Rick Antonoff

Biography

Rick Antonoff is a senior counsel in the Bankruptcy & Restructuring practice at Blank Rome LLP. Rick represents banks, non-banks and other direct lenders, alternative investment funds, private equity firms, asset managers, trade creditors and other parties in bankruptcy proceedings and out-of-court workouts including restructuring illiquid assets such as art, real estate, aircraft, and marine. Rick maintains a robust cross-border insolvency practice advising trustees in foreign insolvency proceedings. He has an active practice in litigation finance, advising funders on structuring and documenting transactions as well as navigating ethical and professional responsibility issues. Rick advises hedge providers on commodity derivatives under ISDA documentation arising in energy company bankruptcy cases. He also has significant experience in intercreditor disputes and defending parties in preference and fraudulent transfer litigation.

Rick appears in court proceedings throughout the United States. He regularly publishes topical articles, speaks at legal education seminars, and provides commentary for print and broadcast media.

Outside the Firm

Rick recently served as a board member and secretary of New York Junior Tennis & Learning, the largest tennis and education-themed not-for-profit community organization in the United States.

Experience

  • Hedge provider in chapter 11 bankruptcy cases of Chesapeake Energy, California Resources, Oasis Petroleum, and Ultra Petroleum.
  • Senior noteholders in chapter 11 case of Tidewater Inc. 
  • Senior noteholders in restructuring of Odebrecht Oil & Gas (now called Ocyan) under Brazilian insolvency law.
  • First-out ABL lenders in chapter 11 case of RadioShack Corporation.
  • Film distribution company in chapter 11 cases of The Weinstein Company and Open Road Films.
  • Litigation finance companies in structuring and documenting funding arrangements to law firms and claimants.
  • Foreign trustees in cross-border Russian insolvency cases of Vneshprombank, Larissa Marcus, Natalia Piragova, Sergei Poymanov.
  • DIP lender in chapter 11 case of Seaborne Airlines.
  • Cayman Islands directors in involuntary bankruptcy cases of CLOs Zohar I and Taberna IV.
  • Lender in restructuring syndicated loans to Gulfstream Services, Noble Americas, and Icicle Seafoods.
  • Agent bank in restructuring syndicated loans to Braskam S.A. and BRF S.A. in Brazil.
  • Trade finance creditor in insolvency of Schahin Engenharia S.A. under Brazilian law.

News & Views

See all News and Views

Recognitions

  • 2023–2024, Litigation – Bankruptcy, New York, listed in Best Lawyers in America©
  • 2012–2019, New York Metro “Super Lawyer” in Bankruptcy, listed in Super Lawyers

Affiliations

Memberships

  • American Bar Association
  • American Bankruptcy Institute
  • New York City Bar Association
Professional Activities

Rick is a member of the Bankruptcy and Corporate Reorganization Committee of the New York City Bar Association, the Business Law Section of the American Bar Association, and the American Bankruptcy Institute. He is co-chair of the New York City Bar Association's Task Force on Puerto Rico. Rick is a trained and certified bankruptcy mediator.

Rick supervises Blank Rome’s pro bono program assisting individuals seeking to discharge student loans in bankruptcy and is a volunteer for Election Protection answering hotline telephone calls from voters on Election Day.

Credentials

Admissions

  • Supreme Court of the United States
  • New York
  • U.S. District Court - Eastern District of New York
  • U.S. District Court - Southern District of New York

Education

  • Binghamton University, BA
  • Cardozo Law School, JD, cum laude