White & Case LLP - Lawyers - Thomas E Lauria

Practice Experience

Mr. Lauria serves as the chairman of the Firm's Global Financial Restructuring and Insolvency Group. Mr. Lauria has led White & Case teams in the restructuring of over US$80 billion of debt in the last five years in matters involving some of the largest and most complex restructurings in history, including WCI Communities, Delphi, Mirant Corporation, Corporación Durango, PhyAmerica Physician Group, The Williams Companies, Williams Communications Group, Enron and Pacific Gas & Electric.

He regularly represents debtors, unsecured creditors committees, bondholders committees, strategic and financial investors, sovereigns and foreign representatives in a wide variety of industry and market sectors.

Recent and noteworthy restructurings and bankruptcy representations include:

Mirant Corporation, one of the largest producers, generators and marketers of electricity in the world. White & Case served as debtors' lead counsel in its successful chapter 11 reorganization before the US Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas involving more than US$10 billion in debt—the largest bankruptcy filing in the US in 2003 and the 19th largest bankruptcy filing in US history;
Adelphia Communications Corporation, among the largest and most complex ever filed in the US Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. White & Case is currently acting as counsel to the Ad Hoc Committee of Arahova Noteholders, which is one of the principle protagonists in the inter-debtor litigation that is likely to determine the outcome of Adelphia's chapter 11 case;
WCI Communities, one of the largest home builders to seek chapter 11 relief in the current downturn. White & Case is lead counsel to the debtors;
Corporación Durango, the largest paper and wood products company in Mexico. White & Case acted as lead restructuring counsel to the Company in its successful restructuring of nearly US$1 billion in debt pursuant to the Ley de Concursos Mercantiles in Mexico, and its simultaneous ancillary proceeding before the US Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York;
The Williams Companies, Inc., one of the largest pipeline and energy companies in the US. White & Case represented Williams as the largest creditor (US$2.5 billion) and former parent of Williams Communications Group ("WCG") in WCG's successful chapter 11 case before the US Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. Subsequently, White & Case advised TWC in its successful restructuring of over US$13 billion in debt;
The IT Group Inc., one of the world's largest environmental and remediation companies with over US$12 billion in debt. White & Case represented the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors in IT's chapter 11 case before the US Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware;
Quality Stores, Inc., one of the largest nationwide retailers of farming and agricultural products. White & Case represented the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors appointed in Quality Stores' chapter 11 case before the US Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Michigan; and
PhyAmerica Physician Group, Inc., the largest operator of hospital emergency rooms in the US. White & Case served as debtors' lead counsel in PhyAmerica's successful chapter 11 case before the US Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Maryland.

Mr. Lauria has also played prominent roles in numerous other large and complex cases, including Enron (the Ad Hoc Committee of Energy Merchants), PG&E (Ad Hoc Committee of Qualifying Facilities), Marvel Comics (the Official Bondholders' Committee), Jamesway Corporation (Debtor), Greyhound Lines (Debtor), and LoneStar Steel (Debtor).

Mr. Lauria has spoken and written on various bankruptcy and restructuring topics including comparative insolvency law systems and related cross-border issues, enterprise valuation, liquidating plans, and alternative dispute resolution procedures.

Bars and Courts
US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, 2007
US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, 2000
Florida State Bar, 1995
US District Court for the Southern, Middle and Northern Districts of Florida, 1995
Texas State Bar, 1986
US District Court for the Northern and Southern Districts of Texas, 1986
US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, 1986

Education
JD, George C. Taylor Law Center, University of Tennessee, with Honors, 1986
BA, University of Tennessee, with Honors, 1982

Awards and Recognition
IFLR, Restructuring Team of the Year 2006
Individual Ranking, Chambers USA 2006
Best Bankruptcy Lawyer in America 2004, Turnarounds & Workouts Magazine

A "first-class team" of 20 Miami insolvency lawyers maintains a thriving national and international practice. They represent clients in all aspects of restructuring and bankruptcy, handling debtors, creditors, equity owners and distressed buyers of assets and companies. Many of the firm's recent deals have been among the largest and most complex in the USA.
—Chambers USA 2005

"Brilliant bankruptcy lawyer" Thomas Lauria is co-chairman of the firm's financial restructuring and insolvency department. Taking on a variety of Chapter 11 debtor representations and creditor matters, he is admired for his work on tough cases. According to clients, his greatest strength is his conviction; he is an "extremely persuasive litigator and negotiator."
—Chambers USA 2005

Leading bankruptcy attorney Tom Lauria of White & Case is "one heck of a lawyer," reported sources. Co-chairing the firm's financial restructuring and insolvency department in Miami, he is bestknown for having a highly successful national practice, advising clients from a range of industries in Chapter 11 debtor representations and creditor matters. Peers praised him for being "a strong commander and negotiator," while one remarked: "I've learned more from him in one case than from everyone else put together!"
—Chambers Global 2006

Languages
English

Citizenship
United States