Margot Schonholtz

Margot heads Linklaters’ U.S. Restructuring & Insolvency practice and is a widely acknowledged market-leading restructuring and bankruptcy lawyer. Through an in-depth understanding of her clients’ business goals, Margot offers financial institutions, funds and asset managers creative solutions in complex debt restructurings, chapter 11, bankruptcy matters, litigation, and asset sale transactions. She proactively identifies legal issues and risks, proposes innovative approaches and builds consensus around resolutions for clients in the U.S. and abroad.

Margot advises on all aspects of bankruptcy and creditors' rights litigation. She also prepares and negotiates complex corporate documents and organizes and manages large lender syndicates. She has particular knowledge of the structured products, construction, energy, shipping and transportation, online marketing, retail, telecommunications, manufacturing, and health care industries. She has considerable experience representing financial institutions in cases involving oil and gas, merchant and midstream energy, chemical and solar energy businesses.

Margot has served a critical role as lead counsel to major financial institutions in many complex chapter 11 cases and out-of-court restructurings.

Work highlights

Margot has served a critical role as lead counsel to major financial institutions in many complex Chapter 11 cases and out-of-court restructurings. Her recent representative matters include advising:

• Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank as Revolving and LC Agent and Collateral Agent under the DIP Credit Agreement and Prepetition Credit Facilities in the chapter 11 restructuring of McDermott International, Inc.
• An ad hoc group of RCF lenders on an $800m revolving credit facility in the $6bn debt restructuring in the chapter 11 cases of Nordic Aviation Capital
• Citibank, N.A. as administrative agent to the RBL lenders in the chapter 11 cases of Chisholm Oil and Gas Operating, LLC.
• Citibank, N.A. as administrative agent to the RBL lenders, on the chapter 11 cases of Chisholm Oil and Gas Operating, LLC. Also advising, as administrative agent and collateral agent to the RBL lenders, on the chapter 11 cases of Lonestar Resources Inc.
• A group of financial institutions as secured lenders in the multi-jurisdictional wind-down of Global Brands Group

Margot is ranked in Euromoney’s 2022 Women in Business Law Expert Guide under Restructuring and Insolvency, which recognizes individuals considered by peers and clients to be the best in their respective fields in the legal industry. Margot has been recognized as a leading practitioner in Chambers Global since 2004 and Chambers USA since its inception in 2003. Chambers has noted that she is “one of the most talented bank-side lawyers operating in the New York market,” an “excellent negotiator,” and she provides “sterling counsel to an array of parties subject to complex bankruptcy proceedings.” Margot has also been listed in Expert Guides, Best Lawyers in America since 2006, the Guide to the World’s Leading Women in Business Law, and New York Magazine’s "The New York Area’s Best Lawyers." In 2013, she was named “Best in Insolvency & Restructuring” at Euromoney Legal Media Group’s Americas Women in Business Law Awards.

Further work highlights include:

• Toisa Ltd.: advising a global financial institution with respect to its senior secured vessel loans in the chapter 11 cases of the Greek shipping company lenders.
• Chicago Bridge & Iron Company NV: advising the administrative agent to the senior secured revolving and term loan lenders.
• A regional food company in South America: advising an ad hoc committee of secured and unsecured lenders in connection with the restructuring of the debt of the food company.
• Memorial Production Operating LLC (now known as Amplify Energy Corp.): advising the administrative agent for the senior secured lender group in a prearranged chapter 11 case.
• Atlas Resource Partners L.P. (now known as Titan Energy, LLC): advising the administrative agent for the senior secured lender group in the prepackaged 36-day chapter 11 case.
• Sabine Oil & Gas and its affiliated debtors: advising the administrative agent for the senior secured lender group in the highly litigious chapter 11 cases.
• Total Terminals International, LLC: advising the administrative agent for the senior secured lender group with respect to an out-of-court restructuring necessitated by Hanjin Shipping’s corporate rehabilitation proceeding in Korea and chapter 15 proceeding in the U.S.

Margot obtained an undergraduate degree from Smith College and holds a Juris Doctor from the American University Washington College of Law.