Charles E. Simpson
Partner
New York, NY156 West 56th Street
New York, NY 10019
P 212.237.1070 P 212.237.1070 | F 212.262.1215
Experience
Charles E. Simpson, Chair of the Bankruptcy & Creditors' Rights Practice Group, concentrates on corporate reorganizations, creditors' rights and workouts. He regularly represents debtors and creditors in Chapter 11 Reorganization cases.
Significant clients and cases have included Regency Cruises, Statewide Bancorp, Interstate Stores (Toys "R" Us), W.T. Grant, Penn Central Transportation Company, Barney's Inc., Continental Airlines, Braniff Inc., Eastern Airlines, Vanguard Oil, Trancisco Inc., Eurospark Industries Inc., North General Hospital and IM Foundation, among others. In addition, Mr. Simpson has represented secured creditors, such as Citibank N.A., Manufacturers Hanover Commercial Corp., Aetna Life Insurance Co., the Greater New York Savings Bank, Fleet Bank N.A., Credit Suisse First Boston and Lehman Brothers, as lenders or purchasers of restructured mortgage indebtedness in Chapter 11 cases and out-of-court restructurings.
Mr. Simpson has extensive experience in FDIC, PBGC, and ERISA matters, as well as in accounts receivable, industrial development, job development, aircraft, ship, equipment, and real estate financings. He has counseled officers and directors with regard to liability in failed banking and other similar situations. He twice served as an expert witness in a $2 billion lawsuit against a major international accounting firm, which resulted in $205 million in settlements.
From 1981 to 2013, Mr. Simpson was counsel to the Honorable Edolphus Towns, Representative, 10th Congressional District, Brooklyn, New York. From 1988 to 1990, Mr. Simpson was American counsel to CSCEC-U.S. Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the China State Construction & Engineering Corporation of The People's Republic of China; in this capacity he engaged in the restructuring and refinancing of real estate developments and mortgage indebtedness in Florida, New York, Georgia, North Carolina, California and Washington. From 1983 to 1996, he was outside counsel to the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation. And, from 2002 to present he has served as outside counsel to the Abyssinian Development Corporation, Allen AME Development Corp. and BOS Development Corporation.
Mr. Simpson is a former member of the Board of Directors of the Brooklyn Children's Museum, the Brooklyn Red Cross and the Queens Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. He was also a member of the Brooklyn Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America. From 1983 through 1987, he served as Brooklyn's representative on the Board of Directors of the New York City Public Development Corporation. He was a member of the New York State Bar Association's Committee on Minorities in the Profession from 1987 to 1992.
Mr. Simpson served in the U.S. Army from 1969-72. He was named a Martin Luther King, Jr. Fellow by the Woodrow Wilson Fellowship Foundation in 1974.
Newsroom +
- Capital New York Cites Charles Simpson's Role in Fighting Interfaith Medical Center Closure - Nov 5, 2013
- Crain's Cites Charles Simpson's Role in Fighting Interfaith Medical Center Closure - Aug 28, 2013
- Charles Simpson, Jeanine Margiano and Team Represent Not-For-Profit Corporation in Financing of Development of Harlem Low-Income Housing Complex - Jun 19, 2012
Practices
- Bankruptcy & Creditors' Rights
- Representation of Debtors
- Representation of Secured & Unsecured Creditors
- Bankruptcy-Related Litigation & Transactions
- Litigation & Alternative Dispute Resolution
- Commercial Litigation
- Workouts & Restructurings
- General Corporate Matters
- Corporate Formation & Finance
- Real Estate
- Public Finance & Not-for-Profit
- COVID-19 Response & Resources
Education
- J.D., Harvard Law School, 1977
- B.A., magna cum laude, Pepperdine University, 1974
Admissions
- New York