Ryan Jacobs

Partner

 | Toronto

Ryan Jacobs* is a partner in the Restructuring & Insolvency Group at Cassels and serves as Co-Chair of the firm’s Executive Committee. A former New York practitioner with one of the most active bankruptcy groups in the United States, Ryan has developed a leading cross-border restructuring practice in Canada. He is routinely retained to act on behalf of ad hoc and official creditor groups, debtors, DIP Lenders, boards, institutional and distress investors, bidders and stalking-horse purchasers and other interested parties across a broad spectrum of industries. Ryan has been a trusted advisor in many of the largest and most complex in-court and out-of-court reorganizations, recapitalizations, and restructurings in recent history. Ryan is also an advisor to a number of boards of public and private companies in Canada and the United States.

Ryan frequently lectures on bankruptcy topics at major industry conferences and is an adjunct professor of law at the University of Windsor, Ontario.

Ryan’s recent and public representations include:

  • CURO Group in connection with its cross border restructuring
  • Black Press in connection with its cross border restructuring
  • Monitor of Tacora Resources in connection with its CCAA restructuring
  • BioSteel Sports in connection with its cross border restructuring
  • Court Officer of Yellow Corporation in connection with its cross border restructuring
  • LoyaltyOne dba ‘AirMiles’ in connection with its cross border restructuring and sale to BMO
  • Monitor of FIGR Brands in connection with its CCAA restructuring
  • Payless Shoesource Canadian entities in connection with their worldwide restructuring
  • Board of Catalyst Paper in connection with its successful repayment of all funded debt and acquisition by Paper Excellence
  • Banro Corporation in connection with its cross border restructuring
  • Majority Lender to Acasta Enterprises in connection with material asset sales and successful repayment of all debt
  • Term DIP Lenders to Sears Canada Inc. in connection with its CCAA proceedings
  • Lenders and Agents in US$300 million secured syndicated credit facility to Sears Canada Inc.
  • The Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors of Performance Sports Group Ltd. in connection with its cross-border restructuring proceedings
  • Informal Group of Senior Secured Noteholders and Plan Sponsors of CHC Group Ltd. in connection with its cross-border restructuring proceedings
  • Delaware Trust as Unsecured Notes Trustee in connection with Tervita Corporation’s CBCA recapitalization
  • Thompson Creek Metals Company Inc. in connection with its successful repayment of all secured and unsecured note indebtedness and acquisition by Centerra Gold Inc.
  • Ad Hoc Committee of Bondholders of Trident Exploration Corp. in connection with its CBCA recapitalization
  • Connacher Oil and Gas Limited in connection with its CCAA proceedings
  • Ad Hoc Group of Bondholders of Horsehead Holding in connection with its cross-border restructuring
  • Ad Hoc Group of Secured Bondholders of Essar Steel Algoma Inc.
  • First Lien Lenders of Walter Energy, Inc., in connection with its restructuring
  • DIP Lender to Colt Defense LLC, in connection with its cross-border restructuring
  • Ad Hoc Group of Bondholders of Great Western Minerals Group Ltd in connection with its worldwide restructuring
  • Ad Hoc Group of Debentureholders of Southern Pacific Resource Corp in connection with its restructuring
  • Ad Hoc Group of Bondholders of Jaguar Mining in connection with its recapitalization
  • Ad Hoc Group of Investors of Lone Pine Resources in connection with its recapitalization
  • Ad Hoc Group of Bondholders of Great Basin Gold in connection with its worldwide restructuring
  • Board of SkyLink Aviation in connection with its CCAA proceedings
  • Cline Mining in connection with its recapitalization
  • First Lien Lenders of Catalyst Paper Corporation, in connection with its cross-border restructuring
  • Stalking horse purchaser of assets of Digital Domain Media Group in connection with its cross-border restructuring
  • AVEOS Fleet Performance, in connection with its CCAA proceedings
  • DIP lender to Crystallex International Corporation in connection with its cross-border restructuring
  • First Uranium in connection with its out-of-court restructuring
  • The Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors of Nortel Networks Inc.
  • Ad Hoc Group of Second Lien Lenders of Quiznos in connection with its out-of-court restructuring
  • TerreStar Networks in connection with its cross-border restructuring
  • An informal group of noteholders of Cooper-Standard Automotive
  • An informal group of noteholders of AbitibiBowater in connection with its cross-border restructuring
  • Trident Resources Corp. in connection with its cross-border restructuring
  • The Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors of Delta Air Lines
  • The Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors of Quebecor World (USA) Inc.
  • An informal committee of second lien lenders of Recycled Paper Greetings Inc.
  • The Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors of Collins & Aikman Corporation
  • The Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors of Loral Space & Communications
  • The Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors of Solutia
  • An informal committee of noteholders and post-petition note purchasers of Anchor Glass
  • The Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors of Globalstar
  • The Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors of Bridgeport Holdings
  • The Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors of WorldCom

Ryan is recognized as a leader in his field by such authorities as Best Lawyers in Canada, IFLR1000, Chambers Global, and Chambers Canada, which notes that clients deem Ryan to be a “valuable player in strategy negotiations and a passionate big-picture thinker.”

*Services provided through a Professional Corporation

  • Best Lawyers in Canada (Insolvency and Financial Restructuring)
  • Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory (Insolvency & Financial Restructuring: Financial Restructuring)
  • Chambers Canada (Restructuring/Insolvency)
  • Chambers Global (Restructuring and Insolvency, Foreign Expert: USA)
  • IFLR1000 (Restructuring and Insolvency)
  • Legal500 Canada (Restructuring & Insolvency) (Leading Individual)
  • Lexpert, Rising Star Award (2015)
  • Who’s Who Legal: Canada (Restructuring & Insolvency)
  • “Ryan is extremely talented.” – Chambers Global (Restructuring/Insolvency)
  • “He is well connected and well respected in the legal market.” – Chambers Global (Restructuring/Insolvency)
  • “Ryan Jacobs has his finger on the industry’s pulse – a very technically savvy lawyer.” – Chambers Global (Restructuring/Insolvency)
  • “Ryan Jacobs is in complete command of his craft. He is very strategic in thought and practice, able to communicate key issues and desired objectives in layman’s terms, making him extremely effective.” – Chambers Global (Restructuring/Insolvency)
  • “Ryan has great technical awareness and client service. He is well rounded and brings in a strong depth of experience.”- Chambers Global (Restructuring/Insolvency)
  • “Ryan shows a high level of sophistication in complex cross-border transactions.”- Chambers Global (Restructuring/Insolvency)
  • “Responsiveness and knowledgeable.” – Chambers Global (Restructuring/Insolvency)
  • “Building a very significant practice with strong US connections.” – Chambers Global (Restructuring/Insolvency)
  • “A valuable player in strategy negotiations and a passionate ‘big-picture thinker.’” – Chambers Canada (Restructuring/Insolvency)
  • “He approaches restructuring in a proactive manner.” – Chambers Global (Restructuring & Insolvency)
  • “Offers a tireless work ethic combined with his ability to quarterback large teams across multiple jurisdictions and to navigate solutions that seem impossible from the outset.” – Chambers Canada (Restructuring/Insolvency)
  • “He really understands what clients are trying to achieves and knows when to push and when to pull back.” – Chambers Global (Restructuring/Insolvency)
  • “Amazingly proactive in trying to drive restructurings to a successful conclusion.” – Chambers Global (Restructuring/Insolvency)
  • J.D., University of Windsor, 2003
  • B.Sc., University of Toronto, 1999
  • New York, 2004
  • Ontario, 2011
  • Canadian Bar Association
  • International Association of Restructuring, Insolvency and Bankruptcy Professionals (INSOL)
  • Ontario Bar Association
  • New York Bar Association
  • South African Restructuring and Insolvency Practitioners Association (SARIPA)