Dan Fisher
Partner
Areas of Focus
- Special Situations
- Corporate Governance
- Financial Restructuring
- Crisis Management
- Mergers & Acquisitions
- Capital Markets
- Corporate & Finance
- Credit Funds
- Energy & Infrastructure
- Leveraged Finance
- Private Equity Transactions
- Shareholder Activism
- U.S. Financial Restructuring
- Preferred Equity & Hybrid Capital
- Private Capital
- Focuses on special situations and distressed transactions.
- Advises companies and special committees on large public and private M&A transactions, typically with bespoke or off-the-run aspects.
- Nearly two decades of experience representing large-cap private equity, hedge and credit funds and their portfolio companies.
Dan Fisher, the co-leader of Akin’s integrated special situations group and a member of the firm’s Management Committee, practices at the nexus of restructuring, finance, M&A and securities, and has market-leading experience in the unique issues raised by distressed and special situations.
He routinely advises companies, boards, creditor groups and investment funds on:
- Public and private M&A
- Corporate governance matters
- Distressed M&A transactions
- Special situations transactions, including distressed and bespoke financings, exchange offers and consent solicitations
- In- and out-of-court restructurings
He also serves as outside general counsel to several public companies that have emerged from a Chapter 11 restructuring. He is a leading practitioner with respect to the governance, liability management, securities compliance, tax and other issues specific to a post-restructured company. Dan also has significant experience advising companies, boards of directors and special committees on crisis management, including in connection with regulatory and public scrutiny and executive transitions.
- Advises Warrior Met Coal (NYSE:HCC), Inc. in connection with its corporate governance and securities matters since the emergence of its predecessor company, Walter Energy, from bankruptcy. Dan led the Akin corporate team representing Walter creditors in the $3.1 billion restructuring of Walter Energy through a 363 credit bid, a special situations transaction. He has subsequently represented the company and certain selling stockholders in its NYSE IPO and in subsequent offerings of debt and equity.
- Represented Neff Corporation (NYSE:NEFF) in the company’s $1.3 billion acquisition by United Rentals, Inc. This transaction was consummated following a robust go-shop process, with Neff ultimately accepting a topping bid in excess of 20 percent greater than an original offer.
- Acts as outside general counsel to Eagle Bulk Shipping (NASDAQ:EGLE) following its emergence from bankruptcy, including in connection with numerous M&A and corporate finance transactions
- Advising the Special Committee of the Board of Directors of Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZA) in connection with various matters relating to the company’s founder, John Schnatter, including an investigation into the company’s operations and in an external cultural audit of the company’s diversity and inclusion initiatives, including its supplier and vendor engagements, as well as a $200 million strategic investment from Starboard Value LP.
- Led the representation of Vista Credit Partners (the credit arm of Vista Equity Partners) in its $175 million global recapitalization of Meltwater, a leader in media intelligence solutions, in a transaction widely regarded to represent a confluence of trends in the private debt market.
EducationJ.D., Vanderbilt University School of Law, 2002
B.A., Columbia University, 1999
J.D., Vanderbilt University School of Law, 2002
B.A., Columbia University, 1999
Bar AdmissionsDistrict of Columbia
New York
District of Columbia
New York
- Chambers USA, Corporate/M&A & Private Equity, 2021-2023.
- IFLR1000, US, Notable Practitioner, Capital Markets: Equity, and M&A, 2019.
- The Legal 500 US, M&A, 2016-2019; Corporate Governance, 2019.
- Board of Trustees, Potomac School.
