Aaron L. Hammer

11/11/20 1:15PM CT Be sure to join the next TMA Town Hall where a robust discussion, featuring former TMA Chicago/Midwest President and restaurant owner Aaron L. Hammer (TMA Chicago/Midwest), along with other industry heavyweights, will leave you with plenty of food for thought as they look ahead toward 2021. Whet your appetite for this session by reading Global Pandemic Is…

4/8/2020 12:00pm CST Sean D. Auton, Aaron L. Hammer, Bill Katris and Matthew R. Barrett will discuss COVID-19 and its impact on Contract Rights and Insurance Claims. This webinar for the Chicagoland Chapter of the Young Presidents' Organization will address questions such as: Contract Rights under COVID-19 I can’t perform under my contract or leases - what remedies do I…

On 9/17/19 Aaron Hammer and Rick Rein presented "Hot Topics in Cross Border Restructurings" at the Offices of Gowling WLG LLOP in Toronto, Canada. Aaron and Rick discussed the role of chief restructuring officers and other turnaround professionals in Canadian restructuring, flash points in today's cross border insolvencies, and the cannabis space. This program was intended for lenders, turnaround professionals…

9/17/19 Offices of Gowling WLG LLP Toronto, Canada Aaron Hammer and Rick Rein present "Hot Topics in Cross Border Restructurings" at the Offices of Gowling WLG LLP on September 17th. The discussion will include: The Role of Chief Restructuring Officers and Other Turnaround Professionals in Canadian Restructuring • Would Canadian restructurings benefit from an increased use of CROs, similar to…

CHAPTER 11 FILINGS IN 2020 AND BEYOND Unless your January 2020 payroll included Nostradamus, the forthcoming global pandemic and resulting mass quarantines were largely unforeseeable. Last year’s unpredictability did, however, lead to the rather predictable material increase in Chapter 11 bankruptcy filings. Epiq Companies recently reported to the American Bankruptcy Institute that commercial Chapter 11 filings increased 29% in 2020.…

In an opinion for our troubled times, Northern District of Illinois Bankruptcy Judge Donald Cassling granted debtor Hitz Restaurant Group (“Hitz”) some reprieve from § 365(d)(3)’s strict requirements due to a combination of COVID-19 shutdown orders and a favorably-worded force majeure clause. Hitz’s landlord, Kass Management Services, Inc. (“Kass”) moved to lift the automatic stay after Hitz stop making its…

Out-Of-Court Distressed Asset Purchases, a Primer The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted businesses and commercial relationships worldwide, cutting wide swaths of through entire sectors of the economy.  The current government regime of subsidizing whole industries and individual businesses is still evolving.  Commercial lenders have been incentivized to forbear and defer defaults – but the piper must eventually be paid.  Enterprises that…

The Small Business Reorganization Act (SBRA) was enacted in February 2020 with no one anticipating the global pandemic. Today, the financial consequences have hit small businesses hard. The SBRA, commonly known as Subchapter V, may provide much-needed relief to small businesses as they struggle through the crisis. With the Subchapter V election likely to surge during and after the pandemic,…

The Coronavirus crisis has arrived. This global pandemic has placed a hard stop on economic activity across the board, sending markets into freefall and skyrocketing unemployment claims to unprecedented heights. Chapter 11 filings are anticipated to surge, forcing bankruptcy courts to clean up large swaths of the crisis’ aftermath. But for now, it is anyone’s guess when the uptick in…

Aaron L. Hammer was featured on the cover of Turnaround Management Association Chicago's Newsletter of Corporate Renewal celebrating its 30 year anniversary. The newsletter celebrates the TMA's focus on growing networks, identifying business opportunities, adding to its members' knowledge base, providing leadership and having fun with great people. As Aaron said, "TMA is -- and always will be -- family.…

In this ABI Journal article, Aaron L. Hammer discusses the impact of COVID-19 on the restaurant industry and managing Red South Beach through the crisis. Download the full article here. The 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has created unprecedented distress in many industries. Arguably, the hardest hit to date is the restaurant industry. Getting through a workout during COVID-19 has…

In this article by Law360, Aaron L. Hammer discusses GenCanna filing an adversary proceeding seeking $1.2 million back that the company paid to law firm, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP ("Pillsbury"). Read the full article by Law360 here (paid subscription required). GenCanna, now known as OGGUSA Inc. after the company sold its assets as part of its Chapter 11 bankruptcy, paid…

Aaron L. Hammer, John W. Guzzardo and Nathan E. Delman of HMB Legal Counsel have been retained as counsel for the wind-down trustee in In re OGGUSA, Inc. (f/k/a GenCanna Global USA, Inc.). Earlier this year, CBD giant GenCanna made national headlines when its creditors forced the company into a Kentucky bankruptcy court After a high stakes court battle which…

RED South Beach and its turnaround professionals have been awarded the Small Business Turnaround of the Year Award from the TMA’s Chicago/Midwest Chapter. HMB attorneys Aaron L. Hammer, John W. Guzzardo and Nathan E. Delman served as legal counsel to RED South Beach in its turnaround. Although this year’s celebration will be virtual, the Chapter’s Awards Committee and Board will…