Eric Prezant is the head of the bankruptcy, restructuring, and creditors’ rights group in Chicago and also serves as a member of the firm’s executive committee. He is the primary relationship attorney for several of the firm’s banking and financial institutions clients. He has broad experience representing lenders in negotiating and restructuring troubled loans, and in the enforcement of lenders’ and creditors’ rights and remedies, including Article 9 sales, commercial real estate foreclosures, receiverships, and assignments for the benefit of creditors. His experience also includes representing debtors in Chapter 11 bankruptcies and workouts, and representing strategic and financial buyers in the purchase of distressed companies.

Mr. Prezant’s commercial lending experience includes representing financial institutions in structuring, negotiating, and documenting commercial loan transactions, including asset-based loans, senior and mezzanine debt, acquisition financing and bankruptcy exit financing.

Mr. Prezant was named by The Deal magazine as one of the nation’s Top Bankruptcy Attorneys, and as an Illinois Super Lawyer in 2011 and as an Illinois Super Lawyer Rising Star in 2009 and 2010.

Mr. Prezant is a frequent lecturer on the topics of commercial finance and bankruptcy, insolvency and creditors’ rights, and has conducted seminars for numerous trade associations and clients. He also regularly serves as a guest lecturer in an advanced commercial finance course at Loyola University Chicago School of Law.

Bar and Court Admissions

Illinois, 1997

United States District Courts for the Central, Northern and Southern Districts of Illinois and the Eastern District of Wisconsin

Education

The John Marshall Law School, J.D., cum laude, Order of the Coif, 1997

Dominican University, M.B.A., 1995

Florida State University, B.S., 1992

Publications

• "Leveraged Buyouts as Fraudulent Transfers," co-author, Pratt’s Journal of Bankruptcy Law, December, 2006
• "Doing Business with a Customer or Supplier Having Financial Difficulties", co-author, ACC Docket, September, 2006
• "What To Do When The Customer or Supplier Is In Financial Trouble", Practical Lawyer, February, 2004
• "Reclamation and Preferences Defense Primer" Commercial Law League of America, April, 1998
• "Involuntaries and Abstention– Section 303 and 305 of the Code" Norton’s Annual Survey of Bankruptcy Law, 1997-1998 Edition

Speeches and Seminars

Recent Speaking Engagements

• American Nursery & Landscaping Association, Topic: Building a Foundation for Prosperity in Tough Economic Times (January 2012)
• Real Estate Investment Association, Moderator, Topic: Real Estate Private Equity Capital, Evaluating and Navigating the Options (January 2011)
• Midwest Lodging Institute Conference, Panelist, Topic: Buying Distressed Debt (July 2010)
• National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors, Billion Dollar Company Chief Legal Officer Roundtable, Topic: Acquiring Insolvent Businesses (April 2010)
• Oklahoma Bar Association, Advance Bankruptcy Workshop, Topic: Dealing with Distressed Suppliers, Enforcement of Rights and Remedies under the UCC (December 2009)
• DePaul University College of Law, Topic: Distressed Healthcare 2010 – Financial and Policy Implications (November 2009)
• Morris-Anderson & Associates, Annual Meeting, Topic: Recent Developments in Bankruptcy and Restructuring and Industry Outlook for 2010 (November 2009)
• Turnaround Management Association, Topic: Panel Discussion on Advanced Commercial Loan Restructuring (July 2009)
• Strafford Educational Seminar, Topic: Commercial Sales of Goods When Customers or Suppliers are Experiencing Financial Distress (May 2009)
• Real Estate Investment Association, Annual Summit, Topic: Workouts of Distressed Commercial Real Estate (January 2009)

Professional Affiliations

• American Bankruptcy Institute
• Association for Corporate Growth (ACG), Awards Committee Member
• Real Estate Investment Association, Director
• Turnaround Management Association