Jim Bromley is a partner in Sullivan & Cromwell’s Finance & Restructuring Group and is the Co-Head of the Firm’s Global Restructuring Practice, where his practice focuses on restructuring, bankruptcy and litigation advice to a wide spectrum of corporate clients, including creditors, debtors and investors, as well as government actors. Most recently recognized by Chambers USA in Band 1 for Bankruptcy/Restructuring – New York, Jim has been described as “… one of the best courtroom lawyers.”
For three decades, Mr. Bromley has advised on the most prominent matters across a large number of industries, including automobile, aviation, consumer & retail, crypto, energy, financial services, manufacturing, media & sports, mining, telecommunications and shipping, among others.
Jim is representing FTX Trading Ltd. and over 100 affiliates debtors in the landmark Chapter 11 proceedings arising out of the largest failure in the crypto space and acting as Chapter 11 debtor’s counsel to SVB Financial Group, the former parent of Silicon Valley Bank. Jim is also representing Major League Baseball and certain baseball clubs in the chapter 11 proceedings of Diamond Sports Group, achieving a decisive trial victory in June 2023.
Jim's stature in the restructuring and bankruptcy space has won him plaudits from peers and clients alike.
“I admire him as he is very smart, has a really impressive grasp of substantive law, is very good in court and is quietly effective at running complicated cross-border cases,” said a commentator to Chambers USA.
“A ‘first-rate bankruptcy lawyer … One of the true experts in cross-border insolvencies.’” “Tremendously talented, incredibly smart and able to pick up issues very, very quickly,” remarks Chambers USA and its interviewees.
Mr. Bromley has substantial first-chair trial experience, including jury trials before state and federal courts. His reputation extends to the international stage with his representation of Nortel Networks US.
The bench trial was held simultaneously in US and Canada with two judges sitting together by video feed. “‘This was unprecedented,’ observes a peer. ‘There were over 100 depositions and 40 witnesses, and these judges were definitely no-nonsense, and after all they had to go through, were not about to suffer any fooling around. The lawyers definitely had their work cut out for them, but James [Bromley] did very well on that,’” Benchmark Analysis wrote.
Domestically, Mr. Bromley has been highly regarded by the business and legal press, including recognition by Chambers USA for the past 19 years, The American Lawyer, which named him a “Dealmaker of the Year” and “Litigator of the Week,” Benchmark Litigation, which named him “Bankruptcy Lawyer of the Year,” a “Litigation Star,” a “National Practice Area Star,” and Turnarounds & Workouts, which named him “Outstanding Restructuring Lawyer.” Mr. Bromley was also recognized by The Best Lawyers in America for his work in Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights as well as Insolvency and Reorganization Law.
Mr. Bromley’s dedication to pro bono work also has put him in the spotlight. In 2016, he was the lead trial counsel in Michael Ferguson v. JONAH, the landmark LGBT civil rights case where a jury unanimously determined that conversion therapy (peddling services that purport to change sexual orientation) constituted consumer fraud.
“Jim [Bromley] and his team didn’t just show up for the fun stuff; they played a central role in every discovery kerfuffle, every deposition, every expert report, and every court argument … Jim’s closing argument enraptured the courtroom and had many of us in tears,” said David Dinielli, deputy legal director with the Southern Poverty Law Center, regarding the JONAH case.
A lecturer-in-law on cross-border insolvency law at Harvard Law School, Mr. Bromley is also a fellow at the American College of Bankruptcy and an instructor at International Association of Restructuring, Insolvency & Bankruptcy Professionals (“INSOL”). He is a frequent speaker at International Insolvency Institute (“III”), INSOL, American Bankruptcy Institute (“ABI”) and other industry leading conferences.
