Meet The Attys Advising First Brands’ Creditors Committee

The official committee of unsecured creditors in car parts group First Brands’ Chapter 11 has retained a dozen attorneys from Cole Schotz PC and Brown Rudnick LLP to represent it in the case.

First Brands Group Holdings Inc. abruptly filed for Chapter 11 protection in Texas bankruptcy court at the end of September, after debt-refinancing due diligence raised questions about the whereabouts of $2.3 billion and whether inventory pledged to third-party factoring lenders was double-pledged. The U.S. Trustee’s Office appointed the creditors committee Oct. 9.

The watchdog has also urged the court to swiftly appoint an examiner to probe First Brands’ bankruptcy, echoing a creditor’s call for an independent investigation into more than $2 billion in unaccounted funds.

Here is the legal team helping the unsecured creditors committee navigate the case:

Seth Van Aalten

Cole Schotz

A member of Cole Schotz’s New York office, Van Aalten has assisted Rite Aid Corp. in its Chapter 11 and the unsecured creditors committee in the bankruptcy of RadioShack, among other clients. He graduated from Binghamton University with a bachelor’s degree and from the Boston University School of Law with a law degree.

Justin R. Alberto

Cole Schotz

A Delaware-based member of the firm, Alberto has helped clients including debtor True Religion Apparel and the unsecured creditors committee for Purdue Pharma. He earned a bachelor’s degree at Springfield College and his law degree at the Widener University Delaware Law School.

Ian R. Phillips

Cole Schotz

An associate in his firm’s Texas office, Phillips graduated from the University of Texas at Tyler with a bachelor’s degree and from Southern Methodist University’s Dedman School of Law with a law degree. He has assisted clients including the unsecured creditors committee in the bankruptcy of Eventide Credit Acquisitions LLC.

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