Luke A. Barefoot

Partner
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP

Luke Barefoot is a partner at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP. His practice focuses on bankruptcy litigation, insolvency, corporate restructuring and related litigation matters, with a particular focus on cross-border and international bankruptcy disputes.

Luke has advised on notable matters for creditors and debtors, corporates and sovereigns in complex, high-profile matters, including recently representing The Government Development Bank for Puerto Rico in various litigation matters relating to Puerto Rico’s debt crisis. Luke’s other representations include ESL and Eddie Lampert as the largest shareholder and creditor (with over $2.8 billion in claims) in the Sears Holdings Chapter 11 proceedings, including assumption and assignment of over 600 leases over landlord objections; debtor’s counsel in the Chapter 15 cases for Odebrecht S.A. and its affiliates in restructuring more than $20 billion in indebtedness; an ad hoc group of bondholders in the contested Chapter 15 proceedings for the QGOG/Constellation entities in their cross-border restructuring; Geoffrey LLC, owner and seller of the intellectual property of the Toys R Us group in the restructuring of the group’s business, including a series of Section 363 sales; and an ad hoc group of creditors in successful litigation to maintain Chapter 15 recognition of Oi S.A.’s Chapter 15 proceedings.

In recognition of Luke’s credibility in the marketplace and the significance of the matters on which he has worked, he was named a “Rising Star,” by Law360 and an “Outstanding Young Restructuring Lawyer,” by Turnarounds & Workouts. He was also inducted into the International Insolvency Institute’s Next Generation. Luke receieved a J.D. degree, with distinction, from Stanford Law School and a B.S. degree, with honors, from Cornell University. Luke joined the firm in 2004 and became a partner in 2013.