Julian Gurule is a leading restructuring lawyer with experience guiding clients through the full range of distressed and bankruptcy matters. He represents private equity funds and other distressed investors, secured and unsecured creditors, debtors, official creditors’ committees, administrative agents, indenture trustees, and purchasers of distressed assets. Julian’s practice regularly involves substantial financing, M&A, and litigation components. He has extensive experience in a variety of industries, including agribusiness, entertainment, real estate development, hospitality, aerospace, health care, gaming, retail, media, energy, and manufacturing. Julian has been selected as a Southern California Rising Star by Super Lawyers magazine every year for 10 consecutive years. In 2023 and 2024, he was recognized in Best Lawyers® for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law.
Hospitality & Gaming
- Represented five-star hotel, condominium, and office development in its US$500+ million restructuring.
- Represented iCap Enterprises in its successful chapter 11 liquidation of real estate assets in the Pacific Northwest.
- Represented DIP lender to an Atlantic City hotel and casino in its chapter 11 case.
- Represented major hotel and casino company in its successful US$6 billion in-court restructuring, including the prepackaged chapter 11 cases of more than a dozen individual operating hotel and casino properties.
- Represented Bahamas-based hotel and casino in its US$3.5 billion chapter 11 case, including the negotiation and implementation of the cross-border US$80 million DIP facility funded by its equity sponsor.
- Represented Reno-based hotel and casino in its chapter 11 case.
- Represented major Mexican restaurant chain in its chapter 11 case and section 363 sale of substantially all of its assets.
- Represented Western-themed restaurant chain in its chapter 11 case and section 363 sale of substantially all of its assets.
Agribusiness
- Represented Official Unsecured Creditors' Committee in the US$400+ million chapter 11 case of Millenkamp Cattle, one of the largest single-site dairies in the US.
- Represented private equity fund as purchaser and DIP lender in the AppHarvest Products, LLC chapter 11 case.
- Represented Official Unsecured Creditors’ Committee of Easterday Farms, a major farming and ranching operation with liabilities exceeding US$400 million.
- Represented private equity fund in connection with wind down of greenhouse grower portfolio company.
Energy Sector
- Represented group of distressed funds holding first lien debt in the successful US$210 million out-of-court restructuring of a Texas-based oilfield services company.
- Represented ad hoc group of distressed fund lenders in US$3.7 billion restructuring of multiple silos of bank and bond debt secured by vessel assets and supply contracts.
- Represented sovereign wealth fund in connection with an investment strategy premised upon the outcome of the multibillion-dollar fraudulent transfer litigation arising out of chemical industry bankruptcy case.
- Represented private equity-sponsored renewable energy construction company in its cross-border out-of-court restructuring, including the negotiation of a new money commitment from the sponsor.
- Represented solar power project’s lenders in connection with energy sector debtor’s 363 sale of its renewable energy business.
- Represented former equity holders and current defendants in the multibillion-dollar fraudulent transfer litigation arising out of oil and gas chapter 11 cases.
Technology, Media & Telecom
- Represented investment bank in high-profile litigation matter involving substantial restructuring issues.
- Represented creditor and contract counterparty in The Weinstein Company’s chapter 11 case.
- Represented creditor and contract counterparty in Relativity Media’s chapter 11 case and related adversary proceeding.
- Represented film production company, as rights owner, in its counterparty’s chapter 11 case, which involved the repurchase of the film rights from the debtor.
- Represented equity holder, lender, and board member in out-of-court restructuring of entertainment venue development company.
- Represented administrative agent and hedge fund holders of first lien bank debt publishing company’s US$1.2 billion prepackaged chapter 11 case.
- Represented ad hoc group of distressed fund holders of first lien debt in educational publisher’s US$5.8 billion chapter 11 case.
Health Care
- Represented secured lender in US$50 million restructuring of multi-state pharmacy business.
- Represented creditor and litigation party in SNF debtor’s US$20 million chapter 11 case.
- Represented litigation finance fund that held secured debt in successful out-of-court restructuring of pharmaceutical company, under which client received a majority equity position post-closing.
- Represented major skilled nursing facility operator in successful out-of-court restructuring of bank debt, note obligations, and hundreds of millions of dollars of lease obligations.
- Represented technology company that developed head impact monitoring devices in out-of-court restructuring negotiations with its principal creditors.
- Represented medical lab testing company in workout negotiations with its lender and private equity sponsor.
Logistics & Transportation
- Represented West Coast port operator in its chapter 11 case.
- Represented cross-border construction company in its successful out-of-court restructuring.
- Represented DIP ABL lender and exit ABL lender in successful Chapter 11 case of international trucking and logistics company.
Manufacturing & Construction
- Represented Official Unsecured Creditors’ Committee of Structurlam Mass Timber Corp., a manufacturer of high-strength timber products.
- Represented general contractor with claims exceeding US$100 million in public-sector developer’s chapter 11 case.
- Represented Official Unsecured Creditors’ Committee of Impresa Holdings Acquisition Corp., a major aerospace manufacturer and supplier.
- Represented Official Unsecured Creditors’ Committee of Elite Aerospace Group, Inc., an aircraft component manufacturer.
- Represented ABL and term loan leader in restructuring of closely-held commercial aircraft supplier.
Admissions
Bar Admissions
- California
Education
- University of California at Los Angeles, J.D.
- University of Washington, B.A.: cum laude
Honors & Awards
- Recognized by Best Lawyers in America for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law (2023-2025)
- Named a “Rising Star” by Super Lawyers in Bankruptcy (2013-2022)
Professional Activities
Member
- American Bankruptcy Institute
- Financial Lawyers Conference
- Los Angeles County Bar Association
- Hispanic National Bar Association
- Diversity in the Profession Committee of the Los Angeles County Bar Association
Speaking Engagements
- Speaker, “Beware the Undertow: Creating a Chapter 11 Plan that Breaks Through the Surfline,” California Bankruptcy Forum 36th Annual Insolvency Conference (May 18, 2024)
- Speaker, “Agribusiness Chapter 11 Issues,” 2024 Annual Idaho, Oregon, and Washington Agricultural Bankers Conference (May 9, 2024)
- Webinar, “The End of the Line: The Options for the Commercial Lender When the Workout is no Longer Working Out” (June 24, 2020)
- Moderator, “An Insider’s Guide: Comparing Law Firms to In-House Counsel,” UCLA School of Law (November 19, 2019)
- Speaker, “Understanding Important Agreements in Restrucutrings: Forbearance Agreements, NDAs, Intercreditor Agreements, and More,” Financial Lawyers Nuts & Bolts: In the Realm of Insolvency Conference (October 18, 2019)