Keynote Speakers

H. Rodgin Cohen - Senior Chairman, Sullivan & Cromwell LLP

H. Rodgin Cohen is a partner at Sullivan & Cromwell LLP. He was Chairman of the Firm from July 1, 2000 through December 31, 2009 and has served as its Senior Chairman since January 1, 2010. The primary focus of his practice is acquisition, corporate governance, regulatory and securities law matters for major U.S. and non-U.S. banking and other financial institutions.

Mr. Cohen has acted in most of the major U.S. bank acquisitions and government-sponsored and capital-raising efforts during the financial crisis and provides corporate governance advice to a large number of financial and non-financial institutions. He has played a singular role in the market events that have changed the face of the financial services industry and economy, for which The American Lawyer ranked Mr. Cohen #1 among its 25 “Dealmakers of the Year” in 2009. In December 2011, the M&A Advisor awarded him a Lifetime Achievement Award. Mr. Cohen was the only lawyer named to “The Power 100: The 100 Most Powerful People in Finance” published by Worth Magazine in November 2011. He was recognized for his involvement in “nearly every big financial M&A transaction of the last 30 years” and for serving as the “first call for bank bosses” regarding Dodd-Frank reforms. In March 2010, The National Law Journal named Mr. Cohen one of the “Decade’s Most Influential Lawyers.”

Mr. Cohen is or has been a member of the FDIC Systemic Resolution Advisory Committee, The Pew Financial Reform Project, the IIF Special Committee for a Strategic Dialogue for Effective Regulation, the Treasury Advisory Committee on the Auditing Profession, The New York State Commission to Modernize the Regulation of Financial Services and The Financial Services Roundtable’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Enhancing Competitiveness.

Mr. Cohen is a trustee of New York Presbyterian Hospital, Rockefeller University, the Hackley School, Deerfield Academy, Hampton University, Lincoln Center Theater, New York City Partnership and, formerly, the Economic Club of New York. He is also a member of Harvard Law School’s Visiting Committee and the advisory boards of United Way of Westchester-Putnam, the University of Charleston and Wall Street Rising, which in 2005 honored him with its annual Leadership Award for his “steadfast commitment to Lower Manhattan” in the aftermath of the attacks of September 11, 2001. In May 2010, Mr. Cohen and his wife Barbara were honored with the Servant of Justice Award at the Legal Aid Society’s 33rd Annual Dinner.

Bryan Marsal - Co-founder and Co-Chief Executive Officer, Alvarez & Marsal (A&M)

In 1983, Bryan Marsal co-founded the firm of Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) to deliver specialized business advisory and crisis management services to distressed and under-performing companies. A&M today is recognized as a leading global professional services firm that provides turnaround management, performance improvement and business advisory services to clients spanning multiple industry sectors.

With three decades of hands-on operational and financial experience, Mr. Marsal has led numerous A&M engagements in the healthcare, financial services, manufacturing, retailing, apparel, communications and oil field services industries. Mr. Marsal has also been involved as an adviser or manager in high-profile, large-creditor cases. In this capacity, he has provided advisory leadership to companies, as well as secured and unsecured lender groups.

Currently, Mr. Marsal serves as Chief Executive Officer of Lehman Brothers overseeing the largest bankruptcy in history. He also served as Chief Restructuring Officer of HealthSouth, the largest outpatient surgery, diagnostic testing and physical rehabilitation services provider in the U.S. Previously, he served as the Chief Restructuring Manager of Arthur Andersen LLP, Chairman and CEO of Cluett American Corporation, Republic Health Corporation (renamed OrNdaHealthCorp.), Anthony Manufacturing and Gitano. He was also Chief Operating Officer of Alexander's Department Stores.

Prior to co-founding A&M, Mr. Marsal was Director of Operations Control of Norton Simon Inc. Before joining Norton Simon in 1982, he was a Vice President in the loan recovery division of Citibank, where he managed a workout team and was directly involved in large problem loan situations.

Mr. Marsal earned both a B.B.A. and an M.B.A. from the University of Michigan. He serves on the board of Timex Corporation and on the advisory boards of InMotion and Youth, I.N.C. In 2012, he was inducted as a Fellow of the College of the American College of Bankruptcy.

Marc Lasry - Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Avenue Capital Group

Marc Lasry is the Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Avenue Capital Group, a global alternative investment manager with approximately $12.1 billion* in assets under management specializing in distressed debt investing. Avenue, founded in 1995 and headquartered in New York City, has nine offices around the world. Avenue’s core strategies focus on distressed and undervalued debt and equity opportunities in the U.S., Asia and Europe. Distressed investing has been the focus of Mr. Lasry’s professional career for over 25 years. He also co-founded Amroc Investments, L.P. in 1989 in association with the Robert Bass Group, Inc. as a distressed debt investment partnership. Prior to that, Mr. Lasry was Co–Director of the Bankruptcy and Corporate Reorganization Department at Cowen & Company. Prior to this, he served as Director of the Private Debt Department at Smith Vasiliou Management Company. Mr. Lasry also clerked for the Honorable Edward Ryan, former Chief Bankruptcy Judge of the Southern District of New York.

Mr. Lasry graduated with a B.A. in History from Clark University and received a J.D. from New York Law School. He also serves and will continue to serve on the board of directors/advisors of both for profit and not-for-profit public and private companies that are unaffiliated with Avenue, including Mount Sinai Medical Center, The Clinton Foundation, and the 92nd Street Y.



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