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Image: Justin Rawlins

Justin Rawlins

Vice Chair and Managing Director of the Restructuring Group

Overview

Justin Rawlins is Vice Chair and Managing Director of the Financial Restructuring group and a member of the Global Finance practice at Paul Hastings and is based in the firm's Century City office. Mr. Rawlins has extensive experience and is consistently ranked as a leading lawyer in top legal directories. He principally represents asset managers and lenders investing in private businesses with an emphasis on complex financings, special situations and restructurings.

Recognitions

  • Best Lawyers: Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, 2025
  • Honored with a Client Choice Award, recognizing excellent client service with a focus on the ability to add real value to clients’ businesses above and beyond other players in the market, by Lexology and ILO, 2017 and 2018.
  • Chambers USA, Bankruptcy/Restructuring, Band 1 (2024)
    Ranked in Chambers USA every year since 2014
  • Recognized in The Legal 500 U.S.
  • Recognized in Best Lawyers
  • Recognized by Super Lawyers

Education

  • Loyola Law School. J.D. cum laude, 2000 (National Jesuit Honor Society, Alpha Sigma Nu; Order of the Coif)
  • University of Southern California, B.A., 1997

Representations

Select Lender Representations

  • A leading cyber security company (counsel to agent and lender)
  • Resorts World Casino New York City (counsel to agent and lender) 
  • Avianca (counsel to DIP lender and exit facility lender)

 Select Loan Workouts and Restructurings

  • Ruby Tuesday (counsel to prepetition lender, DIP lender and exit facility lender)
  • A tier 1 automotive supplier (counsel to agent and lender)
  • Steak house chain (counsel to agent and lender)
  • A multi-state logistics company specializing in the transportation of asphalt, chemicals and dry bulk (counsel to agent and lender)
  • U.S. Well Services (counsel to ad hoc group of lenders)
  • A chain of beauty salons and med spas (counsel to agent)
  • A leading shoes, clothing and apparel line (counsel to agent)
  • Proserv (counsel to ancillary facility lenders)
  • 360 (counsel to agent for term loan lender)
  • Macaroni Grill (counsel to DIP lender and exit facility lender)
  • A hospitality distribution systems company (counsel to agent)
  • A logistics provider (counsel to agent)
  • BreitBurn Energy Partners LP (counsel to agent, multi-lender syndicate)
  • A New York-based jewelry manufacturer and retailer (counsel to agent, multi-lender syndicate)
  • A national restaurant chain (counsel to agent, multi-lender syndicate)
  • A leading provider of hydraulic fracking services (counsel to steering committee of second lien lenders)
  • TXCO Resources, Inc., an oil and gas exploration and production company (counsel to steering committee of second lien lenders and DIP lender)
  • Storm Cat USA, Inc., an oil and gas exploration and production company (counsel to agent of second lien lenders, DIP lenders, and successful chapter 11 plan proponent)
  • Z2, Inc., an oil and gas exploration and production company (counsel to agent)
  • Select Staffing (counsel to steering committee of second lien lenders)
  • Advanced Molecular Imaging and Gamma Medica, molecular breast imaging companies (counsel to second lien lender and purchaser of assets under 363 sale)
  • Consolidated Freightways Corporation (counsel to agent, multi-lender syndicate)
  • Custom Foods Products, Inc. (counsel to lender, DIP lender, and successful chapter 11 plan proponent)
  • MMFX Steel (counsel to unsecured “deficiency claim” creditor and successful chapter 11 plan proponent)
  • Phillips Cattle Company, Inc. (counsel to agent)
  • Douglas Furniture (counsel to agent)
  • A leading baby safety/car seat company (counsel to agent)
  • A hospice provider (counsel to agent)
  • Scotia Development LLC (counsel to prepetition lender, DIP lender, and successful chapter 11 plan proponent)
  • Westcliff Medical Laboratories, Inc. (counsel to agent)
  • Ghana Airways (counsel to aircraft lessor)

 Select Company/Trustee Representations (In and Out-of-Court)

  • Relativity Media (counsel to company)
  • United Road Towing (counsel to company)
  • Condor Systems, Inc. and CEI Systems, Inc., defense contractors (counsel to company)
  • SK Foods, an agribusiness and tomato processor (counsel to company and chapter 11 trustee)
  • A California-based insurance company (counsel to company)
  • A leading designer and manufacturer of products for optical communications networks and other optics solutions (counsel to company)
  • A Los Angeles-based clothing manufacturer and retailer in workout of loan by US Bank (counsel to company)
  • A natural gas production company (counsel to sponsor)
  • Destination Films, an independent film company (counsel to chapter 7 trustee)
  • American Pacific Financial Corporation, an asset management firm (counsel to chapter 7 trustee)
  • A significant paint retailer (counsel to company)
  • A global specialty steel company (counsel to company and sponsor)
  • A Washington-based wine bottle manufacturer (counsel to company and sponsor)
  • A clothing manufacturer and retailer (counsel to company and sponsor)

 Select 363 Sale/Buyer Representations

  • Auto Masters, LLC (represented acquirer of substantially all auto loans)
  • Los Angeles Dodgers (represented acquirer of substantially all assets)
  • Los Angeles Sparks (represented acquirer of substantially all assets)
  • Kreiss, Inc., a furniture designer and retailer (represented acquirer of substantially all assets )
  • Jumio, Inc., an identity management and credentials company (represented acquirer of substantially all assets)
  • RealD, Inc., a visual technology company (represented investor in connection with take private)
  • Haggen, Inc. (counsel to bidder on substantially all core assets)
  • Qimonda, a leading global memory supplier (counsel to bidder)
  • Rhythm and Hues, a post-production company (counsel to bidder)

Creditors' Committee Representations

  • Atkins Nutritionals, Inc.
  • Cable & Wireless USA, Inc.
  • Citation Corporation
  • Meridian Automotive, Inc.
  • Merisant

Engagement & Publications

  • Panelist, “Chapter 11 Plan Strategy: Do It Right the First Time,” American Bankruptcy Institute Rocky Mountain Bankruptcy Conference, Denver, CO, January 2020
  • Panelist, “New Developments in Rights Offerings and Backstop Purchaser Incentives,” American Bankruptcy Institute, November 2018
  • Panelist, “Hot Topics in Chapter 11,” American Bankruptcy Institute Southwest Conference, Las Vegas, NV, September 2015
  • Co-author, California Assignments for the Benefit of Creditors Desk Guide, The Insolvency Law Standing Committee of the Business Law Section, 2014

Practice Areas

Financial Restructuring

Entertainment and Media -- Music Industry


Languages

English


Admissions

California Bar


Education

Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, J.D. 2000

University of Southern California, B.A. 1997