John Henry Knight

Overview

John Knight is “a stalwart of the Delaware bankruptcy bar” (Chambers USA).

John represents debtors, prepetition and DIP lenders, purchasers, and other parties in interest in Delaware chapter 11 cases. He also leads the firm’s substantive non-consolidation opinion team. “Professional, smart, responsive, and keenly aware of the issues and problems confronting his clients” (Chambers USA), John handles complex bankruptcy matters across a wide range of business segments. Clients report that he “is a strong courtroom lawyer … able to get the right solution for his clients,” with one praising his expertise “in a very difficult and challenging representation” (Chambers USA, 2024).

PRACTICES

Bankruptcy & Corporate Restructuring

Clerkships

• The Honorable Rosemary Gambardella, The Honorable Novalyn L. Winfield, and The Honorable William F. Tuohey, United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey, 1994-95

Select Experience

• Lead counsel to debtors KDC Agribusiness LLC (dba Do Good Foods), sustainable meat producers focused on cutting food waste by diverting such waste from supermarkets to use as animal feed
• Co-counsel to debtors Alpha Latam Management LLC, a leading technology-enabled, specialty finance company with operations in Latin America
• Co-counsel to debtor Ruby Pipeline LLC, which owns and operates a pipeline that transports natural gas from the Rocky Mountain basins to the Pacific Northwest
• Co-counsel to debtors Hertz Corporation, one of the largest vehicle rental companies in the world
• Co-counsel to Citibank as agent for the RBL lenders in the chapter 11 case of Southland Royalty Company LLC, an energy company involved in acquisition, development, and exploitation of oil and gas reserves
• Co-counsel to Wells Fargo as agent for the RBL lenders in the chapter 11 case of Ursa Piceance Holdings LLC, an oil and gas exploration and production company
• Co-counsel to Golub Capital in the chapter 11 case of Rubio’s Restaurant, Inc., a chain that operates and franchises 167 restaurants in California, Arizona, and Nevada
• Co-counsel to lender as agent for the ABL lenders in the chapter 11 case of Northwest Hardwoods, Inc., America’s largest manufacturer of North American hardwood lumber
• Co-counsel to the debtors in the chapter 11 case of Chaparral Energy, LLC, an independent oil and natural gas exploration and production company
• Co-counsel to debtors Libbey Glass Inc., one of the largest multinational designers, producers, and sellers of glass tableware
• Co-counsel to debtors Paddock Enterprises LLC, successor to Owens-Illinois, Inc., in its chapter 11 case arising out of its predecessor’s asbestos-containing products
• Co-counsel to debtors Emerge Energy Services, the largest domestic supplier of silica sand to the fracking industry
• Co-counsel to DIP lenders, Wells Fargo, in the chapter 11 case of Promise Healthcare Group, a nationwide operator of hospitals and skilled nursing care facilities
• Co-counsel to prepetition secured lenders in the chapter 11 case of National Stores, Inc., a national discount retail chain
• Co-counsel to Deutsche Bank as agent to prepetition secured lenders in the chapter 11 case of Samson Resources Corporation, an oil and gas exploration and production company
• Co-counsel to YFE Holdings as DIP lender in the chapter 11 case of Fresh & Easy LLC, a chain of grocery stores
• Co-counsel to KiOR, Inc., a biofuels company, in its chapter 11 case and sale of substantially all of its assets
• Lead counsel to PSL, North America, an oil, gas and water pipeline manufacturer, in connection with its chapter 11 case and sale of substantially all of its assets
• Lead counsel to debtor National Envelope in connection with its chapter 11 case
• Co-counsel to Toshiba Corporation in connection with its DIP loan to and acquisition of OCZ Technology Group
• Co-counsel to senior secured lender in Overseas Shipping Group’s chapter 11 case
• Co-counsel to secured lender in Powerwave Technologies’ chapter 11 case

Education

• University of Maryland School of Law, J.D., with honors, 1994
• University of Maryland, B.S., 1990
  Varsity Football Letterman

Leadership

• Delaware State Bar Association, Bankruptcy Section, Chapter 11 Committee, Co-Chair, 2020
• Pre-Admission Conference of the Supreme Court of Delaware, Panel Speaker, 2010-2018
• American Bankruptcy Institute, Delaware Views from the Bench, Panelist and Planning Committee Member, 2013

Recognition

• Chambers USA, since 2005
• The Best Lawyers in America, since 2009
• Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America, 2024, 2023
• Super Lawyers, since 2007
• IFLR1000
• Who’s Who Legal, since 2016
• Delaware Today Top Lawyer, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2019, 2017, 2016, 2015; Top Vote Getter, Bankruptcy (Business), 2022

Bar Admissions

• Delaware
• New Jersey
• Maryland
• United States District Court, Delaware
• United States District Court of Appeals, Third Circuit
• United States District Court, New Jersey