At (00:00), host Julie Miecamp opens the episode and introduces reporter Dia Gill, who explains at (01:21) why she wanted to interview Ameneh Bordi, Senior Managing Associate at Sidley Austin. From there, the conversation turns at (05:41) to Ameneh’s unconventional career path, spanning Kirkland & Ellis, Amazon, and now Sidley, and at (12:43) she unpacks what she calls “odd duck” cases, the unusual matters that sit outside the typical Chapter 11 mold.

The discussion deepens at (13:04) as Ameneh reflects on navigating a male-dominated field while staying true to her own personality, and at (17:24) she describes how becoming a mother reshaped the way she balances boundaries, mentorship, and the demands of big law. At (19:58), the focus shifts to the Plenty bankruptcy, a case that showed the power and promise of Chapter 11, which moved from filing to emergence in just two and a half months (25:47). By (26:57), she’s exploring what venture-backed companies should learn from that experience, before turning at (28:53) to international restructurings and the evolving role of Chapter 15.

Later in the episode, at (33:25), Ameneh discusses whether US companies could realistically take their cases abroad, and at (35:14) she weighs in on the state of pre-packs, LMEs, and the tools companies actually use when time and panic are factors. The conversation closes at (37:03) with her big-picture reflections on 2025 restructuring activity, her predictions for the second half of the year (38:12), and a rapid-fire segment (39:03) on the phrases, skills, and rules she’d most like to change.

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Show Host: Julie Miecamp