George Soumalevris
In addition to structured finance litigation, he has advised clients in Chapter 11 restructurings and Chapter 15 cross-border insolvency proceedings, as well as bankruptcy-related litigation involving distressed financial assets and securitized debt structures.
As a holder of Level I of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) program, he is able to analyze and litigate disputes involving highly structured financial products, valuation issues, and complex capital markets transactions, bringing a rigorous understanding of both legal frameworks and the financial mechanics underlying securitization structures.
He has also practiced law internationally, including in Greece, France, and Belgium, offering a global perspective on cross-border financial disputes and multinational restructuring matters.
Experience
Representative Matters
- Represented a CDO collateral manager and its affiliate, acting as a CMBS trust special servicer, in a $1+ billion structured finance dispute brought by a Cayman Islands issuer sponsored by a multi-trillion-dollar fund, alleging breaches of contractual and fiduciary duties; secured dismissal of all claims in federal court (S.D.N.Y.), defeated injunctive relief in New York state trial and appellate courts, and obtained dismissal of the majority of fiduciary duty and tort claims
- Represented a CMBS trust special servicer in a New York trust instruction proceeding (S.D.N.Y.) concerning the allocation of more than $700 million in trust proceeds, involving competing claims by senior and junior certificate holders; secured a landmark judgment upholding the servicer’s interpretation of the governing agreements and awarding more than $600 million in default interest
- Representing the special servicer of a CMBS trust in Nevada state court in a market-significant dispute involving out-of-the-money CMBS investors with short CDS positions tied to the underlying assets, arising from the servicing and resolution of a distressed retail asset, and defending the exercise of servicing discretion under complex securitization agreements
- Represented a CMBS special servicer in a Minnesota trust instruction proceeding concerning the creation of $38 million in reserves to cover trust expenses, in a dispute involving the master servicer and senior and junior certificate holders; secured a precedent-setting ruling upholding the reserve structure and reinforcing established CMBS industry practice
- Represented a CDO collateral manager and former investor in litigation against a CDO issuer and existing investors alleging breach of contract and tort claims; secured denial of defendants’ motion to dismiss in New York state court, leading to a favorable settlement
- Represented CMBS trust special and master servicers in litigation brought by a junior lender alleging breach of contract and tort claims; secured dismissal of all tort claims, facilitating a favorable settlement
- Represented a U.S. fund and its affiliates, as unsecured lenders, in a Chapter 15 proceeding seeking recognition of a Cayman Islands insolvency involving a drillship company and its affiliates
- Represented a Hong Kong-based fund, as senior secured lender, in a Chapter 11 restructuring of a U.S. chemical company
Insights
Credentials
Education
- LL.M. Georgetown University Law Center
- LL.B. National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, School of Law
Bar Admissions
- New York
- District of Columbia
Court Admissions
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
Professional Memberships and Activities
- Member, American Bankruptcy Institute
Languages
- Greek
- French