Jeffrey W. Spear
Partner
Duane Morris LLP
600 Grant Street, Suite 5010
Pittsburgh, PA 15219-2802
USA
Phone: +1 412 497 1055
Fax: +1 412 202 4303
Email:
JWSpear@duanemorris.com
Jeffrey W. Spear focuses his practice on troubled financings and bankruptcies, representing debtors, bondholders, indenture trustees, secured and unsecured creditors and acquirers of assets of distressed companies. He also represents emerging businesses, private equity and venture capital firms and angel investors, helps early stage clients raise capital and guides business owners and entrepreneurs in mergers, acquisitions and strategic partnerships. Additionally, he has successfully structured complex transactions involving both public and private financing for both mature and start-up companies.
Active in the community, Mr. Spear is a member of the Pittsburgh Venture Capital Association and the Association for Corporate Growth. He is the immediate past chair of the board of Jewish Family and Children's Service of Pittsburgh and currently chairs the board of its supporting non-profit, The Welcome Center for Immigrants and Internationals. He is also a board member of the United Jewish Federation and the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership. He also served on the Executive Council of the Allegheny County Bar Association's Bankruptcy and Commercial Law Section from 1994-2003 and remains an active member of the Bankruptcy Bar.
Mr. Spear is a 1989 graduate of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and a 1986 graduate of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Representative Matters
- Representing the indenture trustee in connection with the bond obligations of the West Penn Allegheny Health System.
- Representing several Eaton Vance municipal bond funds in the Ambac rehabilitation proceedings in Wisconsin, and the underlying Las Vegas Monorail bankruptcy in Las Vegas.
- Representing the bond trustee in the Covenant of South Hills CCRC bankruptcy.
- Represented the Ad Hoc Committee of Senior Subordinated Noteholders in the Le-Nature's bankruptcy.
- Represented bondholders, and subsequently the Reorganized Debtor, in a multi-facility nursing home/CCRC bankruptcy.
- Represented the trustee of the Centennial Bondholders in the AHERF hospital bankruptcy case and related complex litigation.
- Represented National City Bank, as Trustee, in the St. Francis Hospital restructuring/sale in Orphans' Court.
- Represented National City Bank, as Trustee, in real estate matters in the Ames Department Stores bankruptcy case.
- Represented PNC Bank, as Trustee, in the Metropolitan Hospital bankruptcy in Philadelphia.
- Represented PNC Bank, as Trustee, in various workouts and restructurings, including the LTV Steel bankruptcy case.
- Represent various U.S. subsidiaries of Brazilian steel producer Gerdau in bankruptcy and corporate transactions throughout the United States, including the Fontainebleau Las Vegas bankruptcy case in Miami.
- Represent The Redevelopment Authority of Allegheny County in connection with issues involving mineral rights and Marcellus Shale opportunities for certain county-owned land.
- Successfully structured complex closing of an acquisition of a bankrupt rolling mill, including equity, public and private debt, and environmental, employment, labor, intellectual property and other issues facilitating the restart of a 100 year-old rolling mill, which had been shuttered for over two years. Subsequently, became outside general counsel of the operating entity, overseeing all legal and business issues, including the ultimate sale of the company to its raw materials supplier.
- Represented an early stage chemical imaging company in all aspects of its development, including identifying and securing significant funding from both private and government sources, overseeing the expansion of an extensive patent portfolio, and negotiating strategic partnerships concerning commercialization of the technology.
- Represented the private equity purchaser of an iconic Pittsburgh beer manufacturer out of Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings.
- Represented TVI Corp., and subsequently, successfully reorganized debtor, Immediate Response Technologies, Inc., in its nine month bankruptcy in the District of Maryland.
- Represented the owner of a major Pittsburgh hotel/office building in its successful bankruptcy reorganization.
- Represented private equity backed debtor in the bankruptcy and subsequent sale of its luggage business.
- Structured and negotiated the sale of a bankrupt special events services company to a strategic buyer.
- Represented a major video entertainment company in a series of acquisitions of mid-sized video store franchises out of bankruptcy.
Bondholder/Indenture Trustee Matters
Additional Representative Matters
Admissions
- Pennsylvania
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania
Education
- University of Pittsburgh School of Law, J.D., 1989
- University of Pennsylvania, B.S., 1986
Honors and Awards
- AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
