Melainie Mansfield
Partner, Business Reorganization & Restructuring
Melainie Mansfield is a partner in both the Finance Department and the Business Reorganization & Restructuring Department. She focuses her practice on complex financial transactions and restructurings in the special situations arena where the ability to identify and execute creative solutions in complex situations is critical. As to finance, Melainie has significant direct investing experience, with an emphasis on combined debt and equity investments, multi-layer debt financings and complex intercreditor arrangements. She also represents lenders in connection with asset backed lending, acquisition finance, tech lending, distressed lending, and other special situations lending situations. As to restructuring, Melainie’s practice focuses on the strategic and transactional portions of distressed situations, debt restructurings and bankruptcy matters, including debtor-in-possession and exit financing facilities, exchange offers, 363 asset sales, credit bidding arrangements and Chapter 11 plans.
Melainie regularly represents investment funds, private equity firms, hedge funds and asset managers, providing counsel on all aspects of their investments, including debt and equity investing, distressed investments, in- and out-of-court restructurings and general corporate and securities law matters. Melainie has advised direct and specialty lenders, investors, committees and debtors alike in Chapter 11 cases and out-of-court restructurings. Melainie has also represented both public and private companies on general corporate, securities and finance matters. Her experience spans many industries, including technology and software, education, real estate, finance, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, manufacturing, chemicals, transportation, retail sales, energy, oil and gas, and media and telecommunications.
Melainie has been recognized as a leading lawyer by Chambers USA and Acritas Stars Survey.
Experience
Melainie has advised on the following selected significant matters:*
- Secured and unsecured debt and equity financings for non-bank lenders of all types and agents under those facilities, with emphasis on special situations lending, including acting for Magnetar Capital, BlackRock, Tennenbaum Capital Partners, Mudrick Capital, BlueBay Asset Management and Davidson Kempner.
- Reorganizations inside and outside of bankruptcy for companies, lenders and private equity investors, including representation of lender groups in Walter Investment Management (Ditech Financial), Vertellus Holdings, Permian Holdings, Sierra Hamilton, Breitburn Energy, Cengage and Education Management Corporation, and debtor/company representations in PHI, Inc., Velaritas, Oneida Holdings and Eagle Shipping.
- Public and private companies in the US providing general corporate representation, including representation of Ring, Purple Communications (formerly GoAmerica), Oneida Inc. and Pacific Aerospace & Electronics.
- Acquisitions and dispositions (and related financings) of public and private companies such as ITC Deltacom, Encompass Digital Media, First Advantage, Shopzilla, and Dialogic Corporation. In addition, the acquisition of assets in bankruptcy of companies such as Radnor Holdings and Vertellus Global, the sale of the assets of Global Brands Group, and the sale of Essai, Inc. court-ordered receivership.
* Melainie advised on some of these matters prior to joining Willkie.
Credentials
Education
University of Michigan Law School, J.D., 1995 University of Michigan, A.B., 1991