Dentons, the world’s largest law firm, announces today that Los Angeles partner Samuel R. Maizel was named Restructuring Lawyer of the Year for 2020 at the Turnaround Atlas Awards sponsored by Global M&A Network.

Maizel leads Dentons’ health care industry restructuring efforts nationwide. He is a nationally recognized expert in the issues that arise in the restructuring of healthcare industry entities, is widely published on related topics and is a frequent speaker on healthcare restructuring issues. In chapter 11 cases, he has served as lead counsel to debtors, trustees, acquirers of assets and creditors' committees, as well as serving as a trustee, examiner, patient care ombudsman and consumer privacy ombudsman. In 2019-2020, Maizel was one of the lead bankruptcy counsels to Verity Health System of California and its affiliates in their chapter 11 cases in Los Angeles, CA. Verity’s bankruptcy case was the second largest nonprofit hospital bankruptcy case in US history, and included six hospitals in California and 15 related companies. Maizel was also lead bankruptcy counsel in the Astria Health (a chain of three hospitals and related clinics) chapter 11 cases in Yakima, Washington in their successful restructuring.

Additionally, Dentons’ Restructuring, Insolvency and Bankruptcy group received a Top Industry Restructuring Award for the Healthcare Systems Restructuring of the Year for 2020 (value above $200 million) for representing Verity Health System of California in its sale of Saint Louise Regional Hospital and O’Connor Hospital to Santa Clara County, CA. A multi-office, multi-jurisdictional team co-led by Maizel and Los Angeles partner Tania Moyron obtained bankruptcy court approval of the sale over a vigorous objection by the California Attorney General. 

The independently governed Turnaround Atlas Awards cover five continents and evaluate more than 320 eligible transactions. They recognize the best-value creating transactions in a variety of industries/sectors and deal sizes; outstanding firms; and leaders and professionals from the restructuring, investing, insolvency and distressed M&A communities.