Contact Bill:
Bill McMahon represents corporate and individual clients in a wide range of restructuring, bankruptcy, finance and commercial litigation matters. He has extensive experience representing secured lenders, creditors and estate fiduciaries in formal insolvency proceedings and out-of-court workouts. He has negotiated and drafted both routine commercial agreements and agreements effecting significant change in a company’s life cycle.
Prior to forming Downes McMahon LLP, Bill was a partner and of counsel at Choate Hall & Stewart LLP, and worked in the legal department of one of the largest banks in the country. He also served as a Special Assistant District Attorney in the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office, where he prosecuted a range of misdemeanors and felonies, and tried numerous cases to verdict.
Bill earned a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University in 1996, and graduated from New York University School of Law in 2001. After law school he served as a law clerk to the Honorable Ronald R. Lagueux in the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island.
Bill is admitted to practice in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.
Representative Engagements
- Advised product design firm in protecting rights under contracts with bankrupt retailer Brookstone, Inc.
- Advised defense industry manufacturer in connection with vendor and customer contract negotiations and dispute resolution.
- Represented private school in negotiating forbearance agreement with its secured lender.
- Served as counsel to multinational bank in securing the appointment of a receiver in state court for real property assets backing more than $128 million in loans.
- Represented multinational bank in obtaining full recovery of investment in railcar leasing arm of CIT Group, Inc. in connection with CIT’s bankruptcy, one of the largest Chapter 11 bankruptcies in U.S. history.
- Negotiated agreement for payment of nearly full amount of outstanding six figure debt owed to client trust within weeks of commencing suit against defaulting counterparty.
- Advised international confectioner in successful bid for assets of historic candy company in sale under Section 363 of the Bankruptcy Code.
- Represented liquidating officer of international contract manufacturer in pursuing avoidance litigation that resulted in multi-million dollar recovery for bankruptcy estate.
- Obtained seven-figure judgment in favor of international bio-tech company after eight day trial.
- Advised founders of Boston coffee shop and café on start-up and business formation issues.
- Obtained dismissal of lawsuit filed in bankruptcy court against national chain of fitness centers.
- Assisted title insurance company in recovering substantial funds that had been lost as a result of a “spoofing” scam perpetrated by group of international and domestic participants.
- Advised board of directors of publicly-traded provider of comprehensive health and well being programs in connection with company’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceeding.
- Advised real estate developer in connection with consensual, out of court resolution of approximately $60 million in secured debt obligations.
- Represented purchaser of the market making business of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC pursuant to Section 363 of the Bankruptcy Code.
- Counseled distressed national dry cleaning chain in out of court restructuring that resulted in going concern asset sales that preserved hundreds of jobs throughout the country.
- Represented patent licensor in connection with Delaware bankruptcy proceeding of corporate licensor.
- Served as U.S. counsel to Canadian nutritional supplement maker with U.S. operations in connection with refinancing of company’s $60 million secured credit facility.
- Assisted major software developer in protecting intellectual property rights in bankruptcy proceedings throughout the U.S.
- Served, at the request of a United States Bankruptcy Judge, as special mediation counsel to a pro se Chapter 7 debtor defending a non-dischargeability complaint, and secured a dismissal of the case with prejudice.
- Represented Fortune 500 insurance company in enforcing rights in policyholder bankruptcies throughout the U.S., including by negotiating policy buy-out agreements.
- Represented secured lender in connection with extension of $20 million dollar credit facility to and equity investment in prominent yacht building company.
- Represented international textile developer and manufacturer in New York arbitration proceeding that resulted in favorable settlement for client.