Husch Blackwell announced that Michael Brandess has joined the firm’s Chicago office as a partner in its Financial Services & Capital Markets industry team and Insolvency & Commercial Bankruptcy practice group.

Brandess advises debtors, creditors, asset purchasers, assignees, creditors’ committees, and trustees, among others, and his practice touches on all areas of corporate restructurings, crisis management, and transactions involving financial distress. He has drafted multiple bankruptcy plans incorporating settlements with senior secured lenders, classifications of claims and financials underlying liquidation analyses and has represented numerous bankruptcy committees and creditor trustees across multiple industries, including agriculture, retail, restaurants, and manufacturing. He has substantial experience guiding clients through the process of buying and selling assets out of bankruptcy, including operating assets and intellectual property. He also regularly represents clients in resolving disputes in the context of financial distress, including loan workouts and negotiations involving trade relationships.

“Michael is a great fit for our team,” said John Cruciani, the head of Husch Blackwell’s Insolvency & Commercial Bankruptcy practice group. “Our group takes pride in providing practical, real-world advice that cuts through the complexities associated with financial distress. Over the course of his career, Michael has demonstrated that same attention to client goals and is very skilled at helping clients use the bankruptcy process to their strategic advantage.”

“Husch Blackwell’s insolvency group has an outstanding reputation among practitioners of the bankruptcy bar. I am very pleased to call them partners and colleagues,” said Brandess. “My clients are excited to have the added resources of the firm’s national platform and the ability to tap into a vast array of subject-matter expertise.”

Brandess is a frequent writer and speaker on issues pertaining to financial distress, family business, and entrepreneurship. He currently serves as the President of the Turnaround Management Association’s Chicago/Midwest Chapter and was named by the American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI) as a 40 Under 40 Honoree.