Biography
John Ashmead heads Seward & Kissel’s Corporate Restructuring & Bankruptcy Group.
John is an expert in distressed situations and restructuring. His experience spans workouts, chapter 11, liquidations, foreclosures and foreign insolvency proceedings, where he represents trustees, loan agents, committees, lenders, bondholders and other creditors, borrowers, equity holders, directors/managers, and others. In addition to restructurings, his engagements include bankruptcy litigation, private equity and strategic investments, acquisitions, plan sponsorship, and structured finance transactions.
John has been recognized as a leading lawyer in bankruptcy by New York Super Lawyers (2010-2026) and Best Lawyers in America (2022-2026), Lawdragon 500 and is highly ranked by Chambers USA 2019-2026, where he has been described as “immensely experienced and intellectual but always practical”, “very effective in complex cases”, “smart, creative and commercial”, having an “innate ability to cut through the clutter of complex situations and get to the key point.”
Examples of recent representations include acting as lead counsel for: Wilmington Savings Fund Society, Wilmington Trust Company, U.S. Bank, UMB Bank and CSC Delaware Trust in their roles as indenture trustee, DIP loan administrative agent and/or prepetition loan agent in many of the largest chapter 11 cases (e.g., Spirit Airlines, SAKs Global, Ligado Networks, At Home, Diamond Sports, SVB Financial Group, Endo Int’l); post-confirmation trustees/plan administrators (e.g., Endo, Celsius, ION Geophysical), independent directors and similar fiduciaries in various in-court and out-of-court restructurings (e.g., QVC, JER Investors, Verrica, Petmate, Quanergy).
John also recently successfully represented the Debtors in the Times Square JV chapter 11 cases.
Capabilities
Areas of Focus
Credentials
Education
Brooklyn Law School
- J.D., 1990
- Law Review
St. John’s University
- B.S., 1987
Bar Admissions
- New York
Recognitions
- Recognized by Chambers USA: Bankruptcy / Restructuring
- Lawdragon 100 Leading Bankruptcy & Restructuring Lawyers
- Recognized by Super Lawyers (New York Metro)
- Best Lawyers in America: Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
Areas of Focus
Credentials
Education
Brooklyn Law School
- J.D., 1990
- Law Review
St. John’s University
- B.S., 1987
Bar Admissions
- New York
Recognitions
- Recognized by Chambers USA: Bankruptcy / Restructuring
- Lawdragon 100 Leading Bankruptcy & Restructuring Lawyers
- Recognized by Super Lawyers (New York Metro)
- Best Lawyers in America: Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
