Global law firm Greenberg Traurig advised Hilco Capital and its affiliates in the acquisition and sale of the assets of Design Group Americas, a global manufacturer and distributor of celebrations, stationery, creative play and gifting products.
The acquisition was U.K.-law governed and involved dozens of U.S. and foreign subsidiaries. The court-supervised sales of the U.S. subsidiaries’ assets were completed under U.S. law in a Chapter 11 bankruptcy and the disposition of the assets of the foreign subsidiaries is taking place under local law in each of about half a dozen jurisdictions.
“This matter exemplifies the integrated Greenberg Traurig restructuring and special situations team as well as the power of its cross-border practice in the face of significant legal and regulatory complexity,” Oscar N. Pinkas, co-chair of the global restructuring & special situations practice, who led the Greenberg Traurig deal team, said. “Hilco Capital entrusted us with a multifaceted transaction that required not only sophisticated restructuring and financing strategies, but coordination across multiple practice areas and jurisdictions. We are deeply grateful for Hilco Capital’s confidence in our team and its collaborative approach throughout the successful acquisition, sale and winddown process. It was a privilege to work alongside its team, and we look forward to supporting them in future endeavors.”
The transaction involved a Chapter 11 filing in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas for the U.S. entities after Hilco Capital, through a special purpose vehicle, acquired 100% of Design Group Americas in June 2025 from its U.K. parent company. Hilco provided $40 million in bridge and debtor-in-possession financing to fund operations before and during bankruptcy. Over six months, Design Group Americas monetized the assets of the U.S. companies, fully repaid Hilco’s loans, and confirmed a Chapter 11 liquidation plan that became effective in December 2025. The debtors are now completing asset dispositions and winddowns of their foreign subsidiaries under local law.
The firm guided Hilco through acquisition, multiple financings and the legal and regulatory aspects of the bankruptcy, helping secure court approval for these bespoke transactions throughout.
The Greenberg Traurig team included more than 40 attorneys and paraprofessionals. The core deal team included banking and financial services shareholder Luke Lado in London, corporate shareholder Joel Wheeler in London, finance shareholder Jeffrey M. Wolf in Boston, restructuring and special situations shareholder Julia Frost-Davies in Boston, restructuring and special situations shareholder Nathan A. Haynes in New York, restructuring and special situations shareholder Karl D. Burrer in Houston, real estate shareholder Michael A. Suleta in Philadelphia, tax shareholder Jeffrey K. Ekeberg in Chicago, and real estate shareholder Richard J. Melnick in Northern Virginia, along with restructuring and special situations associate T. Charlie Liu in Boston, banking and financial services associate Christine Chen in Boston, restructuring and special situations associate Emily D. Nasir in Houston, and restructuring and special situations associate Libby B. Ro in New York.
