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Overview

Leader of the firm's Insolvency & Commercial Bankruptcy team, John counsels clients on bankruptcy, insolvency, creditors' rights and commercial litigation matters.

He regularly represents debtors, trustee, creditors, committees and buyers in bankruptcy actions, and he has substantial bankruptcy experience within the manufacturing industry. He effectively defends many bankruptcy preference and fraudulent transfer actions on behalf of manufacturers and other firm clients. He is board-certified in business and consumer bankruptcy law by the American Board of Certification and is a CPA in Missouri.* John’s work includes:

  • Counseling Emerson Electric on nationwide bankruptcy and insolvency matters.
  • Lead bankruptcy counsel in PatientFirst Healthcare and affiliates in Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The group of companies included a surgical specialty hospital and physician practices and emerged in a true reorganization.
  • Lead bankruptcy counsel for the Chapter 11 Trustee and now the Chapter 7 Trustee in the Brooke Corp. et al (Brooke Insurance) jointly administered bankruptcy proceedings in the D. Kan.
  • Serving as lead bankruptcy counsel for the largest agricultural cooperative Chapter 11 bankruptcy case ever filed in Kansas.

In addition to the manufacturing industry, John’s restructuring experience includes healthcare (surgical specialty hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, physician practices and critical-access hospitals); transportation (capital equipment); agriculture (cooperative restructuring); and insurance.

A frequent author and speaker on bankruptcy law matters, John has published periodic articles in Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association’s KC Counselor and has spoken on bankruptcy topics for American Bankruptcy Institute, Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, Kansas Bar Association and Kansas City Bankruptcy Bar Association events.

*The American Board of Certification’s Business Bankruptcy certification program is accredited by the American Bar Association. Neither the Supreme Court of Missouri nor the Missouri Bar reviews or approves certifying organizations or special designations.

Industries

Services

Recognition

  • The Best Lawyers In America®
    • Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, 2009-2025
    • Litigation - Bankruptcy, 2021-2025
    • Best Lawyers® Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law "Lawyer of the Year," Kansas City, 2014, 2018, 2021-2022, 2025
    • Litigation-Bankruptcy "Lawyer of the Year," Kansas City, 2024
  • Missouri Lawyers Media, POWER List for Bankruptcy Law, 2021; Top 100 POWER List for Bankruptcy Law, 2022
  • Kansas City Business Journal, Best of the Bar, 2011-2016
  • Lawdragon 500 Leading U.S. Bankruptcy & Restructuring Lawyers, 2020, 2024
  • Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers, Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights, 2006-2023; Top 100, 2011-2021; Top 50 Kansas City, 2011-2021; Top 10 Missouri & Kansas, 2015-2017, 2019-2020

Education

  • J.D., University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law
      • UMKC Team, Duberstein Bankruptcy Moot Court
  • B.A., Benedictine College
    • Accounting and Business Administration

Admissions

  • Missouri
  • Kansas
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit
  • U.S. District Court, District of Kansas
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Missouri

Professional Memberships and Certifications

  • Commercial Receivers Association, Board Member
  • Midwestern Bankruptcy Institute Advisory Board, Co-chair, 2017-2018
  • American Board of Certification, Board of Directors, 2003-2009
  • American Bankruptcy Institute
  • Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, Bankruptcy and Creditors’ Rights Committee, 2002-present; Committee Chair, 2018
  • Kansas City Bankruptcy Bar Association
  • Kansas Bar Association
  • Missouri Bar
  • American College of Bankruptcy, Fellow, 2018-present
  • Missouri Society of CPAs
Experience
  • Counsel for Missouri-based 500 Emerson Electric Co. on nationwide bankruptcy and insolvency matters.
  • Served as lead counsel for PatientFirst Healthcare Inc. and its affiliates as debtors-in-possession in their Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the D. Kan. Advised surgical specialty hospital and affiliated physician practices in reorganization plan to emerge as a true reorganization without a shutdown or sale of their businesses.
  • Served as lead bankruptcy counsel for the Chapter 11 Trustee and subsequently the Chapter 7 Trustee in the Brooke Corp. et al (Brooke Insurance) bankruptcy cases pending in the D. Kan.
  • Served as bankruptcy co-counsel for HMC/CAH Consolidated Inc. and its 12 operating affiliates as debtors-in-possession in their Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the W.D. MO. Assisted system of 12 rural hospitals with annual revenues of approximately $100 million reorganize and emerge from Chapter 11 within 15 months of filing as a true reorganization without shutting down or selling a single hospital.
  • Represented major creditors and parties-in-interest in numerous Kansas City area Chapter 11 bankruptcies, including Farmland Industries Inc., Havens Steel Products Inc., Trilogy Development Co. LLC (West Edge), Lindemuth and Crescent Oil Company.
  • Represented major Kansas City newspaper in construction and commercial claim disputes in The Austin Company Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings in the N.D. Ohio.
  • Lead bankruptcy counsel for the largest agricultural cooperative Chapter 11 bankruptcy case ever filed in Kansas.
News Releases | May 02, 2022
Husch Blackwell Grows Insolvency Practice in Chicago

Husch Blackwell is pleased to announce that Michael Brandess has joined the firm’s Chicago office as a partner in its Financial Services & Capital Markets industry team and Insolvency & Commercial Bankruptcy and Business Succession Planning practice groups.

Community Leadership
  • C.A.R.E (Credit Abuse Resistance Education), Executive Board, financial education outreach program participant
  • Legal Aid of Western Missouri, volunteer attorney