disputes relating to those projects. He also provides clients with guidance on acquisitions and divestitures of commercial mortgages, real estate and other assets.
“Greg is a tremendous addition to our growing national bankruptcy practice,” said Gus A. Paloian, Chair of Seyfarth Shaw’s Bankruptcy, Workouts & Business Reorganization Practice Group. “His depth of knowledge of debtor-creditor relations, particularly in regard to the resolution of distressed commercial real estate, offers our clients a further sophistication and an even greater level of service in this arena.”
The Bankruptcy, Workouts & Business Reorganization Practice Group has representatives in every office helping lenders, asset managers, trustees, committees, unsecured creditors, and debtors manage their credit risk during tumultuous financial periods, such as the one we’re currently navigating. The group handles a range of bankruptcy-related litigation, including avoidance and conveyance actions, directors and officers breach of fiduciary duties actions, and core bankruptcy proceedings hearings, including adequate protection, lift stay and plan confirmation.
“We are thrilled to welcome Greg to our firm,” said John P. Napoli, Co-Managing Partner of Seyfarth Shaw’s New York office. “Greg’s impressive background, coupled with his commitment to team work and superior client service, is an ideal fit. We look forward to his contributions at the firm both in the New York office and nationally.”
Seyfarth Shaw first opened its New York office in 1979 with seven attorneys. Today, the office is home to over 100 attorneys, many of whom are also admitted to practice in New Jersey and Connecticut. Practices represented in the New York office include: Bankruptcy, Workouts & Business Reorganization; Commercial Class Action Defense; Commercial Litigation; Corporate; Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation; Labor & Employment; Real Estate; Securities & Financial Litigation; Structured & Real Estate Finance; Tax; and Trade Secrets, Computer Fraud, & Non-Competes.
“I was immediately drawn to Seyfarth because of the depth and breadth of practitioners throughout the firm, and in particular, the impressive and expanding bankruptcy offering,” said Yates. “I look forward to working with my new colleagues in New York and across the country.”
Yates received his B.A. (cum laude), M.P.A., M.A. (Finance & Economics), M.B.A., and his J.D. from the University of Alabama. He is admitted to the state bars of New York, the District of Columbia, Alabama, and to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Prior to joining his previous firm, Yates served as senior counsel to an investment bank focusing on the purchase, resolution and sale of commercial mortgages and real estate. In that capacity, he profitably managed hundreds of commercial real estate workouts, restructurings, foreclosures and bankruptcies. In addition, Yates clerked for two years with the Chief Bankruptcy Judge in the Southern District of New York. He has also worked in the real estate department of a major oil company, been a business consultant and taught real estate and finance at several universities.
Seyfarth Shaw has over 750 attorneys located in ten offices throughout the United States including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Sacramento, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C., as well as Brussels, Belgium. Seyfarth Shaw provides a broad range of legal services in the areas of labor and employment, employee benefits, litigation and business services. The firm’s practice reflects virtually every industry and segment of the country’s business and social fabric. Clients include over 300 of the Fortune 500 companies, financial institutions, newspapers and other media, hotels, health care organizations, airlines and railroads. The firm also represents a number of federal, state, and local governmental and educational entities. For more information, please visit www.seyfarth.com.