Thomas S. Kessler

TOM is a partner at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, LLP in New York, where he represents debtors, creditors and other parties-in-interest in a broad range of restructuring matters, including bankruptcy proceedings, out-of-court restructurings and bankruptcy-related transactions. He leads teams on a number of bankruptcy matters, including under chapters 11 and 15, as well as several out-of-court matters. He has worked with debtors and creditors to navigate complex, multibillion-dollar distressed situations and regularly litigates high-stakes contested matters, adversary proceedings and other complex civil cases. His practice spans a variety of industries and geographies, with a particular focus on cross-border matters, including acting as U.S. counsel in foreign restructurings and lead counsel in chapter 15 proceedings.

Tom’s work on the LATAM Airlines and Garuda Indonesia restructurings has also been recognized by the Turnaround Management Association, which awarded both matters 2023 “Transaction of the Year” in their respective categories. He is a member of the International Insolvency Institute’s NextGen program and was named Outstanding Restructuring Lawyer in 2023 by Turnarounds & Workouts. In addition, he was named one of Lawdragon 500’s Leading Global Bankruptcy & Restructuring Lawyers for 2024. He also has authored more than a dozen articles and has spoken on and/or chaired panels for ABI, INSOL and GRR.

Tom was the first in his family to obtain a bachelor’s degree. He enjoys the pro bono work he does, which has focused on representing immigrants and pursuing LGBTQ+ rights (which has included a three-week jury trial against a conversion therapy outfit, representing asylum-seekers, and an amicus brief at the Tenth Circuit). He also has a role as the staffing partner for his group at his firm, where he focuses on balancing associates’ workloads to make sure they have a healthy mix of assignments. Outside of the office, he served on the board of a Brooklyn-based theatre company, which launched an initiative to produce historically overlooked classical plays, principally those written by women and playwrights of color. Similarly, as a member of the board of directors and the co-chair for membership of WorkOUT, he enjoys helping to further diversify the legal profession and lead the next generation of LGBTQ+ professionals into the insolvency field.