BigLaw Partner Seth Kleinman Joins Expanding Benesch Bankruptcy and Restructuring Group in Chicago

Benesch, one of the fastest-growing firms on the AmLaw 200 list, is pleased to announce the addition of Seth Kleinman as a partner in the firm’s Bankruptcy and Restructuring Practice Group.  Seth will also act as Chair of the firm’s Special Situations Practice Group, which includes advising clients with out-of-court and in-court corporate restructuring, financing and capital markets solutions, corporate bankruptcy, and insolvency matters. Seth’s arrival contributes to the growing trend of BigLaw attorneys joining the Benesch team in recent years.

“We are thrilled to welcome Seth to the firm as a partner in our Bankruptcy and Restructuring Practice Group. Seth’s extensive experience and leadership in high-stakes corporate restructuring and insolvency matters make him an invaluable addition to our team,” said Managing Partner Gregg Eisenberg. “His knowledge in advising a diverse range of clients, from syndicated lenders to private equity sponsors, across various industries, will greatly enhance our capabilities. We look forward to the innovative solutions and strategic insights Seth will bring to our clients as he chairs the Special Situations Practice Group.”

Seth’s practice focuses on advising lenders, companies, boards of directors, private equity sponsors, family offices, and corporate stakeholders in high-stakes restructurings and workouts. He has a particular focus on advising syndicated lenders, collateralized loan obligation funds (CLOs), direct lenders, high-yield funds, institutional asset managers, loan and bond agents, and opportunistic funds. He also has extensive experience advising private equity sponsors, venture capital funds, boards of directors, family offices, and companies experiencing financial or operational distress.

“I am excited to join Benesch and lead the Special Situations Practice Group. The firm’s commitment to innovative solutions and its collaborative culture makes it the ideal place for me to continue providing exceptional service to clients facing complex restructuring and insolvency challenges,” Seth said. “I look forward to contributing to Benesch’s dynamic team and leveraging my experience to help our clients navigate their most critical issues.”

In addition, Seth works across a wide range of industries, including industrials, retail, automotive, aerospace/defense, agriculture, financial services, manufacturing, media and entertainment, oil and gas, energy, mining and minerals, transportation, healthcare and tax-exempt entities, among others.

Prior to joining Benesch, Seth was a partner in the Business Restructuring & Insolvency Group at Morrison Foerster. While earning his J.D. cum laude from Northwestern University, he worked as a judicial extern to the Honorable Eugene Wedoff, Chief Judge of the Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Seth is ranked for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law in The Best Lawyers in America® 2025, recommended in Corporate Restructuring in Legal 500 US 2024, and ranked Up and Coming for Bankruptcy/Restructuring – IL in Chambers USA 2024. He is a member of the Turnaround Management Association (TMA) and the American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI).