Profile: Robin E Phelan

Insolvency and Restructuring

Biography: Insolvency & Restructuring

Mr Phelan's practice is exclusively devoted to insolvency, reorganisation and related areas, including extensive litigation in the bankruptcy court and other federal courts. He represents debtors and creditors in all types of bankruptcy and insolvency proceedings ranging from sole proprietors to major publicly-held companies such as Zale's, LTV, Hawaiian Airlines, Enron and Adelphia. Mr Phelan works with clients acquiring financially troubled businesses and has acted as an operating trustee in bankruptcy cases. He has successfully reorganised an environmentally challenged manufacturer by creating liquidating trusts beneficially owned by the state of California and has consulted with representatives of the Ministry of Justice of Indonesia regarding amendments to the Indonesian Bankruptcy Law. Mr Phelan has structured multiple pre-negotiated chapter 11 cases in connection with the largest insurance company reorganisation in the United States.

Mr Phelan is a frequent speaker on panels and programmes, throughout the United States and internationally, regarding developments in bankruptcy and insolvency law and is the author of numerous publications, several relating to tax, technology and environmental issues.

He is a contributor to several major publications on bankruptcy and has testified before both the Congressional Bankruptcy Review Commission and the United States Congress on insolvency matters. Mr Phelan has recently participated in a programme sponsored by the United States Department of State and the United Nations to develop model cross-border insolvency provisions and participated in a White House programme to improve the United States bankruptcy system.

Mr Phelan received his JD, cum laude, from Ohio State University in 1970 and his BSBA, with a double major in Accounting and Finance, in 1967.