Carolyn (“CJ”) Johnsen has over 30 years’ experience representing debtors, creditor committees, and lenders in complex multi-million dollar reorganizations. Her expertise spans a wide-range of industries including healthcare, mortgage lending, real estate, manufacturing, retail, refining, hospitality, aviation and energy-related. She was lead counsel in one of the largest real estate bankruptcies filed in Arizona, has counseled Arizona’s largest utility company on bankruptcy issues, and has confirmed nearly 50 chapter 11 plans in the course of her career.
Ms. Johnsen has advised private and public corporations in formulating and implementing managerial, personnel and operational structures. Ms. Johnsen has also guided numerous boards and senior managers in developing strategies and solutions for revising operations and restructuring debt to effectuate the emergence of a stronger business through bankruptcy, or to take advantage of acquisition and sale opportunities, including the application of bankruptcy procedures favorable to corporate securities regulation compliance. In addition, Ms. Johnsen has negotiated multiple multi-million-dollar transactions with lenders, investment bankers and brokers, asset purchasers and sellers, and governmental agencies.
Ms. Johnsen has received awards for her successful reorganization efforts by the Turnaround Management Association and the M & A Advisor. She was selected one of Arizona’s Top 100 lawyers in 2019.