Thomas brings global experience and out-of-the-box solutions to his work with complex commercial corporate restructurings, helping distressed, often high-profile companies find new paths forward.

Overview

Clients turn to Thomas for his national and international experience helping private and publicly-traded companies in a broad range of industries continue operations as they negotiate restructuring plans. He has advised lenders, distressed companies, committees and asset acquirers in bankruptcies and out-of-court settlements.

Thomas works with a global roster of clients from an array of industries, including casinos, hotels, real estate, sports, tech, power generation, agribusiness, construction, health care, manufacturing, airlines and franchising. Many of his cases have an international component. He is an adjunct professor and prolific author and lecturer, writing for both practitioners and corporate executives.

Experience

Thomas represented the owners of the Phoenix Coyotes, an NHL hockey team, in bankruptcy negotiations that resulted in a historic sale of the team to the NHL, marking the first time the NHL purchased one of its own franchises.

Known for his savvy in large-scale cases, Thomas has served as restructuring counsel for a national drug store chain, a nationwide operator of nursing homes and assisted living facilities, a publicly-traded owner/operator of fire and ambulance services, and Industrias Nucleares do Brasil S/A, the Brazilian nuclear regulatory agency in the bankruptcies of Nuexco Exchange (U.S. and Switzerland).

In addition to serving as an expert witness on U.S. insolvency law in litigation in Germany, Thomas has advised numerous foreign governments on revamping their laws and has taught Comparative International Insolvency at the University of Salzburg.

A frequent writer, lecturer and presenter, Thomas is active in leadership in the American Bankruptcy Institute and is a past chair of the Bankruptcy Section of the State Bar of Arizona.

News & Insights

News

Speaking Engagements

"Four Proposed Legislative Changes to Deal with Third Party Releases in Bankruptcy” American Bankruptcy Institute, August 2023

"Opportunity Amidst Crisis-Buying Distressed Assets, Claims and Securities for Fun & Profit," Restructuring, Insolvency & Troubled Companies 2016 Series

Publications

"In Defense of Third-Party Releases in Chapter 11 Cases: Part I, II and III," American Bankruptcy Institute, 2022

"Paycheck Protection Program – What Has Changed?" Stinson's Government Contracting Matters Blog, February 4, 2021

"Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act Government and Government Contractor Activities Provisions," Stinson's Government Contracting Matters Blog, April 3, 2020

"Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act Small Business Provisions," Stinson's Government Contracting Matters Blog, April 3, 2020

"SBA Consent to PPP Debtor Loan Provisions Under CARES Act II: Just Do It, Already!!!!!," American Bankruptcy Institute, March 2021

Co-author, "This DIP Loan Should Be Brought to You by Someone Who CARES! (or, 'You Can’t Get There from Here'), Part 2.5" American Bankruptcy Institute, June 2020

Co-author, "This DIP Loan Should Be Brought to You by Someone Who CARES! (Or 'You Can't Get There from Here'), A Plea for Rationality: Part 2," American Bankruptcy Institute, April 2020

"Acquisitions from Financially Distressed Companies," American Bankruptcy Institute, April 2020

Co-author, "The Coronavirus and Its Likely Impact on the Bankruptcy World: Eight Predictions from Two Restructuring Professionals," American Bankruptcy Institute, April 2020

Co-author, "This DIP Loan Brought to You by Someone Who CARES! (Or 'I'm From the Government and I'm Here to Help You')," American Bankruptcy Institute, March 2020

Co-author of the two-volume Bankruptcy Litigation and Practice; A Practitioners' Guide, Fifth Edition, Aspen Law Publications, 2017

Co-author, “Executive Guide to Corporate Bankruptcy, Second Edition, Beard Publications, 2001

Co-author and executive editor of the three-volume treatise “Advanced Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Practice”, Aspen Law Publications, 1995

Co-author, "Chapter 11 Cases Involving Sports Franchises," Collier On Bankruptcy, 2011

Recognitions

Recognitions

America's Top 200 Lawyers, Forbes, 2024

Selected to the 2022 and 2023 Lawdragon 500 Leading Bankruptcy and Restructuring Lawyers guide

Selected for inclusion in "Top 100 Lawyers in Arizona" by AZ Business Magazine, 2020, 2022-2024

Recognized by AZ Business Leaders in the area of Bankruptcy Law

Member of the select group of insolvency professionals listed in the K&A Restructuring Professionals Registry

Best Lawyers in America®: Bankruptcy and Creditor-Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Phoenix, 1993 - Present

Best Lawyers in America: Litigation-Bankruptcy, Phoenix, 2011 - Present

Best Lawyers in America: "Lawyer of the Year," Litigation-Bankruptcy, Phoenix, 2014

Best Lawyers in America: "Lawyer of the Year," Bankruptcy, Phoenix,  2010

Best Lawyers in America: "Lawyer of the Year," Bankruptcy and Creditor-Debtor Rights, Phoenix, 2009

Selected for inclusion in Southwest Super Lawyers®, 2007 - Present

Southwest Super Lawyers' Top 50 Attorneys in Arizona, 2020, 2023

Listed in The International Who's Who of Insolvency & Restructuring Lawyers, 2009

Listed in The International Who's Who of Business Lawyers, 2009 and 2011

Lawdragon's Leading Lawyers in America, 2010

Who's Who Legal 100, 2012

Named one of 12 Outstanding Bankruptcy Attorneys in 1998 and 2000 by Turnarounds & Workouts

Rated "AV/Preeminent Attorney" by Martindale-Hubbell®

Professional & Civic Activities

Professional & Civic Activities

American College of Bankruptcy, Fellow (Class of 2001)

American Bankruptcy Institute, past director and Executive Committee

American Bankruptcy Board of Certification, Inc., Past Director

Bankruptcy Section of the State Bar of Arizona, Past Chair

American College of Bankruptcy Fellow

Plan Issues Advisory Subcommittee for the ABI Bankruptcy Review Commission

Admissions

  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • Supreme Court of Arizona
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
  • U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona

Education

Notre Dame Law School, J.D., cum laude, 1982

  • Notre Dame Law Review

Rutgers University, B.A., summa cum laude, 1979

  • Phi Beta Kappa
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