Practice Expertise

  • Insolvency & Financial Law Group
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Areas of Practice

  • Insolvency & Financial Law Group
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WSG Practice Industries

Profile

Julian Gurule is a Shareholder in the Los Angeles office of Buchalter, and he is a member of the Firm’s Insolvency & Financial Law Group.  Mr. Gurule represents a broad range of clients in both in-court and out-of-court restructurings, including private equity funds and other distressed investors, secured and unsecured creditors, debtors, official creditors’ committees, administrative agents, indenture trustees, and purchasers of distressed assets.  Mr. Gurule’s practice regularly involves substantial financing, M&A, and litigation components. He has extensive experience in a variety of industries, including entertainment, hospitality, health care, gaming, agribusiness, retail, media, energy, real estate development, and manufacturing. Mr. Gurule has been selected as a Southern California Rising Star by Super Lawyers Magazine every year since 2013. In 2023 & 2024, Mr. Gurule was recognized in Best Lawyers in America for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law.

Bar Admissions

  • California

Education

  • UCLA School of Law
  • University of Washington

Areas of Practice

  • Insolvency & Financial Law Group

Professional Career

Significant Accomplishments

Hospitality & Gaming

  • Represented DIP lender to an Atlantic City hotel and casino in its chapter 11 case.
  • Represented major hotel and casino company in its successful $6 billion in-court restructuring, including the prepackaged chapter 11 cases of more than a dozen individual operating hotel and casino properties.
  • Represented Bahamas-based hotel and casino in its $3.5 billion chapter 11 case, including the negotiation and implementation of the cross-border $80 million DIP facility funded by its equity sponsor.
  • Represented Reno-based hotel and casino in its chapter 11 case.
  • Represented major Mexican restaurant chain in its chapter 11 case and section 363 sale of substantially all of its assets.
  • Represented Western themed restaurant chain in its chapter 11 case and section 363 sale of substantially all of its assets.

Energy Sector

  • Represented group of distressed funds holding first lien debt in the successful $210 million out-of-court restructuring of a Texas-based oilfield services company.
  • Represented ad hoc group of distressed fund lenders in $3.7 billion restructuring of multiple silos of bank and bond debt secured by vessel assets and supply contracts.
  • Represented sovereign wealth fund in connection with an investment strategy premised upon the outcome of the multibillion-dollar fraudulent transfer litigation arising out of chemical industry bankruptcy case.
  • Represented private equity-sponsored renewable energy construction company in its cross-border out-of-court restructuring, including the negotiation of a new money commitment from the sponsor.
  • Represented solar power project’s lenders in connection with energy sector debtor’s 363 sale of its renewable energy business.
  • Represented former equity holders and current defendants in the multibillion-dollar fraudulent transfer litigation arising out of oil and gas chapter 11 cases.

Technology, Media & Telecom

  • Represented investment bank in high-profile litigation matter involving substantial restructuring issues.
  • Represented creditor and contract counterparty in The Weinstein Company’s chapter 11 case.
  • Represented creditor and contract counterparty in Relativity Media’s chapter 11 case and related adversary proceeding.
  • Represented film production company, as rights owner, in its counterparty’s chapter 11 case, which involved the repurchase of the film rights from the debtor.
  • Represented equity holder, lender, and board member in out-of-court restructuring of entertainment venue development company.
  • Represented administrative agent and hedge fund holders of first lien bank debt publishing company’s $1.2 billion prepackaged chapter 11 case.
  • Represented ad hoc group of distressed fund holders of first lien debt in educational publisher’s $5.8 billion chapter 11 case.

Health Care

  • Represented secured lender in $50 million restructuring of multi-state pharmacy business.
  • Represented creditor and litigation party in SNF debtor’s $20 million chapter 11 case.
  • Represented litigation finance fund that held secured debt in successful out-of-court restructuring of pharmaceutical company, under which client received a majority equity position post-closing.
  • Represented major skilled nursing facility operator in successful out-of-court restructuring of bank debt, note obligations, and hundreds of millions of dollars of lease obligations.
  • Represented technology company that developed head impact monitoring devices in out-of-court restructuring negotiations with its principal creditors.
  • Represented medical lab testing company in workout negotiations with its lender and private equity sponsor.

Logistics & Transportation

  • Represented West Coast port operator in its chapter 11 case.
  • Represented cross-border construction company in its successful out-of-court restructuring.
  • Represented DIP ABL lender and exit ABL lender in successful Chapter 11 case of international trucking and logistics company.

Manufacturing & Construction

  • Represented general contractor with claims exceeding $100 million in public-sector developer’s chapter 11 case.
  • Represented Official Unsecured Creditors’ Committee of Impresa Holdings Acquisition Corp., a major aerospace manufacturer and supplier.
  • Represented Official Unsecured Creditors’ Committee of Elite Aerospace Group, Inc., an aircraft component manufacturer.
  • Represented ABL and term loan leader in restructuring of closely-held commercial aircraft supplier.

Agribusiness

  • Represented Official Unsecured Creditors’ Committee of Easterday Farms, a major farming and ranching operation with liabilities exceeding $400 million.
  • Represented private equity fund in connection with wind down of greenhouse grower portfolio company




Articles

  • Distressed Startups: A Bankruptcy Lawyer’s Perspective
  • Hotel Bankruptcies: 8 Key Issues for Hospitality Advisors by Julian Gurule
  • Hotel Bankruptcies: Introduction to Critical Issues by Julian Gurule

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