- Practices
- Restructuring
- Education
- J.D., New York University School of Law — Root-Tilden-Kern ScholarB.A., Morehouse College, magna cum laude
- Admissions
- New YorkNew JerseyU.S. District & Bankruptcy Courts, S.D.N.Y., E.D.N.Y. & D.N.J.
- Clerkships
- Law clerk, U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York
- Contact
- dokafor@westbrookhayes.example
Partner · Chair, Restructuring & Special Situations
David A. Okafor
“In a restructuring, leverage belongs to whoever can actually try the valuation fight.”
David Okafor litigates the fights that decide who gets paid when a capital structure fails — valuation, liens, avoidance, and plan confirmation. He clerked in the bankruptcy court where many of those fights are heard, and has spent his career on the creditor side of the table.
Because Westbrook & Hayes carries no lender-side conflicts, David regularly takes positions adverse to the agent banks and sponsors that conflict larger firms out — which is often exactly why the committee calls.
Representative matters
Fictional matters shown on a sample site; past results do not guarantee future outcomes.
-
01
Lead counsel to a post-confirmation litigation trust; recovered $175M from insiders and affiliates after a nine-day fraudulent-transfer trial.
-
02
Represented an ad hoc group holding $800M in notes through a contested plan process; the group's plan was confirmed and took control of the reorganized company.
-
03
Enforced a disputed make-whole premium worth roughly $95M for noteholder clients.
-
04
Counsel to committees and trustees in avoidance litigation against agent banks and sponsors.