Attorney Profiles

Philip A. Gasteier is a member of the Firm. His more than 25 years of practice have included a broad range of bankruptcy and insolvency representation, with particular emphasis on complex reorganizations, structuring transactions, entertainment and intellectual property issues, financing, and insolvency and commercial litigation.

In his first decade of practice based in Philadelphia, Philip successfully represented landlords and purchasers of leasehold interests in large cases such as Food Fair and Lionel, and participated in preparation of materials for presentation to Congress in connection with hearings leading to the Shopping Center Amendments to the Bankruptcy Code in 1984. He counseled extensively in connection with insolvency and bankruptcy aspects of commercial leases for shopping centers and retail chains. Philip also provided insolvency counseling in connection with bond and other securities transactions, and in structuring transactions as large as approximately $1 billion. Philip's practice in Los Angeles has frequently involved entertainment and other intellectual property issues, furthering his expertise in the area of executory contracts and leases. Philip also provides specialized counseling and litigation support in connection with numerous transactions, licenses and other entertainment contracts, both domestic and foreign, including major studios. In addition, he has extensive experience in drafting and negotiating complex loan and business transactions.

Significant Representations

• Representation of creditor or equity committees in matters including Franklin Computer, Manson-Billard Industries and Monroe Well Service, Inc. California Pacific Funding, Ltd., and Chase Technologies, Inc..
• Debtor representation included Motor Freight Express, a multi-state motor carrier, and Dublin Properties; Superior Fast Freight, Inc.; Voice Powered Technology.
• Primarily responsible for structuring and confirming chapter 11 plans in the chapter 11 cases of Qintex Entertainment, Inc., Hal Roach Studios, Inc., and Qintex Productions, Inc., (formerly Robert Halmi, Inc.).
• Significant responsibility in the drafting and solicitation of a prepackaged plan of reorganization for Carolco Pictures, Inc. in connection with its out of court workout;
• Argued In re: Qintex Entertainment, Inc., 950 F.2d 1492 (9th Cir. 1991) to the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, a principal case establishing the executory contract analysis applicable to copyright licenses, and determining that participation rights constitute unsecured claims;
• In Fries Entertainment, Inc., successfully resolved significant claims for unrecouped advances and other amounts owing under assigned distribution agreements as unsecured claims, and structured a transaction pursuant to which equity holders retained the rights to development projects and other assets, including two pictures produced during the chapter 11 case