Awards highlight the strength of J.S. Held’s national turnaround capabilities and its rapidly expanding team of experienced professionals.
NEW YORK, Feb. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Global consulting firm J.S. Held today announced a series of prominent turnaround industry recognitions, underscoring the strength of its Strategic Advisory platform and the expertise of its professionals. Powered by a team of more than 80 operational and financial experts, J.S. Held’s Strategic Advisory group has rapidly grown through the integration of Phoenix Management, Stapleton Group, and MorrisAnderson — a combined force that firmly positions J.S. Held as a leading trusted advisor to the turnaround and restructuring industry.
ABF Journal, in their inaugural Power Players issue, recognized J.S. Held in the “Activators” category, which highlights trusted advisors guiding lenders through rising complexity, as well as the “Revitalizers” category, honoring turnaround management experts that help businesses transform distress into stability in shifting market conditions. “With more than 80 operational and financial experts across the US — supported by global technical and scientific colleagues — our team helps companies not only navigate moments of crisis but also accelerate their growth. That combination uniquely positions us to tackle complex challenges and unlock real enterprise value,” says Stephanie Giammarco, Senior Executive Vice President and Disputes, Valuations, and Financial Advisory Division Lead.
Turnarounds & Workouts recognized J.S. Held as one of the Outstanding Turnaround Firms of 2025. “Team members across the Strategic Advisory Group were recognized for the important role we play helping clients navigate complexity and distress, with clear guidance and hands-on execution that drives meaningful, lasting change,” Michael Jacoby, Senior Managing Director and Strategic Advisory Practice Lead, observes. Michael adds, “We are grateful for the trust lenders, investors, attorneys, boards of directors and management teams place in us during times of transition. From shaping strategy to driving execution, we remain committed to delivering practical solutions that protect value and support long–term success.”
Turnaround and Restructuring Expertise
Navigating the many challenges confronting a company in transition requires an operationally focused approach that looks beyond the balance sheet to minimize further degradation and build a path to sustainable growth.
Receiverships
Federal and state courts, creditors, and legal counsel choose J.S. Held team members to serve as Receiver of distressed businesses and real estate entities. The team stabilizes operations and cash flow, safeguards business assets, and pursues methods to maximize financial recovery.
Executive Leadership and Interim Management
The team leverages extensive and wide-ranging expertise to deliver strategic guidance and provide executive leadership to support companies throughout their lifecycle. With experience leading companies through growth, transition, and distress, J.S. Held experts partner with Boards, owners, and stakeholders, providing independent direction, filling critical vacancies, and helping to set the course to improved performance.
Capital Markets Advisory
Experts deliver comprehensive services designed to support financing strategies across the full capital structure, particularly for clients navigating complex growth or funding situations or in need of rescue financing. The team employs a highly customized and collaborative approach to deliver solutions based on client needs, providing financing alternatives across the entire capital structure.
Investigations and Litigation Support
Experts combine forensic accounting, fiduciary services, and litigation experience to expertly guide business owners, stakeholders, lenders, creditors, regulators, and counsel seeking recovery in distressed situations.
Featured Engagements
Deep operational and financial expertise, supported by the multidisciplinary technical and scientific capabilities of its global colleagues, uniquely positions J.S. Held to solve clients’ most complex challenges, as demonstrated through a broad range of recent high–impact engagements:
- Served as Chief Restructuring Officer for a leading US metallurgical coal producer following a catastrophic mine fire. Guided the company through Chapter 11, securing $100M in equity, $150M in new debt, settling a $10M insurance claim, paying all creditors in full, and preserving 400 jobs – exiting bankruptcy in just four months.
- Appointed Liquidation Trustee for a $400M publicly traded wine and spirits conglomerate following its Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Managed the wind-down of complex operations, including numerous nationwide sales agreements and alcohol licenses, while addressing over $3.8B in claims and recovering significant remaining assets.
- Appointed Receiver for an Arizona-based hard money lender involved in fraud. Investigated lending practices, uncovered multiple fraud schemes, and recovered nearly $20M for defrauded investors through litigation and asset liquidation, mitigating $31M in losses.
- Acted as Interim Chief Transformation Officer for a $250M clinical trial services and pharmaceutical packaging company, steering the organization through a swift and intricate restructuring process. This effort enabled the business to recover and right-size in response to major declines in certain revenue streams. Led the development of a streamlined operating model, which involved a comprehensive evaluation of business units, facilities, operational procedures, leadership, and workforce. Launched multi-year transformation initiatives to manage the complexities of change, drive a cultural shift, and build the regulatory and technological foundation necessary for renewed performance.
- Served as Receiver of an insolvent, vertically integrated pistachio grower that had defaulted on over $85M in senior secured debt. Recovered and distributed over $71M to the secured lenders in approximately ten months by re-engaging disenfranchised employees to resume operations; increasing marketable inventory by nearly 80%; identifying a new market segment to quickly generate $14M in liquidity; selling a 40-acre processing facility for $32.5M via public auction; strategically negotiating with a stalking horse bidder; and working with counsel to subrogate $14M of grower liens to the secured lenders.
- Currently serving as Chief Restructuring Officer to US Realm, a natural gas producer in Chapter 11 (WY), and leading the proposed Plan of Reorganization.
- Acted as financial advisor to the bank group of a $600M Wendy’s franchisee, assisting with the restructuring of $150M in debt.
J.S. Held Strategic Advisory
MorrisAnderson, Phoenix Management, and Stapleton Group each bring long-standing industry recognition to J.S. Held’s Strategic Advisory Group. Now operating as one team under J.S. Held, we provide a single-source solution for distressed and high-growth companies. From strategy to execution, experts help clients overcome complex enterprise challenges and realize long-term, sustainable business value.
When investors and business owners face complexity – whether scaling, restructuring, or integrating – J.S. Held experts turn uncertainty into opportunity, mindfully bridging strategy and execution from due diligence through post-close integration, improving performance and creating long-term business value with measurable results.
Learn more about the collective expertise of our Strategic Advisory group at: https://www.jsheld.com/js-held-sag/strategic-advisory-group
About J.S. Held
J.S. Held is a global consulting firm that combines technical, scientific, financial, and strategic expertise to advise clients seeking to realize value and mitigate risk. Our professionals serve as trusted advisors to organizations facing high stakes matters demanding urgent attention, staunch integrity, proven experience, clear-cut analysis, and an understanding of both tangible and intangible assets. The firm provides a comprehensive suite of services, products, and data that enable clients to navigate complex, contentious, and often catastrophic situations.
More than 1,500 professionals serve organizations across six continents, including 84% of the Global 200 Law Firms, 75% of the Forbes Top 20 Insurance Companies (90% of the NAIC Top 50 Property & Casualty Insurers), and 71% of Fortune 100 Companies.
J.S. Held, its affiliates and subsidiaries are not certified public accounting firm(s) and do not provide audit, attest, or any other public accounting services. J.S. Held is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. Securities offered through PM Securities, LLC, d/b/a Phoenix IB or Ocean Tomo Investments, a part of J.S. Held, member FINRA/SIPC. All rights reserved.
Media Contact
Kristi L. Stathis, J.S. Held, +1 786 833 4864, Kristi.Stathis@JSHeld.com, JSHeld.com
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