Biography
Susheel Kirpalani is a partner and Chairperson of the firm’s Bankruptcy and Restructuring Group. Susheel’s notable representations include: serving as the Court-appointed Examiner and Mediator in Dynegy, representing the statutory creditors’ committees in RadioShack, SemGroup and Sentinel, serving as conflicts counsel to estate fiduciaries in Lehman Brothers, NII International, NewPage, Idearc, Washington Mutual, and Solutia, representing boards of directors, such as that of Lukoil Americas Corp., and representing the equity sponsors in Sabine Oil & Gas, LyondellBasell, and Sbarro. Susheel also has broad experience in international insolvencies, leading the firm’s engagements for the Hong Kong-based private equity owner of Fisker Automotive in connection with an auction and litigation relating to competitive bid for the debtors’ assets by U.S.-based affiliate of Chinese company Wanxiang, for OGX, OSX, and OAS in U.S. aspects of their Brazil judicial recovery proceedings, for Dubai World in drafting Dubai’s bankruptcy legislation for public decree companies, and for the Joint Liquidators of the Kingate Global and Euro Funds in the SIPC proceeding against Bernard L. Madoff ‘s defunct firm. In municipal restructurings, Susheel represented Syncora Guarantee in Jefferson County’s Chapter 9 case and currently leads the firm’s engagement for an ad hoc group of COFINA Bondholders stemming from Puerto Rico’s financial crisis. In connection with the Puerto Rico matter, Susheel testified before Congress regarding the fairness of the restructuring title of the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA), which was ultimately enacted into law. Susheel’s established reputation for creativity and advocacy in creditors’ rights against companies tainted by fraud include such historic cases as Enron Corp. and Refco Group Ltd.
In 2013, The American Lawyer honored Susheel as “Dealmaker of the Year” for his work as Examiner and Mediator in Dynegy. He has been recognized by The Deal as one of eight attorneys “poised to become significant figures in the bars of cities ranging from Houston to Paris,” and also by Law360 as one of the ten most admired bankruptcy attorneys in the country. Chambers USA ranks Susheel in Band One, describing him as “very creative, aggressive and hard-working” and “a tremendous courtroom advocate.” Expert Guides named Susheel one of the “Top 30 most pre-eminent Insolvency Lawyers in America in 2012.” He is a recipient of the South Asian Bar Association of New York’s esteemed Litigation Achievement Award and is a Fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy.
Susheel is a frequent lecturer and panelist across the country on topics relating to financial crisis litigation, distressed investing, and bankruptcy. He is a regular guest speaker at NYU School of Law’s seminar in advanced bankruptcy taught by former bankruptcy chief judge, Arthur Gonzalez. Susheel is a member of the Dean’s Planning Council of Fordham University School of Law, where he has created a full-tuition scholarship for public service, and is involved in various charitable endeavors.
Susheel received his J.D. in 1994 from Fordham University School of Law, where he was an editor of the Law Review, and has a bachelor’s degree in economics from Queens College. He is admitted to practice in the federal and state courts of New York as well as several federal circuit courts of appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court.