Martin Bienenstock serves as the chair of the Firm’s Business Solutions, Governance, Restructuring & Bankruptcy Group. He provides clients with comprehensive solutions that leverage his experience in restructuring, corporate governance, litigation, Dodd-Frank, and Sarbanes-Oxley. His restructuring practice focuses on resolving distressed situations, including Puerto Rico, to benefit all stakeholders such as residents, investors, and creditors. His governance practice helps companies stay healthy and grow, while ensuring directors and officers are protected through best practices.
Martin is often retained to address significant challenges. Currently, he leads the Firm’s representation of the Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico, responsible for restoring fiscal responsibility and restructuring $74 billion in bond debt and $50 billion in unfunded pension obligations. He also leads the Firm’s representation of the creditors’ committees for Westinghouse and Caesars Entertainment, where his efforts helped secure a major recovery for unsecured claimholders. Martin has previously advised General Motors on its section 363 strategy, which contributed to saving GM and Chrysler. His representation of Enron in its chapter 11 case ensured full repayment to multiple creditors. Additionally, Martin played a key role in developing the reorganization plan for Pacific Exploration, supported by both bank and bond creditors.
Martin is a trusted advisor on complex restructurings, acquisitions, trials, and appeals. His notable cases include reversing substantive consolidation in the Owens Corning appeal, which increased his clients’ claims from $600 million to over $2.2 billion. He also facilitated the takeover of Finova by Berkshire Hathaway and Leucadia National Corp. and achieved successful reorganizations for companies like Enron, Republic Engineered Products, Capmark, and AMBAC. He even prepared the initial draft of Ireland’s reorganization statute.
Recognized as one of the “100 Most Influential Lawyers in America” by the National Law Journal for the past decade, Martin is consistently ranked at the top of his field by various legal publications, including Chambers and Euromoney Legal Media Group. He also teaches corporate reorganization at Harvard Law School and the University of Michigan Law School.
