Jonathan Landers

Jon was an accomplished person. He was a nationally-recognized authority and practitioner in corporate bankruptcy and restructuring, insolvency and litigation matters. He graduated from Colgate University (A.B., Phi Beta Kappa, 1962) and from Harvard Law School (J.D., magna cum laude, 1965; Harvard Law Review). His diverse experience included bankruptcy, insolvency-related corporate restructuring, financing transactions, purchase and sale of assets and business enterprises, and litigation matters; representing debtors, lenders and lender syndicates, large creditors, litigation trustees and defendants, and asset sellers and purchasers.

He also served as a corporate independent Director dealing with substantial litigation issues; as a mediator in several substantial cases (having been a member of the United States Bankruptcy Courts’ mediation panels in the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, and the District of Delaware); and was an expert witness on corporate, bankruptcy and related issues. He served as lead counsel in numerous cases, including Boston Gen (for the Committee), Strauss Auto (for the Debtor, as litigation plaintiff), Hoop (for the Debtor operating as Disney Stores), Odyssey Group (then owner of the North Face and Head Sportswear), Insilco (for the Lending Group), Champion Homebuilders (for the Committee, as litigation plaintiff), Finova (for the Debtor), Enron (for a large creditor), Adelphia (for a large creditor/agent), Placid Oil (for a large lender), Penrod (for a large lender), Greyhound (for a contract party), and Bergner Stores (for a contract party). His clients have included Wells Fargo Bank, Crocker National Bank, Dial Corporation, Merrill Lynch, and Citibank (in the bankruptcies of large law firms including Heller Ehrman, Thelen, and Brobeck).

Jon was also the co-author of three books and the author of numerous published articles on bankruptcy and related issues in corporate law and civil procedure; a partner, for 23 years, with Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, LLP; a professor/visiting professor at the Universities of Chicago, California, Illinois, San Francisco and Kansas; a frequent speaker at conferences on bankruptcy and litigation issues; one of 65 members of the National Bankruptcy Conference and a fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy (as a member of its founding class); and was recognized repeatedly in New York Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers in America.

But Jon’s greatest accomplishment was that he was a kind, decent, generous, good, and loving person. He loved his family and his friends, and they loved him. He played the piano beautifully, adding his own special music to the world. We will always remember him and cherish his memory.

In lieu of flowers, we would appreciate donations to the Central Park Conservancy in Jon's name. 

MAY HE REST IN PEACE