Jacob Mezei
Image of Jacob Mezei

Jacob Mezei

Associate

Email

jacob.mezei@aoshearman.com

Phone

+1 212 848 7524

Offices

New York

V-CARD
Jacob represents companies and stakeholders in all aspects of corporate restructurings, including chapter 11 cases, out-of-court restructurings, and special situations.

He has extensive experience representing debtors, creditors, financial institutions, ad hoc creditor groups, cross-border entities, and other parties in interest in large and complex chapter 11 bankruptcies and other distressed situations.

Prior to joining the firm, Jacob served as a law clerk to the Hon. Mary F. Walrath of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. He also served as a law clerk to the Hon. Thomas M. Lynch of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

Expertise

Experience

Representative matters

  • Vista Credit Partners—in connection with the cross-border debt restructuring of Afiniti, Ltd.
  • Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc. in various governance related issues.
  • Volcan Compañía Minera S.A.A.—a Peruvian mining company and one of the largest producers of zinc, silver, and lead in the world—in its $765 million comprehensive refinancing plan.
  • Vice Media—the global digital media and broadcasting company—in its Chapter 11 cases in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York, including a $350 million sale to a consortium of pre-petition lenders.
  • A global financial institution on issues relating to bank counterparties that were in financial distress or seized by regulators.
  • Stoneway Capital Ltd. and its debtor affiliates in their Chapter 11 cases involving approximately $834 million of secured debt.
  • Greenidge Generation Holdings Inc.: represented Greenidge Generation Holdings Inc., historically a New York Bitcoin mining company, in the restructuring of its debt and business, including the transfer of a significant portion of its mining rigs to NYDIG, its equipment lender, in exchange for significant debt reduction, a new financing agreement, and 5-year hosting arrangements with NYDIG.
  • Grupo Kaltex, S.A. de C.V.: advised an ad hoc group of holders of 8.875% senior secured notes in the out-of-court exchange offer through which certain eligible holders could exchange existing notes for up to US$118 million of new senior secured notes.
  • Grupo Posadas S.A.B. de C.V.: represented an ad hoc group of holders holding $131,258,000 in principal amount of 8.875% senior notes due 2022 in the prepackaged restructuring of Grupo Posadas, Mexico's largest hotel operator.
  • Caliber Midstream: represented Caliber Midstream in the Triangle USA Corp bankruptcy involving litigation relating to midstream service contracts (previous firm experience).*
  • 24 Hour Fitness Worldwide Inc. Chapter 11 Cases: represented 24 Hour Fitness and its debtor-affiliates in their chapter 11 cases involving approximately $1.4 billion of funded debt. 24 Hour Fitness is a leading fitness club operator with locations across the United States and more than 3 million members (previous firm experience).*
  • VIVUS, Inc. Chapter 11 Cases: represented VIVUS, Inc., and its debtor-affiliates in their chapter 11 restructuring addressing more than $230 million of funded debt (previous firm experience).*
  • Jason Industries: represented an ad hoc group of first lien creditors of Jason Industries, the North American industrials company, in connection with the restructuring of its $400 million of secured debt (previous firm experience).*
  • EP Energy Corporation: represented EP Energy Corporation, a public oil and natural gas exploration and production company, in its chapter 11 case involving approximately $4.9 billion in funded debt obligations.*

Published Work

  • Jacob S. Mezei, June 2023, “Second Circuit Picks a Side in Non-consensual Third-party Releases in Highly Anticipated Purdue Opinion”, A&O Shearman
  • Jacob S. Mezei, September 2022, “Ninth Circuit Rules that the Solvent Debtor Exception Is Alive and Well in PG&E”, A&O Shearman

Qualifications

Admissions

State of New York, 2018

State of Illinois, 2017

Courts

United States District Court for the Southern District of New York

Academic

J.D., cum laude, University of Illinois College of Law, 2017

B.S., Towson University, 2013

Disclaimer
A&O Shearman was formed on May 1, 2024 by the combination of Shearman & Sterling LLP and Allen & Overy LLP and their respective affiliates (the legacy firms). Any matters referred to above may include matters undertaken by one or more of the legacy firms rather than A&O Shearman.