Keller, Tobias S.

Tobias Keller counsels clients in a variety of industries dealing with financial distress, advising on dislocations arising from excessive leverage, uncontrolled litigation, or unanticipated employee or vendor problems, and the governance questions that arise in connection with those challenges.

Tobias represented an auto transport company in protecting its operations while key constituencies including its equity sponsor, first and second lien debt holders, and a union attempted to negotiate a global resolution of their differences; he advised a billion-dollar student loan syndicator in its negotiations with its warehouse lenders and its wind down; he helped design and implement the strategy by which a financially challenged retail pharmacy was able to sell its assets to a major competitor and return a distribution to its public shareholders; and successfully argued to the Ninth Circuit to overturn a local rule limiting his client's ability to litigate in the bankruptcy courts. He also has advised private equity funds, parent companies, and joint venturers in the restructuring of affiliates and strategies that both minimize legal exposure while maximizing their economic returns; committees in obtaining substantially increased returns for unsecured creditors; and buyers in acquiring distressed properties.

Tobias regularly lectures for organizations including Stanford Law School, the American Bar Association, and the Association for Corporate Growth. He has been recognized as a leading lawyer by Chambers and is one of the partners charged with overseeing Jones Day's West Coast restructuring practice.