Deryck Palmer, Co-Chairman of the Financial Restructuring Department and a member of the Management Committee of the Firm, concentrates his practice in the representation of debtors as well as creditors under chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code, and has handled a wide variety of workout, corporate restructuring, and bankruptcy matters.

Recognized by Turnarounds and Workouts as one of the nation's top "Outstanding Bankruptcy Lawyers", Mr. Palmer is active in the American Bankruptcy Institute and the Turnaround Management Association.  Mr. Palmer is also active in the American Bar Association's Business Bankruptcy Committee and is a member of both the New York State Bar Association Committee on Bankruptcy and Committee on Courts and the Community.  For over ten years, Mr. Palmer served as a foreign expert on United States bankruptcy law to the Chinese government and was instrumental in the drafting of the new PRC Enterprise Bankruptcy Law.  He is also a former member of the Committee on Bankruptcy and Corporate Reorganization of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York and former Co-Vice-Chair of the American Bar Association's Healthcare Working Group. 

Several publications have noted Mr. Palmer for exceptional achievement:

• "Chambers USA," as one of the leading Bankruptcy Attorneys
• "The Best Lawyers in America," as one of the top bankruptcy attorneys
• The International Who's Who of Bankruptcy Lawyers
• New York Super Lawyers

Mr. Palmer lectures at many of the major law schools nationwide and is an Adjunct Professor of Law, teaching advanced topics in bankruptcy and corporate reorganization, at New York Law School. He is the co-author of The PRC Enterprise Bankruptcy Law: The People's Work in Progress (Beard Group, Inc., 2008), History of Bankruptcy Law in the Second Circuit (Matthew Bender & Co., 1995) and Restructuring: The Search for Value in a Troubled Enterprise (Euromoney Books, 1993).  In addition, he delivers numerous lectures each year on business reorganization topics, including an annual American Bar Association panel concerning current developments in the field.

Mr. Palmer is a member of the Bureau of National Affairs Advisory Board for the Bankruptcy Law Reporter and sits on the Board of Directors of Boys & Girls Harbor, Inc., Insol International, Greater New York Councils Boy Scouts of America, Syracuse University, and The Cleveland Clinic Foundation. He is also a Fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy.

Mr. Palmer received his B.A. from Syracuse University and his J.D. from the University of Michigan. He recently received the Chancellor's Citation for Exceptional Achievement from Syracuse University, which recognizes outstanding contributions in scholarship, research, teaching, and creative work.

Prior to joining Cadwalader as a partner in 2007, Mr. Palmer was a partner at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP in the Business Finance and Restructuring Department.