Hon. Robert D. Drain
Hon. Robert D. Drain is Of Counsel with Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP in New York and previously served for 20 years as a U.S. bankruptcy judge for the Southern District of New York, presiding over several high-profile and impactful cases involving well-known companies and organizations. Prior to leaving the bench in 2022, Judge Drain oversaw proceedings ranging from large chapter 11 corporate restructurings and consumer-level bankruptcies to international chapter 15 matters. He also served as a court-appointed mediator for other judges in numerous cases. In his current practice, Judge Drain advises on U.S. and cross-border chapter 11 and 15 reorganizations, out-of-court restructurings, debtor-in-possession loans, secured financings, distressed M&A and investments in troubled companies, and potential examiner or trustee roles and mediations. He is a Fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy, a member and former Board member ABI, and a former board member and officer of the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges. For several years, he chaired the Bankruptcy Judges Advisory Group established by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, and he currently serves on the FDIC?s Systemic Resolution Advisory Committee. In addition, he was a founding member and initial chair of the Judicial Insolvency Network, which developed, among other issuances, guidelines that were adopted by courts in the U.S. and abroad for cooperation and communication in concurrent transnational insolvency cases. He also annually presided over a mock transnational bankruptcy case for the International Association of Restructuring, Insolvency & Bankruptcy Professionals? (INSOL) training program, and he is a member of the International Insolvency Institute. Judge Drain was an adjunct professor at Pace University School of Law and in St. John?s University School of Law?s LL.M. in Bankruptcy Program. Judge Drain has published in treatises on bankruptcy law and frequently lectured on bankruptcy law in multiple programs for the Federal Judicial Center, the NCBJ, the ABI, AIRA, TMA, PLI, the American College of Bankruptcy, the International Insolvency Institute, the Federal Bar Council, Columbia University School of Law and national, international and local bar associations, as well as in formal judicial and professional interchanges with judges and practitioners in South America, Europe, China, South Korea, Singapore and India. Prior to his time on the court, he spent nearly 20 years in private practice, including 10 years as a partner in the bankruptcy and restructuring practice of another global law firm. He also authored a novel, The Great Work in the United States of America. Judge Drain received his B.A. cum laude from Yale University and his J.D. from Columbia University School of Law, where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar for three years.
Hon. Robert D. Drain