ALAMEDA, Calif. — Bankruptcy attorney Bruce Bennett, who represented Orange County, in its 1994 bankruptcy case, has joined Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP along with nine other California attorneys from his bankruptcy and restructuring practice, the firm announced Monday.
Bennett and his team come aboard from Hennigan, Bennett and Dorman LLP.
“Bruce is one of the premier restructuring attorneys in the country, with unparalleled experience in Chapter 11 corporate reorganizations and Chapter 9 municipal reorganizations,” Dewey & LeBoeuf chairman Steven H. Davis said in a statement. “We are delighted to have Bruce and his team join us.”
Bennett was lead debtor’s counsel for Orange County when it filed for Chapter 9 municipal bankruptcy in 1994 after its investment pool lost $1.7 billion. In that role, he was the architect of the plan of adjustment that allowed the county to emerge from bankruptcy in about 18 months.
Moving with Bennett to the new firm are partners James Johnston, Sidney Levinson, Bennett Murphy, Joshua Mester, and five other attorneys. All but one are based in Los Angeles.
Johnston was also involved with the Orange County case, and served as reorganization counsel for Desert Hot Springs, Calif., when that city filed for Chapter 9 in 2001. Bennett and the other partners also have extensive experience in corporate bankruptcy and restructuring.
Bennett was a founding member of Hennigan Bennett and headed its bankruptcy and restructuring practice. The Los Angeles firm announced Monday that it has renamed itself Hennigan Dorman LLP and will focus on business litigation.
“Dewey & LeBoeuf is a world-class law firm with an extensive global presence,” Bennett said in a statement. “The breadth of expertise it provides in such areas as corporate and tax have become an important factor in creditor and debtor representations and will greatly enhance the value we offer clients.”
