For more than 20 years, Sean has counseled clients on strategic alternatives in distressed business settings. Sean is Vice Chair of the firm's Business Restructuring Services Department and Chair of the Creditors’ Committee Practice Group. Sean’s debtor practice involves advising companies and their boards of directors in business restructurings of all kinds, from out-of-court solutions to chapter 11 reorganizations. His experience in distressed business situations includes recapitalizations, refinancings, mergers and acquisitions, and commercial litigation. Sean also represents creditors’ committees, where his practice covers cases in a wide variety of industries, including manufacturing, healthcare, food, and distribution and covers courts around the country.
Sean earned a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1993. He received a B.A., cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, from the University of Miami in 1990.
Representative Cases/Matters
Representative Creditor’s Committee Engagements
- Keywell LLC (Chicago, IL) – Leading supplier of recycled titanium, high temperature alloys, and stainless steel.
- Country Store Holdings (Peoria, IL) – Supplies to home improvement retailers.
- AFA Foods (Wilmington, DE) – Beef processing company with approximately $1 billion revenue.
- North Oakland Medical Center (Detroit, MI) – Regional hospital located in Pontiac, Michigan.
- St. Mary of the Woods (Cleveland, OH) – Continuing care retirement community with independent and assisted living plans and a skilled nursing unit.
- Huffy Corporation (Dayton, OH) – Leading producer of bicycles and related products.
Representative Debtor/Restructuring Engagements
- Healthcare – Multiple recent out of court community hospital restructurings.
- The Antioch Company (Minneapolis, MN) – Leading memory preservation and scrapbooking company.
- South Franklin Circle (Cleveland, OH) – Large continuing care retirement community with independent and assisted living plans.
- Forum Health (Youngstown, OH) – Regional multi-hospital health system with over $600 million revenue.
Representative Liquidating Trust and Plan Administrator Engagements
- Ideal Electric Company (Canton, OH) – Plan administration and creditor advisory board engagement involving material insider litigation and commercial litigation.
- James River Coal Company (Nashville, TN) – Liquidating trust engagement arising from Committee role involving lobbying/government regulations, insider litigation, and preferences.
- Infotelecom LLC (Cleveland, OH) – Liquidating trust engagement involving preferences and claims administration.
- Huffy Corporation (Dayton, OH) – Liquidating trust engagement involving disposition of assets, ownership and board voting rights in reorganized company, insider litigation, and preferences.
- Forum Health (Youngstown, OH) – Liquidating trust engagement involving disposition of assets, collection of Medicare/Medicaid underpayments, management of malpractice litigation claims, and winddown of foreign captive insurance company.
Other Engagements
- U.S. Concrete (Creditors’ Committee – Wilmington, DE)
- FormTech Industries (Creditors’ Committee and Liquidating Trust – Wilmington, DE)
- Republic Technologies (Debtor – Akron, OH)
- Waco Equipment Co. ( Creditors’ Committee – Cleveland, OH)
- Amcast Industrial (Creditors’ Committee and Liquidating Trust – Dayton, OH)
- Hydraulic Technologies (Debtor – Canton, OH)
- Federal Forge (Creditors’ Committee – Grand Rapids, MI)
- ProCare Automotive (Creditors’ Committee and Liquidating Trust – Cleveland, OH)
- DT Industries (Creditors’ Committee – Dayton, OH)
- Cold Metal Products (Creditors’ Committee – Akron, OH)
- DeVlieg Bullard II (Debtor – Wilmington, DE)
- American Paper (Creditors’ Committee – Youngstown, OH)
- Gliatech, Inc. (Debtor – Cleveland, OH
- Medina Glass Block (Creditors’ Committee – Cleveland, OH)
Admissions - Court
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan
- U.S. District Courts for the Northern and Southern Districts of Ohio
Admissions - State
- Illinois
- Ohio
Education
- University of Miami
- University of Virginia School of Law
Honors and Awards
- Selected for inclusion in Ohio Super Lawyers (2010-2015)
- Selected for inclusion in Ohio Rising Stars (2005-2007)
- Named one of the Best Lawyers in America (2012-2017)
- Named leader in Ohio Bankruptcy/Restructuring - Chambers USA (2012-2015)
Professional Membership
- American Bankruptcy Institute
- Turnaround Management Association
- Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association
Blog Posts
News
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39 attorneys at McDonald Hopkins selected for inclusion in Best Lawyers 2017
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24 attorneys at McDonald Hopkins named Ohio Super Lawyers and Rising Stars
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41 attorneys at McDonald Hopkins selected for inclusion in Best Lawyers® 2016
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Seven McDonald Hopkins Attorneys Recognized by Chambers USA 2015
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26 attorneys at McDonald Hopkins named Ohio Super Lawyers and Rising Stars
External Publications
- "How non-profit organizations can handle financial hardships and a difficult economic environment," Smart Business Magazine, February 2012
- The Daily Deal, a Special Report feature on “Restructuring Deals of the Year,” prominently quoted in a 3-page case study about Huffy Corporation’s non-trade group of unsecured creditors, March 2006
