David P. Simonds has significant experience representing debtors, official and informal creditors’ committees, secured and unsecured creditors, asset acquirers and other parties in interest in chapter 11 cases and out-of-court restructurings.

Practice & Background

Prior to joining Akin Gump, Mr. Simonds was an associate in the business restructuring and reorganization practice group of an international law firm in New York. From 1996 through 1998, he was the director of operations of Sun Apparel, Inc., a manufacturer and distributor of licensed, branded and private-label clothing, where he was responsible for several aspects of the company’s operations, including production coordination, systems and process analysis, cost reduction, production facility relocation, component inventory management and certain legal matters. From 1992 through 1996, Mr. Simonds was an associate in the insolvency department of a large national law firm in New York.

Mr. Simonds received his B.S., summa cum laude, in accounting in 1989 from the State University of New York at Albany, where he was the president of Signum Laudis, an interdisciplinary honor society; a member of Beta Gamma Sigma, a business honor society; and a recipient of the Deloitte, Haskins & Sells/Harold L. Cannon Memorial Accounting Award. He received his J.D. in 1992 from the New York University School of Law, where he was an editor of the Annual Survey of American Law. He also is a certified public accountant, registered in the state of South Dakota (inactive).
Representative Matters
Official and Informal Creditor Committee Representations

the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors of Washington Mutual, Inc.
the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors of Imperial Capital Bancorp, Inc.
an informal committee of noteholders of American Capital, Ltd.
an informal committee of noteholders of Vertis Inc.
an informal committee of noteholders of American Media Operations, Inc.
an informal committee of noteholders of Remy International, Inc.
the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors of Delta Air Lines, Inc.
the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors of Loral Space and Communications, Ltd.

Other Recent Representations

the prepetition senior secured lender and DIP lender to William Lyon Homes
a DIP lender to, and significant unsecured creditor of, Point Blank Solutions
acquirers of business assets in several sales conducted under section 363 of the Bankruptcy Code
an airline in connection with its chapter 11 case.

Awards & Accolades

Listed in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business for Bankruptcy/Restructuring, 2013 and 2014
Listed in Super Lawyers Business Edition for Bankruptcy, 2013
Admitted in 2012 as a fellow of the American College of Investment Counsel (ACIC)
Recognized by The Best Lawyers in America for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights, Insolvency and Reorganization Law and Bankruptcy Litigation from 2007 through 2015
Designated as a Southern California Super Lawyer for 2009, 2010, 2012 through 2014 and a Rising Star in 2004 through 2007
Named one of the “Outstanding Young Restructuring Lawyers” by Turnarounds & Workouts in 2006.