Stoel Rives Welcomes Bankruptcy and Insolvency Partner John Kaplan to Corporate Group in Seattle

SEATTLE, Wa. – Stoel Rives, an AmLaw200 firm, today announced that John Kaplan has joined the firm’s corporate practice group as a partner in Seattle. Kaplan, a bankruptcy and insolvency attorney, joins from Perkins Coie, where he advised clients in complex bankruptcy matters involving high stakes and challenging legal issues.

“John is a standout bankruptcy attorney with a phenomenal track record. His experience complements and strengthens our group’s capabilities; he joins us at a critical moment in time as we and our clients stare down a potential financial downturn,” said Kevin Burnett, chair of Stoel Rives’ Corporate Practice Group. “We’re thrilled to welcome him to our team in Seattle.”

Over his 30 years of practice, Kaplan has represented all major constituents in bankruptcy, receivership, and real and personal property foreclosure matters. He represents secured and unsecured creditors and Chapter 11 debtors and trustees in a variety of insolvency matters, both in the Pacific Northwest and nationally. Additionally, he represents clients in related areas, including out-of-court restructurings, commercial transactions, and litigation matters. His experience includes the lead debtor’s counsel in the efficient Chapter 11 reorganization of KIKO USA, Inc., the heavily contested Chapter 11 trustee appointment in In re Hawaiian Airlines Inc., as well as lead counsel for secured lenders in various large commercial real estate bankruptcies, which resulted in relief from stay or favorable consensual plans.

“I look forward to joining the dynamic group at Stoel Rives. The firm is well-positioned as a leader in the Pacific Northwest, and my clients will benefit from its broad range of leading practice capabilities at competitive rates, which attracted me to this great opportunity,” said Kaplan. “Though we’re not certain what the next year will bring, I look forward to helping clients navigate the challenges and adding to the suite of sophisticated services for clients of Stoel Rives.”

Kaplan has been recognized by Best Lawyers as 2018 Bankruptcy Litigation “Lawyer of the Year” in Seattle and has been listed in its “Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law; Litigation – Bankruptcy” list since 2011. He is ranked in Band 1 by Chambers USA as a leading business lawyer. He also serves as a mediator with the Thomas T. Glover Mediation Program and is a former executive committee member of the Creditor/Debtor Section of the Washington State Bar Association.

“John is a nationally recognized leader in his field, and respected throughout the bar. We are thrilled that he has chosen to bring his experience to Stoel Rives and are excited to welcome him to our team in Seattle,” said Maren Norton, Stoel Rives’ Seattle Office Managing Partner.

Kaplan earned a J.D. with high honors from Duke University School of Law, and graduated cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania with a B.S. in economics.

Kaplan joins several former Perkins Coie colleagues who have moved to Stoel Rives this year, including employee benefits partner Kiran Griffith who joined the Seattle office in May, and litigation partners Tom Johnson and Misha Isaak who joined the firm’s Portland office in January.