Peter S. Kaufman

Lecturer
Email
Phone
(434) 924-7394

Peter Kaufman has been at Gordian Group since 1990 and is president and heads the firm’s restructuring and distressed M&A practice.  Kaufman is also a co-founder and a managing partner of Bacchus Capital Management, a private equity fund providing strategic capital in the wine industry. 

Along with Henry Owsley, Gordian Group’s chief executive officer, he is the co-author of the definitive works in the field," Distressed Investment Banking: To the Abyss and Back – 2nd Edition" (Beard Books, 2015), "Equity Holders Under Siege: Strategies and Tactics for Distressed Businesses" (Beard Books, 2014) and Distressed Investment Banking: To the Abyss and Back (Beard Books, 2005).  He was the founding co-chairman of the Committee on Investment Banking of the American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI). 
 
Additionally, he has been ranked the No. 1 national investment banker in financial restructurings by The Deal.  In November 2015, Kaufman was inducted into the M&A Advisor Hall of Fame at the 14th Annual M&A Advisor Awards Gala in New York City. He is frequently asked by national TV networks and other media outlets to speak on restructuring and bankruptcy topics, and is a contributor to SportsIllustrated.com/Morning Read on golf.
 
Kaufman has long history advising banking and insurance institution regulators, state governments and federal agencies over Gordian’s more than 30 years as a firm. Gordian Group has had over 300 engagements on behalf of companies, boards of directors, and shareholders (including entrepreneurs and private equity firms).
 
Representative engagements where Kaufman led or co-led the matter include: Alexander Gallo Holdings (debtor), Alphatec (debtor), American Airlines (TWU - Mechanics Union), Enron, Jobson Healthcare (Private Equity), Lee Enterprises (Private Equity), Madoff Bankruptcy (Trustee), Mendocino Brewing, Metalico (debtor), ModSpace, MolyCorp (expert witness engagement for counsel), Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railroad (debtor), Nuo Therapeutics (debtor), Spansion (debtor), Strata, Trans Energy (debtor), Vivaro and Xtreme Power (debtor).
 
He graduated with honors from Yale College, where he lettered in varsity lacrosse, was an editor of the Yale Daily News, and had a double major in art history and history. He was in the top quarter of his class at the University of Virginia School of Law.. Kaufman serves as an adjunct lecturer at the Law School where he teaches Advising Boards of Directors Under Siege. He also assists in teaching courses at Darden Business School at University of Virginia. 
 
Select past and present board Affiliations include American Bankruptcy Institute, Great Chebeague Island Golf Club, New York City Bar Association’s Committee on Bankruptcy and Corporate Reorganizations, and Yale Lacrosse Alumni Association.