NEW YORK, May 5, 2008 – Morrison & Foerster LLP announced that leading bankruptcy attorneys Brett Miller and Lorenzo Marinuzzi have joined the firm as partners in the New York office.  Of Counsel Melissa Hager and associates Todd Goren and Jordan Wishnew have also joined Morrison & Foerster.

Messrs. Miller and Marinuzzi chiefly represent official committees of unsecured creditors in all aspects of the reorganization and liquidation of public and private companies.  Notable cases handled by Mr. Miller and Mr. Marinuzzi included Northwest Airlines, US Airways, Hawaiian Airlines, Aloha Airlines, American Plumbing and Mechanical, HomeBanc Mortgage, Phar-Mor, Midland Foods, AmeriServe and Fruit of the Loom.
 
Mr. Miller has also represented ad hoc committees as well as individual secured and unsecured creditors in numerous other bankruptcy cases including ATA Airlines, Schlotzsky’s, Summit Global Logistics, Sybra Corp., Teligent, Tower Automotive and 360 Networks.

In addition to his experience with airlines, Mr. Marinuzzi has represented lenders in major international fraud cases, including a Swiss bank in a prominent European insolvency, and a secured lender in the Allied Deal metals trading fraud.

In a case filed in February, Mr. Miller and Mr. Marinuzzi are representing the creditors’ committee of prominent New York retailer Fortunoff.  The pair also represents the liquidating trust established in connection with the liquidation of FLYi, Inc., and its subsidiary, Independence Air, which filed for bankruptcy protection in November 2005.  Since joining Morrison & Foerster, Mr. Miller was selected as counsel to the creditors’ committee in the Skybus Airlines case pending in Delaware.

Morrison & Foerster’s bankruptcy and restructuring practice group developed significantly in 2007, as they were joined by a prominent team from Lovells, led by former practice chair Gary Lee and partner Karen Ostad.  With new bankruptcy filings and credit defaults already increasing sharply and more of the same expected through 2008, Messrs. Miller and Marinuzzi will further enhance Morrison & Foerster’s well-established practice.

Mr. Lee, who co-chairs Morrison & Foerster’s bankruptcy group along with Larren Nashelsky said, “We are extremely fortunate that Brett and Lorenzo have decided to join us in a very busy period.  Brett and Lorenzo complement our ongoing work representing debtors and committees, as well as trustees, equity holders and other key stakeholders in Chapter 11 cases.”

Morrison & Foerster’s bankruptcy practice group has expanded to meet the needs of an increasingly demanding business landscape, as credit markets have seized up and consumer confidence has flagged. The firm has notched a significant uptick in bankruptcy engagements – among other assignments, Morrison & Foerster represents Delta Financial Corp., which was the fifth largest bankruptcy filing in the U.S. in 2007.  The firm is also representing the Dominican Republic-based telecom provider Tricom, S.A. in its pre-packaged bankruptcy filing in the Southern District of New York.

Mr. Lee said he expects the new bankruptcy attorneys will play an active role in several of Morrison & Foerster’s prominent practice groups, including financial services, real estate and litigation.
 
“As the current economic cycle continues to turn in a more challenging direction, it is important for us to maintain our strong presence in the distressed arena,” said Morrison & Foerster Chair Keith Wetmore. “Brett and Lorenzo’s decision to join our firm will supplement our existing bankruptcy practice in an important period for this sector.  Their stellar credentials complement our existing expertise and will add important synergies to our practices.”

Both Mr. Miller and Mr. Marinuzzi have been recognized by Turnarounds & Workouts, with Mr. Miller having been named an Outstanding Young Bankruptcy Lawyer four years in a row and Mr. Marinuzzi receiving his accolades in 2007.

“Morrison & Foerster is a world-class firm, with superbly talented lawyers and exceptional leadership,” said Mr. Miller. “We look forward to applying the breadth of the firm’s resources to fulfill further the needs of our clients.”

Mr. Miller received his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 1991 and an undergraduate degree from Columbia University in 1988.  He regularly is a panelist at industry conferences and seminars, speaking at the American Bankruptcy Institute, American Bar Association, New York County Lawyers’ Association and GAIM Fund of Funds Conference, among others. 

A 1996 Fordham University School of Law School graduate, Mr. Marinuzzi received his undergraduate degree from Fordham College in 1993, and is a member of the American Bankruptcy Institute and the American Bar Association.

Ms. Hager received her law degree, magna cum laude, from the University of Bridgeport (Quinnipiac University School of Law) in 1992.  She received her undergraduate degree, cum laude, from Providence College in 1988.  Mr. Goren received his law degree, magna cum laude, in 2002 from Georgetown University Law Center, where he was elected to Order of the Coif, and earned his B.S. from Washington University in St. Louis in 1998.  Mr. Wishnew earned his J.D. in 2002 from Brooklyn Law School, and his B.A. in 1999 from Emory University.