Joanna D. Caytas

Education

LL.M., New York University School of Law, Taxation, 2019

M.Sc., University of Oxford, Nanotechnology, with distinction, 2019

Book Prize of St Catherine’s College

Advanced Certificate, Sciences Po & Université Paris I: Panthéon-Sorbonne, Global Business Law and Governance, 2017

J.D., Columbia Law School, 2017

Fiske Stone Scholar
Edwin Parker Prize
Columbia Journal of European Law: Submissions Editor
Environmental Law Moot Court

B.A., Columbia University, Mathematics, summa cum laude, 2012

Honor Society
Dean’s List
Columbia Undergraduate Science Journal: Member of the Editorial Review Board
Columbia Science Review: Science Writer and Content Reviewer

Admissions

Texas

New York

District of Columbia

United States Tax Court

United States Court of International Trade

Courts of Appeals for the 3rd, 5th, 6th, 7th, 9th, and District of Columbia Circuits

U.S. District Courts for the Southern, Northern, and Eastern Districts of Texas

U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York

U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Indiana

U.S. Bankruptcy Courts for the Southern, Northern, and Eastern Districts of Texas

U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York

Clerkships

• Judicial law clerk to the Honorable Danny J. Boggs of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, sitting by designation also on the Ninth and Eleventh Circuits, 2019-2020
• Judicial intern to the Honorable Beryl A. Howell, Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia

Languages

• Polish
• French
• German
• Italian

Debtor Representations:

• Debtors’ counsel in the chapter 11 case of Lurin Real Estate Holdings XXI LLC, a residential real estate company.
• Debtor’s counsel in an adversary proceeding of Rho-Chem, LLC, a hazardous waste management and remediation company.
• Debtors’ co-counsel in the chapter 11 case of Republic National Distributing Company, LLC, an alcoholic beverage distributor.
• Debtors’ co-counsel and conflicts counsel in the chapter 11 case of Kleopatra Finco S.à r.l. (Klöckner Pentaplast), a leading global manufacturer of packaging.
• Special counsel to the Special Committee in the chapter 11 case of Mosaic Sustainable Finance Corporation, a leading provider of consumer clean energy loan financing and servicing.

Creditor and Equityholder Representations:

• Counsel to the DIP Lender in the chapter 11 case of Tedder Industries, LLC, a manufacturer of firearms holders with law enforcement and civilian uses.
• Co-counsel to the DIP Lenders in the chapter 11 case of GoldenPeaks Poland Holding Limited, an independent renewable energy power producer in Eastern Europe.
• Co-counsel to the DIP Lenders in the chapter 11 case of Saks Global Enterprises LLC, a major luxury retailer chain.
• Co-counsel to a noteholder group in the chapter 11 case of QVC Group, Inc., a leading digital shopping platform.
• Co-counsel to a noteholder group in the chapter 11 case of Trinseo PLC, a publicly traded specialty chemical manufacturer.
• Counsel to a purchaser of major assets in the chapter 11 case of Worldwide Machinery Group, Inc., a heavy equipment renting and selling company.
• Co-counsel to a secured lender in the chapter 11 case of PosiGen, PBC, a residential solar and energy efficiency equipment provider.
• Co-counsel to an ad hoc group in the chapter 11 case of The Lycra Company LLC, the leading global producer of fiber and technology solutions for the apparel and personal care industries.
• Co-counsel to an ad hoc group of noteholders in the chapter 11 case of TPI Composites, Inc., a publicly listed leading manufacturer of composite wind blades with a global manufacturing footprint.
• Co-counsel to an ad hoc group of noteholders in the chapter 11 case of Office Properties Income Trust, a real estate investment trust.
• Counsel to a party in interest in the First Brands Group, LLC, a manufacturer of automotive parts.

Previous representations:

Debtor Representations (Chapter 11 and Chapter 15):

• Debtors’ special litigation counsel in a chapter 11 case of a major cryptocurrency exchange.
• Debtors’ counsel in a chapter 11 case of a crypto miner.
• Debtors’ counsel in an award-winning chapter 11 case of a major crypto exchange involving a cryptocurrency DIP loan.
• Counsel to a major Brazilian operator of restaurant chain franchises as a foreign debtor in a chapter 15 recognition of its Brazilian bankruptcy proceeding.
• Debtors’ counsel in a chapter 11 case of a chain of high-end dining movie theaters and in an adversary proceeding in connection with a contractual dispute.
• Counsel to a foreign debtor in a chapter 15 proceeding of a major Italian ferry operator and in an adversary proceeding against certain of its noteholders.
• Counsel to a reinsurance company and its Bermudian joint provisional liquidators as a foreign debtor in a chapter 15 case to recognize Bermuda restructuring proceedings.
• Counsel to a major Italian construction company with international footprint as a foreign debtor in a chapter 15 recognition of its Italian and UK bankruptcy proceedings.
• Counsel to a Dubai real estate company in preparation for filing of its voluntary chapter 11 bankruptcy and of an adversary proceeding involving certain of its Islamic finance counterparties.
• Counsel to independent directors in an investigation of potential causes of action in the bankruptcy of a major publicly-traded crypto platform.
• Counsel to a Mexican midstream oil company in preparation for filing of its voluntary chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Creditor and Equityholder Representations (Chapter 11):

• Counsel to an ad hoc committee of bondholders in a contested confirmation hearing and motion to dismiss chapter 11 case of a publicly-listed Swedish loan servicer.
• Counsel to a large landlord and member of the UCC in a contested sale hearing in a chapter 11 case of a major retailer.
• Counsel to an ad hoc tort claimants’ committee in a chapter 11 case of a Chilean hydroelectric power company and in an adversary proceeding involving the environmental impact of its hydroelectric project in Chile.
• Counsel to major Mexican shareholders in the chapter 11 case of a leading Mexican airline.
• Counsel to a reinsurance company and its Bermudian joint provisional liquidators as parties in interest in a chapter 11 case of an Israeli fintech company.
• Counsel to hundreds of thousands of former servicemen involved in an MDL litigation appearing as tort claimants in a chapter 11 case of a manufacturer of military-use earplugs, obtaining dismissal of a chapter 11 case followed by a multi-billion-dollar settlement.
• Counsel to a parent company in preparation for a bankruptcy filing of its pharmaceutical subsidiary.
• Counsel to a midstream contract holder filing a limited objection to a plan of reorganization of an energy company.
• Counsel to former officers in a chapter 11 case of a large construction company.
• Counsel to an ad hoc group of secured lenders in a chapter 11 case of a mining company and its subsidiaries in connection with a credit bid for a coal mine and other assets of the debtors.
• Counsel to an energy joint venture in its purchase of mining complexes as the successful bidder in a chapter 11 auction for the assets of a coal mining company.
• Counsel to an energy company and its affiliates as purchasers in the chapter 11 restructuring of a coal production company.

Out-of-Court Restructurings:

• Represented a large private equity client in a series of restructurings and foreclosures on the subsidiaries of a renewable energy company, in acquisitions of energy companies, and in divestitures of subsidiaries and assets.
• Represented a leading U.S. private equity fund in its restructuring of one of the largest Austrian banks in preparation for the IPO of the bank’s holding company.
• Tax structuring of numerous multi-billion dollar acquisitions, divestments, and related restructurings for leading private equity funds.

News

Media Mentions

Publications

Speaking Engagements

American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI), Commercial and Regulatory Law Committee Co-Chair

International Women’s Insolvency & Restructuring Confederation (IWIRC), Houston Network Chair, UNCITRAL Committee member, Communications Committee member, IWIRC@NCBJ Program Committee member

State Bar of Texas, Bankruptcy Law Section, 2027 Bench Bar Conference Planning Committee, Member

Turnaround Management Association (TMA), Houston Chapter, 2023 Annual Dinner Committee Co-Chair

The Honorable Artur L. Moller – David B. Foltz Jr. American Inn of Court, Executive Board Member

The Garland R. Walker American Inn of Court, Barrister

Houston Bar Foundation, Fellow

Texas Bar College, Member

Houston Bar Association, Member

Federal Bar Association, Member

Turnaround Management Association, Member

INSOL, Member