Craig H. Millet, a partner and Co-Chair of the National Business Restructuring and Reorganization Practice Group, is resident in Orange County, California. Mr. Millet joined the firm in 1982 and has extensive experience in complex bankruptcy and commercial litigation before the Bankruptcy Court, the United States District Court, the Bankruptcy Appellate Panel for the Ninth Circuit and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. He also has extensive experience in Chapter 11 reorganization from both the debtor and creditor perspective, in asset acquisition through bankruptcy, international and cross-border bankruptcy, and in out-of-court workouts and restructuring. From 2005 to 2013, Mr. Millet was named as one of America’s leading business and restructuring lawyers by Chambers USA – America’s Leading Business Lawyers. He was also named to The Best Lawyers in America® in 2010-2013.
Mr. Millet’s representative cross-border and international cases include the following:
Represented debtors Arcapita Bank and affiliates in a Chapter 11 reorganization of a Bahraini investment company with assets throughout Europe, the United States, the Middle East and the Far East valued in excess of $2.5 billion resulting in the first Shari’ah compliant company to be reorganized under U.S. bankruptcy law. Proceedings were pending both in New York and the Cayman Islands.
Represented Angus Petroleum - the wholly owned operating subsidiary of holding company and chapter 11 debtor South Coast Oil Company (“SCOC”) - in protracted disputes over the ownership of Angus and the sale of the stock of Angus in the SCOC bankruptcy case.
Represented Fleetwood Enterprises, Inc., and 49 of its affiliates as lead counsel in Chapter 11 proceedings resulting in a confirmed Chapter 11 plan.
Represented artist Thomas Kinkade in pending Chapter 11 matters involving the companies that distribute and publish his work.
Represented Chapter 11 debtor Solutia Inc. in various matters including complex litigation/arbitration involving a $484 million claim filed by Calpine, also a Chapter 11 debtor.
Represented USF&G in post confirmation issues relating to In re Consolidated Freight., Inc.
Represented debtor FLAG Telecom, a company based in London and Mumbai that owns and operates undersea fiber optic cable networks in Asia and elsewhere, in various matters, including litigation before the Bankruptcy Court in New York arising out of the performance of FLAG’s Chapter 11 Plan of Reorganization.
Represented Dorothy Hamill and her wholly owned companies in Chapter 11 proceedings in California.
Represented the court-appointed Japanese administrator in cases pending in Japan and in the United States entitled In re Mizuno and In re Ken International Co., Ltd. The cases involved efforts to trace and recover $500 million in assets transferred to the United States by bankrupt entities in Japan that were then used to acquire assets such as the Indian Wells Country Club, aircraft and other real property. In so doing, Mr. Millet appeared before the Tokyo and Mito District Courts and worked with the United States Attorney to use both the power of the U.S. bankruptcy courts and the forfeiture power of the United States government to recover assets for the benefit of creditors in the United States and Japan.
Represented Den norske Bank, the largest shipping bank in Norway, relating to defaulted loans made to a Bermuda company secured by British ship mortgages on oil tankers sailing under the Spanish flag and is guarantor who filed bankruptcy proceedings in Los Angeles, CA. The case involved proceedings in the U.S., Bermuda, Great Britain and Spain.
Represented American Reinsurance in the Taisei Fire and Marine Insurance case in proceedings pending both in New York and in Japan.
Represented Pacific Alliance Group, a Hong Kong-based investment group and exporter, in the acquisition of the assets of Chapter 11 debtor L.L. Knickerbocker & Company.
Represented Nippon Soda Co., a Japan-based chemical company in multiple class actions in several state and federal courts involving alleged price fixing in the sale of methionine.
Represented James Hardie in entering into a 40-year Funding Agreement to compensate asbestos claimants in Australia.
Other representative domestic matters include the following:
Ongoing representation of companies involved in the acquisition of assets from Halliburton-related entity through their Chapter 11 proceedings. These matters center on the immunity from future asbestos liability that a purchaser may expect as a result of the Halliburton-related bankruptcy proceedings.
Represented aerospace manufacturers Filtration Development Company and Tactical Aerospace Corp. in an out-of-court restructuring.
Represented Callaway Golf in the acquisition of the assets of Top Flite through Chapter 11 proceedings.
Represented Cheetah Communications as the debtor in a Chapter 11 proceeding.
Represented Morgan Stanley/Dean Witter, Prudential Securities, Smith Barney and DLJ in connection with the Chapter 9 bankruptcy of the County of Orange during both the core bankruptcy phase and in later litigation.
Successfully defended Ingram Micro Inc. in antitrust and Section 17200 litigation asserted by Chapter 11 debtor, The BigStore.com.
Represented Imax in the Edwards Theatres Chapter 11 bankruptcy cases.
Represented Pioneer Electronics in the Carolco Chapter 11 bankruptcy case.
Represented Flowserve Corporation in the Power Plant Maintenance Specialists, Inc. Chapter 11 bankruptcy case.
Represented Fluor Corporation in the Molten Metals Technology Chapter 11 bankruptcy case pending in Boston.
Represented Advanced Tissue Sciences, a public company involved in the development and manufacture of skin and tissue products grown outside the body in a bioreator, in its Chapter 11 bankruptcy case in San Diego.
Represented McCurdy Circuits, a custom hi-tech circuit board company, in its Chapter 11 bankruptcy case.
Represented The Irvine Company, Applied Materials, Inc. and The Community Colleges of California in various matters involving the Enron bankruptcy cases.
Represented Florida Power & Light and FPL Energy, Inc. in their acquisition of the assets of Chapter 11 debtor Luz Industries and related subsidiaries.
Represented the equity holders in the Chapter 11 reorganization of tobacco distributor Phillips & King International, Inc.
Represented Flag Sportswear, Inc. in the sale of its assets.
Represented Fluor Corp. in the acquisition of the assets of Chapter 11 debtor Phillips Services Company.
Represented Pharmachem in the acquisition of the assets of Chapter 11 debtor American Ingredients, Inc.
Represented Allergan in matters relating to K-Mart and other bankruptcy matters.
Represented equity holder Advanced Equities in Chapter 11 bankruptcy case of Pixelon, Inc.
Represented The Irvine Company in multiple bankruptcy matters involving tenants, developers, and land use issues.
In addition to the foregoing, Mr. Millet has previously handled matters for James Hardie, including matters involving Enron and the acquisition of Chapter 11 debtor Multicoat.
Mr. Millet received his law degree summa cum laude from Pepperdine University in 1982 where he was Editor-in-Chief of the Pepperdine Law Review, and recipient of the Best Team and Best Advocate Award in the Vincent S. Dalsimer Moot Court competition. Mr. Millet graduated with a bachelor of arts in philosophy in 1978 from the University of Southern California. Prior to attending law school, Mr. Millet operated his own business in the high-performance marine industry and set several world records and twice won the national championship in power boat racing throughout the United States.
Mr. Millet is a frequent lecturer on bankruptcy and complex bankruptcy litigation topics, including the annual Corporate, Securities and Related Aspects of Mergers and Acquisitions Institute in New York and he is a member of the Litigation Section and Commercial Law and Bankruptcy Section of the Orange County Bar Association, and a member of the Orange County Bankruptcy Forum. He has been admitted to practice before all courts of the State of California, the United States District Court for the Central, Southern and Northern Districts of California and the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Mr. Millet is active in the community through Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, United Cerebral Palsy Association and served as a member of the Planned Giving Committee of Children’s Hospital of Orange County for over 5 years.
