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Robert J. Dehney

Partner

Tel: (302) 351-9353
Fax: (302) 425-4673
rdehney@mnat.com

For nearly 20 years, Rob has served as counsel in high-profile bankruptcy cases filed by public companies with assets in excess of $250 million. A former law clerk to the Honorable Prudence Beatty of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York and formerly with Willkie Farr & Gallagher in New York City, Rob has spearheaded the growth and success of Morris Nichols’ Business Reorganization and Restructuring Group—now regarded by The Daily Bankruptcy Review as one of the most prolific restructuring and reorganizing practices in the U.S. and winner of a 2010 and 2009 Turnaround Atlas Award and 2009 M&A Advisor U.S. Middle-Market Financing Award. Rob also serves as a member of Morris Nichols' Executive Committee.

Rob’s substantial experience extends to representations of debtors and creditors in all facets of pre- and post-Chapter 11 filings that include out-of-court reorganization and restructuring, acquisitions, specialized lending arrangements and advice to executives and boards of directors. He works regularly with outside and inside counsel, turnaround professionals, crisis management firms, investment and non-investment bank professionals, and DIP and exit financing lenders.

Rob’s representations span a diversity of industry segments and include specialty retail, housing, steel manufacturing, insurance, mortgage brokerage and consumer finance. He recently served as lead counsel to Hancock Fabrics Inc., one of the only national retailers to emerge successfully from Chapter 11 as a reorganized entity since enactment of the new bankruptcy amendments in 2005.

A frequent speaker before business and professional audiences, Rob has addressed attendees at The Distressed Debt Conference, the Distressed Retail Summit: Turnarounds, Restructurings, Bankruptcies & Distressed Investing Conference, New York Institute of Credit/ABF Journal/TMA Philadelphia Conference, iiBIG’s Alternative Investment All-Star Forum, Distressed M&A and Investments Summit, and at conferences coordinated by the American Bankruptcy Institute. He is also the author of numerous articles that have been published in such noted periodicals as the ABI Journal, the Norton Annual Survey of Bankruptcy Law, Global Restructuring Practice, and The Journal of Private Equity.

Rob is described by Chambers USA: Guide to America’s Leading Lawyers for Business as "aggressive and creative," "incredibly bright" and "a very good strategist."  Chambers consistently ranks the Morris Nichols Business Reorganization and Restructuring Group in the top tier of Delaware bankruptcy practices.

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Representative Matters

Rob’s recent representative engagements include acting as company bankruptcy counsel in the bankruptcies of J. Silver Clothing, a women’s wear retailer, Oakwood Homes, a vertically integrated housing company, Rouge Steel, a vertically integrated steel manufacturer, and Thaxton Group, Inc., a diversified company providing insurance, mortgage brokering and consumer loans and related services; acting as counsel to EchoStar Corporation in the Delta Airlines bankruptcy cases, Fortistar in NRG’s bankruptcy, Gleacher Mezzanine Fund I, L.P. and Gleacher Mezzanine Fund P, L.P., in the bankruptcy case of Norstan Apparel Shops, Inc., d/b/a Fashion Cents and its affiliated debtors, acting as counsel to the largest unsecured creditor and landlord in Pharmaceutical Formulations, Inc. and the ad hoc committee of bonds in aaiPharma’s bankruptcy cases.  Rob has substantial experience representing purchasers of assets, including McDonalds Corp., Echostar Corporation, IER Corp and Hancock Fabrics.  Rob also advises boards of directors and/or individual members on insolvency related matters, including Riverstone Networks, Williams Communication, AOL Latin America and Xybernaut Corporation.

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T: (302) 658-9200    1201 North Market Street, 18th Floor, P.O. Box 1347, Wilmington, DE 19899-1347