​Chris Kiplok Named ‘Dealmaker of the Year’ By The American Lawyer

March 26, 2018 — Chris Kiplok has been named a 2018 Dealmaker of the Year by The American Lawyer for his role in advising Republic Airways through its complex Chapter 11 restructuring.

The magazine’s annual list recognizes “the deals that mattered and the attorneys who made them happen” by showing creativity, client commitment and business savvy that delivered on their clients’ objectives. Kiplok shares the honor with Bruce Zirinsky of Zirinsky Law Partners.

A March 26 profile noted the complexity of the case. Kiplok’s team needed to get deals done with each of Republic’s three airline partners, all while streamlining its aircraft fleet, which required dozens of other smaller deals.

“Any one of those moving parts could have been an existential threat to the success of the reorganization,” Kiplok told AmLaw. 

In the end, Kiplok’s team led Republic out of bankruptcy protection to a viable position. “People call bankruptcy a turnaround,” Kiplok said to the magazine. “To go from a billion-dollar litigation and turn that into a new deal and a new partnership, that really is a turnaround.”

Click here to view the profile.