Mr. James H.M. Sprayregen

James H.M. Sprayregen is a partner at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP in New York and co-head of Capital Solutions & Restructuring. He has spent more than three decades leading many of the largest and most complex restructurings, representing debtors, creditors, boards of directors and other key stakeholders. Mr. Sprayregen has advised on numerous high-profile cross-border distressed situations, and his work has touched a wide range of industries. He has been consistently ranked Band 1 by Chambers USA and Chambers Global, among other global directories. In 2013, Mr. Sprayregen was named “Global Insolvency & Restructuring Lawyer of the Year” by Who’s Who Legal Awards. He was inducted into the Turnaround Management Association’s Turnaround, Restructuring, and Distressed Investing Industry Hall of Fame in 2013, and in 2010 he was selected by The National Law Journal as one of “The Decade’s Most Influential Lawyers.” In 2018, The M&A Advisor honored him with its Lifetime Achievement Award. Prior to joining Paul Weiss, Mr. Sprayregen founded the worldwide restructuring practice at another major firm, building it into a leading international restructuring practice, then left to co-head the Restructuring Group at Goldman Sachs from 2006-08, where he advised clients and deployed capital in restructuring and distressed situations, before returning to private practice for 16 years. From 2024-26, he served as vice chairman of Global Strategy & Growth at Hilco Global. From 2013-15, Mr. Sprayregen served as president of INSOL International. He also was an adjunct full professor of finance at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he taught a joint course on corporate restructuring with Penn Law. Mr. Sprayregen is a Fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy, a member of the National Bankruptcy Conference, and a former member of the ABI Bankruptcy Reform Commission. He is a frequent speaker and writer on issues pertaining to restructuring. Mr. Sprayregen received his B.A. cum laude from the University of Michigan and his J.D. cum laude from the University of Illinois College of Law.