Elisha Graff is a Partner in the Firm’s Restructuring Department at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP. He regularly represents clients in connection with out-of-court restructurings and Chapter 11 cases. His work has focused primarily on advising companies in connection with their in-court or out-of-court restructurings, equity sponsors in connection with the restructuring of their portfolio companies, and financial institutions with their loans to distressed companies.
Elisha has regularly represented JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. and other financial institutions as administrative agent for secured lending syndicates in connection with in-court and out-of-court restructurings. He is also regularly called upon to assist the Firm’s private equity clients (including First Reserve, Blackstone, KKR, KSL Partners, EQT and Apax and other sponsor clients) with their portfolio companies that are in distress or in potential need of a restructuring, plan sponsors, and acquirers of distressed companies, as well as financial advisors with retention matters.
Recently, Elisha’s work has included acting as counsel to:
- Blackstone, in connection with the restructuring through Chapter 11 of its portfolio company Stearns Holdings, LLC. Blackstone purchased 100% of the equity in reorganized Stearns in its capacity as plan sponsor, and also provided a $35 million “debtor in possession” financing facility and exit financing to Stearns to support the Chapter 11 process and emergence therefrom
- KSL Partners, as equity sponsor, in connection with the restructuring of one of its portfolio companies
- EQT, as equity sponsor, in connection with the out-of-court restructuring of its portfolio company Data Intensity
- Element Financial, in connection with its investment in 19th Capital
- Apax, as equity sponsor, in connection with the out-of-court restructuring of its portfolio company One Call Corporation
- JPMorgan, in its capacity as administrative agent under a pre-petition secured credit facility, “debtor in possession” financing facility and exit facility in the Chapter 11 case of The Nordam Group
- JPMorgan, in its capacity as pre-petition administrative agent in the pre-packaged Chapter 11 case of Halcon Resources
- Apax, as equity sponsor, in the restructuring through a pre-packaged Chapter 11 case of its portfolio company FullBeauty
- Berenson & Company, in connection with a litigation in New York State Court arising out of its retention as financial advisor by a distressed company
- Dixie Electric, in connection with its financial restructuring through a pre-packaged Chapter 11 case
- J.G. Wentworth, in connection with its financial restructuring through a pre-packaged Chapter 11 case
- JPMorgan, as administrative agent under EV Properties’ pre-petition reserve based credit facility and exit reserve based credit facility, in EV Properties’ pre-packaged Chapter 11 case
- Apax, as equity sponsor, in connection with the Chapter 11 case of its portfolio company rue21
- First Reserve, as equity sponsor and debt holder, in connection with the Chapter 11 case of its portfolio company AFGlobal Corporation
- Templar Energy LLC with a financial restructuring that resulted in the extinguishment of $1.45 billion in second lien debt
In addition, Elisha represented Apax Partners, as equity sponsor and holder of over $1.2 billion of debt, in connection with the Chapter 11 case of its portfolio company Cengage Learning. He has also represented Motor Coach Industries International, Inc., and its affiliates in connection with their Chapter 11 cases.
Elisha has also acted as counsel to the Lenders in several large Chapter 11 cases, including Logan Roadhouse, Inc., Oriental Trading Company; Jefferson County, Alabama (Chapter 9); Station Casinos, Inc.; Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation; Idearc Inc.; NextMedia Group, Inc.; Lear Corporation; Adelphia Communications Corp.; Federal-Mogul Corporation; GT Brands, LLC; RCN Corporation; Galey & Lord, Inc.; GenTek, Inc.; and Recoton Corporation.
Elisha has regularly acted as counsel to PJT Partners, Berenson & Company, and other financial advisors in connection with retention and compensation matters in the various restructuring and bankruptcy engagements in which the financial advisors are involved.
He received his B.A., magna cum laude, from Yeshiva University in 1997 and his J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School in 2000.