James Copeland
Senior Counsel
Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP
Related services and key industries
Related services
- Restructuring
- Cross-border insolvency representation
- Litigation and disputes
- Energy
- Financial institutions, funds and creditor representation
Key industry sectors
Biography
James "Jamie" Copeland focuses his practice on representing debtors, creditors, and other stakeholders in all aspects of corporate restructuring, bankruptcy, insolvency proceedings, and out-of-court workouts. His practice spans a broad range of industries, including energy, shipping, aviation, financial services, healthcare and life sciences, technology, metals and commodities, and insurance and governmental entities. Jamie has particular expertise representing companies in their in and out-of-court restructurings, secured and unsecured creditors in complex Chapter 11 cases and special situations, foreign representatives in Chapter 15 cases, and purchasers in Chapter 11 cases and other distressed situations.
Before joining Norton Rose Fulbright's Restructuring practice, Jamie served as a judicial intern and law clerk to the Honorable Donald H. Steckroth, United States Bankruptcy Judge for the District of New Jersey.
Professional experience
Collapse allJD, Fordham University School of Law, 2011
BS, Seton Hall University, 2006
- New Jersey State Bar
- New York State Bar
Energy, infrastructure and resources
- Brazos Electric Power Cooperative, Inc. | Represent Brazos Electric Power Cooperative, Inc. in its Chapter 11 case in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas. Brazos, one of the largest "generation and transmission" cooperatives in Texas, filed its "freefall" Chapter 11 case in the immediate aftermath of "Winter Storm Uri," a devastating winter event that blanketed Texas in snow and freezing temperatures in February 2021. Brazos sought Chapter 11 protection after incurring more than $2 billion in energy costs during the nine-day storm and, ultimately, achieved a $3.2 billion reduction in its balance-sheet liabilities through a Chapter 11 plan that embodied a global settlement among not only Brazos's stakeholders, but numerous other energy companies in the "ERCOT" power region, and was funded through a series of "one of a kind" securitization financings by certain of Brazos's member distribution cooperatives.
- Elk Petroleum, Inc. | Represented Elk Petroleum, Inc. and certain of its affiliates as debtors in possession in their Chapter 11 cases pending in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.
- Longview Power, LLC | Represented Longview Power, LLC as special litigation counsel in its Chapter 11 cases in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. Longview Power's restructuring involved complex arbitration and bankruptcy litigation with certain EPC contractors and a title insurer, and was resolved through a series of interconnected settlements.
- Energy Future Holdings Corp. | Represented NextEra Energy in connection with its acquisition of Energy Future Holdings Corp. and Oncor through a merger with a total enterprise value of approximately $18.4 billion.
- Maxus Energy Corporation | Represented a parent company (in its capacity as a DIP lender and settlement counterparty concerning the potential resolution of more than $11 billion in asserted environmental liabilities) in the Chapter 11 cases filed by Maxus Energy and certain of the parent company's other direct and indirect subsidiaries.
- CARBO Ceramics, Inc. | Represented Wilks Brothers, LLC, as administrative agent and lender under pre- and postpetition credit facilities, and as plan sponsor, in the Chapter 11 cases of CARBO Ceramics, Inc. and its affiliated debtors in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas.
- PG&E Corporation | Represented Adventist Health System/West in PG&E Corporation's Chapter 11 case concerning Adventist's $1 billion-plus claim arising out of certain California wildfires.
- CST Industries | Represented BNP Paribas, as administrative agent under pre- and postpetition credit facilities, in the Chapter 11 cases of CST Industries and its affiliates pending in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.
- Mirant Corporation | Represented a bank group in fraudulent conveyance litigation arising out of Mirant's Chapter 11 case and relating to the financing of power-generation assets.
Transport
- Aegean Marine Petroleum Network Inc. | Represented Mercuria Energy Group in connection with global and US debtor-in-possession (DIP) borrowing base financing facilities for Aegean Marine Petroleum Network Inc. and affiliated debtors in their Chapter 11 cases.
- Danaos Corporation | Advised Citigroup and other lenders of Danaos, one of the world's largest independent owners of modern, large-size containerships, in its $2.2 billion restructuring.
- Toisa, Ltd. | Represented a syndicate of secured lenders with significant exposure to both the oceangoing and offshore shipping businesses of Toisa, Ltd. and certain of its affiliates in their Chapter 11 cases.
- Waypoint Leasing Holdings, Ltd. | Represented Bank of Utah, as administrative and collateral agent, under a prepetition credit facility in the Chapter 11 cases of Waypoint Leasing Holdings Ltd. and its affiliated debtors pending in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York.
- PHI, Inc. | Represented Delaware Trust Company, as indenture trustee for senior unsecured notes, in the Chapter 11 cases of PHI, Inc. and its affiliates concerning potential challenges to a plan of reorganization.
- Represented lenders (including in respect of JOLCO transactions and other financing structures) and equipment lessors in complex Chapter 11 cases filed by Avianca and Aeromexico.
Financial Firms and Institutions
- Carl C. Icahn | Represented a major international bank in the approximately $3.8 billion restructuring of the debts of Carl C. Icahn.
- Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. | Represented a large insurance company in litigation related to the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy cases.
- Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC | Represented a foreign private bank in preference and fraudulent conveyance litigation brought by the SIPA trustee of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities to recover funds allegedly received by the bank as a subsequent transferee.
- Residential Capital LLC | Advised a consortium of funds as a bidder in connection with a section 363 sale of a $1.5 billion HELOC and mortgage-loan pool in Residential Capital, LLC's Chapter 11 case.
- Arcapita Bank B.S.C. | Represented and advised a foreign bank group in connection with the bankruptcy of an Islamic financial institution and potential avoidance litigation.
- Represented the FDIC (in its capacity as Receiver for various failed banks) in connection with a civil litigation and various bankruptcy matters.
- Represented and advised lenders and other counterparties on bankruptcy issues in connection with complex financial transactions and related litigations.
Municipal
- City of Detroit, Michigan | Represented the Official Committee of Retirees in the Chapter 9 case of Detroit, Michigan.
- Represented Assured Guaranty and other interested parties on various distressed municipalities and related entities, including analysis of proposed legislation and related financing transactions.
Life sciences and healthcare
- Adeptus Health Inc. | Represented Adeptus Health, Inc. and its affiliates as debtors in possession in their Chapter 11 cases pending in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas.
- Nuo Therapeutics, Inc. | Represented Nuo Therapeutics, Inc., a publicly traded biomedical startup, as debtor in possession in its expedited Chapter 11 case, which resulted in its recapitalization through a private capital raise.
- American Hospice Management Holdings, LLC | Represented American Hospice Management Holdings, LLC and certain of its affiliates as debtors in possession in their Chapter 11 cases pending in the District of Delaware.
Cross-border insolvency
- Constellation Oil Services Holding S.A. | Represented Banco Bradesco S.A. in the multi-jurisdictional (Brazil, U.S., and BVI) cross-border restructuring of Constellation Oil Services Holding S.A. and its affiliated entities.
- Spectra Premium Industries | Represented Ernst & Young Inc., as the court-appointed Monitor and foreign representative of Spectra Premium Industries and certain of its subsidiaries, in Spectra's Chapter 15 cases concerning the recognition of Canadian insolvency proceedings.
- Maple Bank GmbH | Represented the German court-appointed insolvency administrator and foreign representative of Maple Bank in Maple Bank's Chapter 15 case concerning the recognition of a German insolvency proceeding.
- Strata Energy Services Inc. | Represented Fuller Landau Group, Inc., in its capacity as foreign representative for Strata Energy and affiliate Strata International, in Strata Energy's Chapter 15 cases concerning recognition of a Canadian insolvency proceeding.
- Cogent Fibre Inc. | Represented Cogent Fibre, in its capacity as foreign representative, in Cogent Fibre's Chapter 15 case concerning recognition of a Canadian insolvency proceeding.
- The Best Lawyers in America, Ones to Watch, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Best Lawyers, 2024 - 2025
- Legal 500 US, Recommended Lawyer, Restructuring (Including Bankruptcy): Municipal, The Legal 500, 2020 – 2021, 2024 (conferred by Legalease Ltd.)
- Legal 500 US, Rising Star, Restructuring (Including Bankruptcy): Municipal, The Legal 500, 2020 – 2022 (conferred by Legalease Ltd.)
- New York Metro Rising Star, Bankruptcy: Business, Thomson Reuters, 2017 – 2024
Learn more about the descriptions of the selection methodologies for rankings and recognitions. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.
- "Liability Management Transactions: Providing New Capital and Laying the Groundwork to Cramdown Those Left Behind," Pratt’s Journal of Bankruptcy Law, October 2023
- "FirstEnergy Solutions: Ohio Bankruptcy Court Finds That It, Not FERC, Has Jurisdiction On Rejection of Power Contracts," Pratt's Journal of Bankruptcy Law, October 2018
- "Chapter 15: Pursuing Avoidance Actions Under Nonbankruptcy Law," Client Alert, April 27, 2017
- Co-author, “In re Creative Finance: Not So Creative on COMIs,” ABI Journal, July 2016
- Co-author, “Rubin – Clarity or Catastrophe?,” Corporate Rescue and Insolvency, February 2013
- Co-author, “Security Interest in FCC License: A Look at Section 552(a) or (b),” ABI Journal, April 2012
- American Bankruptcy Institute
- INSOL International
- Turnaround Management Association, New York City Chapter (2024 Online Programming Committee, member) and Houston Chapter
- International Association of Restructuring, Insolvency and Bankruptcy Professionals
Insights
While US bankruptcy courts send mixed messages to markets, lenders prepare for the next wave
Publication | Q4 2024
Liability management transactions
Blog | July 26, 2023
Liability management transactions: providing new capital and laying the groundwork to cramdown of those left behind
Publication | Q3 2023