John H. Thompson

<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>John H. Thompson</strong> is a Bankruptcy and Reorganization partner with Akerman LLP in Washington, D.C., where he focuses his practice on complex chapter 11 cases and debtor and creditor rights. He handles business reorganizations and cross-border insolvency matters, and has extensive experience representing debtors, creditors, acquirers, landlords and equityholders both in and out of court across a broad range of industries. Mr. Thompson has served as counsel for numerous high-profile chapter 11 debtors, including Enron, Worldcom, Northwest and LyondellBasell. His creditor representations include a local council in the Boy Scouts of America bankruptcy, a major automaker in the Takata airbag chapter 11, national energy companies in the White Star and First Energy restructurings, and several swap counterparties in the Lehman bankruptcies. He regularly assists private-equity funds, family offices and other asset-managers with opportunistic § 363 acquisitions and efficient dispositions of distressed assets. He also advises financial institutions on trading contract and derivatives issues, and he is a member of Akerman’s Crypto Insolvency Team. Mr. Thompson frequently volunteers and handles <em>pro bono</em> matters. He served as counsel of record in the restructuring of a nonprofit school for emotionally disturbed adolescents and represented African-American police officers in their employment discrimination litigation against the city of Baltimore. Mr. Thompson also actively participates in <em>pro bono</em> activities on behalf of veterans and military service members, and co-chairs the Legislative Committee of ABI’s Veterans Task Force. Before earning his law degree, he served as a captain and helicopter pilot in the U.S. Army. During his service, he commanded a company of 275 soldiers stationed at Fort Eustis, Va., and led an air cavalry platoon of the 24th Infantry Division based in Fort Stewart, Ga. Mr. Thompson Law serves on the Bankruptcy Editorial Board for <em>360</em> and is a member of the American Bar Association and the Turnaround Management Association. In addition, he chairs Akerman’s Military Veterans Network. Mr. Thompson has been ranked in Washington, D.C. for Bankruptcy/Restructuring by Chambers USA since 2021, and has been listed in Washington, D.C. for Litigation - Bankruptcy, Bankruptcy and Creditor/Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law in The Best Lawyers in America since 2018. He received his B.A. in 1991 from Bucknell University, his M.A. in 2001 from American University, and his J.D. <em>cum laude</em> in 2001 from American University Washington College of Law.</p>