Restructuring Community Pays Tribute to Harvey Miller

In a lunch that became an impromptu memorial service to Harvey Miller, former Lehman Brothers Judge James Peck might have said it best:

“Harvey is to bankruptcy what Beyoncé is to pop music. He’s a single name that defines the field.”

Mr. Peck’s remarks, part of a video tribute to the recently deceased bankruptcy law legend, came at an annual event that Mr. Miller himself helped co-organize nearly 30 years ago: the UJA-Federation of New York’s annual bankruptcy and reorganization group luncheon. The UJA-Federation works with nearly 100 Jewish organizations across the globe to help people in need across all backgrounds.

In a live speech later, holding back tears, Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP partner Stephen Karotkin—a longtime colleague and friend of Mr. Miller—announced the event will from now on be named after Mr. Miller and Leonard M. Rosen, another restructuring industry legend who died last year.

“We are the beneficiaries of what he did,” Mr. Karotkin said. He ran through the names of the bankruptcy cases Mr. Miller led: General Motors Corp., R.H. Macy & Co., American Airlines and of course, Lehman, the largest chapter 11 in history.

“It is a legacy that will never be equaled,” Mr. Karotkin said.

The event is held to honor outstanding philanthropy within the bankruptcy and reorganization industries, under the UJA-Federation umbrella. This year’s honoree was Brown Rudnick LLP partner Edward S. Weisfelner, known for his tenacity in the courtroom arguing on behalf of creditors.

Mr. Weisfelner noted that he was often on the other side of the room, going against Mr. Miller in some of the larger chapter 11 cases in history.

“Leave it to Harvey to cast a pall on my Bar Mitzvah by being a no show,” Mr. Weisfelner joked, to which the crowd laughed. He later echoed the kind words of the other speakers.

Earlier, in introducing Mr. Weisfelner, Albert Togut, himself a prior recipient of the award, couldn’t help but say a few words about Mr. Miller.

“We wouldn’t be here without him, literally,” Mr. Togut said. “Even though the room is packed today, ii feels a little empty knowing Harvey is not here with us.”

Write to Joseph Checkler at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @JoeCheckler