Curtis Chosen as Finalist for Six Awards in 2011 Turnaround Atlas Awards

Curtis has been selected as a finalist for six Turnaround Atlas Awards for deals in which the firm served as lead counsel during 2010.

The turnaround awards, part of the M&A Atlas Awards global brand, honors performances from distressed M&A deals, restructurings, reorganizations and the turnaround communities worldwide. Curtis garnered the following nominations for its work:

• • Turnaround of the Year ($5+ million), Corporate Turnaround of the Year ($5+ million) and Out of Court Turnaround of the Year (middle market) for the out-of-court restructuring of Jason Inc. This matter was led by partner Evan Borenstein and engaged over 20 attorneys and professionals at Curtis. Attorneys working on the matter included partners Timothy Barnes, Jerrold Bregman, Valarie Hing, Eduardo Cukier, Javier Hernandez, Martin Forman and Turner Smith; counsel Eric Stenshoel; and associates Veronique Hodeau, Joshua Geller, Chang Jung, Ryan Hansen, Thomas Reilly and Alex Siegal.
  • Private Equity Turnaround of the Year and Chapter 11 Turnaround of the Year (small mid-markets) for the firm's role as counsel to the buyer in the acquisition of Urban Brands Inc. by GB Merchant Partners. The Curtis team was led by partner Timothy Barnes and included partner Lawrence Goodman and associates Veronique Hodeau, James Zimmer, Danny Phillips and Joshua Geller.
  • Special Situations M&A Deal of the Year (middle markets) for Curtis' role in the acquisition of Marquis Jet by NetJets Inc. The Curtis team was led by partner Timothy Barnes and included partners Jerrold Bregman, Valarie Hing, Evan Borenstein, Andy Seiden, Turner Smith; and associates Veronique Hodeau, Heather Elizabeth Saydah, Massimo Giugliano, Doug Glazer, Brad Doline and Josh Holt.

Curtis also played a significant role in the following turnaround deals which also were chosen as finalists in their respective categories:

• • Atrium Companies Inc. for Chapter 11 Turnaround of the Year (upper mid-markets) and Corporate Turnaround of the Year ($500+ million) -- Curtis represented the acquirer, Golden Gate Capital.
  • The Reader's Digest Association, Inc. for Corporate Turnaround of the Year ($1+ billion) and Deal of the Year in the Entertainment and Media Industry -- Curtis served as Conflicts Counsel to Reader's Digest.
  • San Antonio Internacional Ltd. for Deal of the Year in the Energy & Services Industry and Out of Court Turnaround of the Year (middle market) -- Curtis served as Conflicts Counsel to San Antonio Internacional.
  • Smurfit-Stone Container Corp. for Deal of the Year in the Industrial Products & Manufacturing Industry -- Curtis served as lead counsel to Wilmington Trust Company as indenture trustee of the funded debt obligations of Smurfit.

In 2010, The Turnaround Atlas Awards honored Curtis with the Pre-Packaged Chapter 11 Reorganization of the Year award for the restructuring of companies with less than $1 billion in assets for its role as lead counsel in the pre-packaged bankruptcy restructuring of client Cygnus Business Media. Three other chapter 11 reorganizations in which Curtis acted as conflicts counsel were also recognized last year: CIT Group, Bally Total Fitness and Charter Communications