Jeffrey R. Dutson (Jeff)

• Served as Debtors' counsel to Red Lobster in its Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings in the Middle District of Florida.
• Served as Debtors' counsel to On The Border, a national restaurant chain, in its Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings.
• Served as Debtors' counsel to DCL Corporation, a global pigments manufacturer, in its Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings in the District of Delaware and Canada.
• Served as Debtors' counsel to Ignite Restaurant Group, Inc., and its affiliate Joe's Crab Shack, in their Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings in the Southern District of Texas.
• Served as Debtors' counsel to The Krystal Company, and its affiliates, in their Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings in the Northern District of Georgia.
• Served as Debtor’s counsel to AstroTurf, LLC in its Chapter 11 bankruptcy case and sale of its business.
• Served as Debtors’ counsel to Cagle’s, Inc. and Cagle’s Farms, Inc. in their Chapter 11 bankruptcy cases and sale of their businesses. King & Spalding was recognized in connection with the Cagle’s transaction, which was named 2013 National Transaction of the Year (Large Company Category) by the international Turnaround Management Association.
• Represented Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. as Administrative Agent and Lender in the Chapter 11 bankruptcy case of Premier Kings, Inc., a large operator of Burger King franchises, in the Northern District of Alabama.
• Represented Georgia's Own Credit Union as Lender and DIP Lender in the Chapter 11 bankruptcy case of Ryze Renewables, LLC in the District of Delaware.
• Representing Truist Bank (successor to SunTrust Bank) and SunTrust Equipment Finance & Leasing in SunTrust Equipment Finance & Leasing v. International Speedway Corporation (M.D. Fla.).
• Represented The Prudential Insurance Company of America, as senior secured noteholder, in connection with the Chapter 11 bankruptcy case of The Legal Coverage Group (E.D. Penn.).
• Represented Citizens Bank, as secured lender, in connection with the pre-petition restructuring and Chapter 11 case of Schramm, Inc. (D. Del.), a manufacturer and supplier of branded land-based hydraulic drilling equipment.
• Represented Citizens Bank, as administrative agent for senior secured lenders, in out-of-court restructuring of large mechanical design and manufacturing firm.
• Representing SunTrust Equipment Finance & Leasing in connection with the Chapter 11 case of Dean Foods, America's larges milk producer.
• Represented TD Bank, as LC Issuer and Lender, in connection with the Chapter 11 bankruptcy case of Pacific Gas and Electric Company (N.D. Cal.), the nation's largest utility.
• Represented Ignite Restaurant Group in the successful out of court sale of its Macaroni Grill casual dining business.
• Represented Medical Staffing Network Healthcare, LLC in the sale of its business.
• Served as Debtor’s counsel to MFM Industries, Inc. in its Chapter 11 bankruptcy case (D. Del.) and sale of its business.
• Served as Debtors’ counsel to Sea Island Company and its affiliates in their Chapter 11 bankruptcy cases (S.D. Ga.) and sale of their businesses.
• Represented GE Capital as lender and debtor-in-possession lender in the Chapter 11 cases of Scovill Fasteners Inc. and its affiliates.
• Represented GE Capital as lender in the Chapter 11 bankruptcy case of Black Crow Media Company in the restructuring of several radio stations in the Middle District of Florida.

Jeff Dutson represents corporate debtors in Chapter 11 bankruptcy cases throughout the country as well as buyers and sellers in distressed M&A transactions. Jeff also represents banks and other investors in connection with their most complex restructurings, bankruptcy, and finance matters. Jeff’s practice spans a wide variety of industries, including the restaurant, real estate, healthcare, energy, transportation, manufacturing, and aviation industries.

Jeff has been recognized for his work in Bankruptcy and Restructuring by Chambers USA each year since 2020. In 2021, Jeff was recognized by the American Bankruptcy Institute as part of its 40 Under 40 list of emerging leaders in the insolvency industry. Jeff currently serves as the Co-Chair for the Advisory Board of the American Bankruptcy Institute Southeastern Workshop. He is a fellow of the American College of Investment Counsel and serves on the Board of Trustees for the college.

Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, Jeff is a graduate of the University of Chicago (where he earned his law degree, with honors) and the University of Georgia (where he earned his bachelor's degree, with honors). Prior to joining the firm, Jeff served as a law clerk for the Honorable E. Grady Jolly of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

Selected Publications

Unitranche Credit Facilities and the LSTA New Form AAL, American Bankruptcy Institute Journal, May 2019, with Sarah R. Borders and Jeffrey Misher.

Fifth Circuit Denies Post-Petition Default Interest to Fully Secured Creditors, The Banking Law Journal, September 2019, with Sarah Primrose and Nadia Saleem.

Order's Up!: Navigating Complex Restaurant Restructurings, American Bankruptcy Institute Journal, July 2018, with Sarah R. Borders.

When Cash Might Not be King: Acquiring Nonprofit Hospitals in Bankruptcy, American Bankruptcy Institute Journal, September 2017, with Paul K. Ferdinands.

Going Once, Going Twice, Sold! (Maybe): Reopening Auctions, American Bankruptcy Institute Journal, February 2014, with W. Austin Jowers.

Successor Liability under the FLSA: Buyers of Distressed Companies Beware, American Bankruptcy Institute Journal, June 2013, with Paul K. Ferdinands.

“Unfinished Business\" after Geron and Coudert Brothers, Dow Jones Daily Bankruptcy Review, September 11, 2012, with Mark M. Maloney.