Michael Small focuses his practice on corporate restructuring, bankruptcy, and finance, as well as litigation related to each. He represents financial institutions and funds, operating companies, asset purchasers, debtors, creditors’ committees, secured and unsecured creditors in reorganization cases, workouts, out-of-court transactions, and a variety of federal and state court litigation.
Michael has been a partner with the firm since 2000 and previously led the firm’s Bankruptcy & Business Reorganizations Practice Group. He is a member of the firm’s Sports & Entertainment and Food & Beverage Industry Teams, the Health Care & Life Sciences Sector, and the Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) Team. He continues to be a member of the Trial Bar of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
代表经验
Michael’s notable engagements include:
- In re Stoli Group USA, LLC (debtor)
- In re Marelli Lighting et al (international OEM customer)
- In re First Brands et al (international OEM customer)
- In re Century Mining, LLC (creditor and equity holder)
- In the matter of Hyzon Motors, Inc. (company-assignor)
- In re AmeriMark Interactive, LLC (asset purchaser)
- In re Meridian Restaurants Unlimited (creditors committee)
- In re FTX Trading Ltd. (sports sponsorship counterparty creditor)
- In re Diamond Sports Group (contract counterparties)
- In re Los Angeles Dodgers LLC (acquisition of L.A. Dodgers)
- In re Chicago National League Ball Club, LLC (acquisition of Chicago Cubs)
- In re Texas Rangers Baseball Partners (acquisition of Texas Rangers)
- In re Proterra Inc. et al (supplier-critical vendor)
- In re Universal Cooperatives, Inc., et al (debtors’ counsel)
- In re AgFeed Industries, Inc. et al (special counsel to the debtors)
- In re Loves Furniture, Inc. (creditors committee)
- In re SquareTwo Financial Services Corporation (acquiring plan sponsor)
- In re GenCanna Global USA, Inc. (creditors committee)
- In re The Financial Oversight and Management Board Puerto Rico (infrastructure creditor)
- In re Farmland Industries (bondholder committee and liquidating trustee)
- In re Corcoran Hospital District (chapter 9 debtor)
奖项与表彰
- Recognized, Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business in the practice area of Bankruptcy/Restructuring (2014-2018, 2021-2025)
- Recognized, AV Preeminent®, 5.0 out of 5 Peer Review Rated, the highest performance rating in Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™ system
- Recognized by the Legal 500 for his work in finance – corporate restructuring (including bankruptcy) (2013)
- Recognized, 美国最佳律师 在以下领域：
- Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law (2011-2024)
- Litigation – Bankruptcy (2011-2024)
- Selected for inclusion to the Illinois Super Lawyers lists (2007-2023)*
*伊利诺伊州最高法院不承认法律执业方面的专业认证，在伊利诺伊州从事法律执业不需要获得任何奖励或认可。
附属机构
- Adjunct professor, chapter 11 and trial advocacy, Northwestern University’s Pritzker Law School and Washington University in St. Louis
思想引领
Michael has lectured and participated in panels at conferences throughout the United States and in Europe and Japan. His publications include:
- Co-authored, “Limited Options for Cannabis-Related Company Liquidations,” Foley’s Coronavirus Resource Center (April 3, 2020)
- “7th Circ. Does The Math, Settlement Upheld,” Bankruptcy Law360 (January 6, 2012)
- “Learning From Recent Insider Preference Cases,” Bankruptcy Law360 (October 2011)
- Co-authored, “‘Unequivocal And Specific’ Claim Preservation,” Bankruptcy Law360 (July 2011)
- Co-edited “Involuntary Bankruptcy” as a chapter within Business Bankruptcy Practice for Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education (2011 and 2013 Editions) [co-edited the same chapter in the subsequent editions]
- Co-authored “Protecting the Value of Potential Tax Refunds for Secured Creditors” Bankruptcy Law 360, (June 8, 2010)
- Co-authored, “Financing Renewable Energy,” Commercial Lending Review, Volume 23, Number 2 (March – April 2008)
- “A Bankruptcy and Restructuring Conversation: From Alchemy to Taxidermy,” chapter in The Roles and Motivations of Key Players in Bankruptcy Cases, Aspatore Books (2006)
富理达在 2025 年《钱伯斯美国》杂志中名列前茅
富理达在 2024 年《钱伯斯美国》杂志中名列前茅
Foley 代表 Avantus 获得 KKR 投资，支持可再生能源开发
富理达律师入选 2024 年美国最佳律师排行榜
富理达在 2023 年《钱伯斯美国》杂志中获得最高排名
