James Sprayregen joins Paul Weiss to lead restructuring practice

Sprayregen’s arrival marks a significant shift for Paul Weiss, which has been aggressively expanding its partner ranks under the leadership of chairman Scott Barshay. The firm added five partners in June alone, signaling a broader strategy to capture more of the lucrative bankruptcy market. For his part, Barshay described his new colleague as a "superstar lawyer" capable of driving the firm's ambition to become a dominant force in corporate restructuring.

This transition coincides with an internal leadership change at Paul Weiss. Paul Basta, who has co-headed the firm’s restructuring practice since 2017, will step down at the end of the year as part of a long-term succession plan. Sprayregen, who spent a brief period at Goldman Sachs and most recently served as vice chairman of global strategy at Hilco Global, returns to private practice at a time when major firms are increasingly prioritizing the high-stakes, long-term revenue streams provided by complex Chapter 11 proceedings.