PastIn Person

Wharton Restructuring and Distressed Investing Conference 2026

Name: Wharton Restructuring and Distressed Investing Conference 2026
Start: 2026-02-20
End: 2026-02-20
Location: The Plaza Hotel

by Wharton Restructuring and Distressed Investing Club

The Wharton Restructuring and Distressed Investing Conference is the largest student-run event in the United States focusing on restructuring and distressed investing. Organized by the Wharton School, this annual conference serves as a pivotal forum for industry practitioners, academics, and students to exchange ideas and insights.

The 2026 conference, themed "Restructuring in the Age of Private Credit," will delve into the evolving dynamics of private credit and its growing influence on the restructuring landscape. Key discussions will cover innovative restructuring strategies, the shifting balance between traditional and private credit lenders, and forward-looking approaches to distressed investing in the current economic environment.

Attendees can look forward to keynote addresses from Michael Patterson, Co-President and Founding Partner at HPS Investment Partners, and Vikas Keswani, Partner at HPS Investment Partners. The agenda also includes panels on topics such as crypto restructurings, the relationship between banks and private credit, and trends in private credit workouts. Additionally, the conference offers ample networking opportunities for professionals to connect and share ideas.

This conference is ideal for professionals in restructuring, distressed investing, private credit, and related fields who seek to stay abreast of industry trends and network with peers.

Speakers(40)

Benjamin Beller

Partner at Sullivan & Cromwell LLP

Benjamin Beller is a Partner at Sullivan & Cromwell LLP. Further professional details are not available.

Benjamin S. Arfa

Partner, Restructuring and Finance Department at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz

Benjamin S. Arfa is a Partner in the Restructuring and Finance Department at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz. Further professional details are not available.

Brian Bolin

Partner at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP

Brian Bolin is a Partner at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP. Further professional details are not available.

Brian Resnick

Partner, Restructuring Group at Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP

Brian Resnick is a Partner in the Restructuring Group at Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP. Further professional details are not available.

Chris Koenig

Partner at Kirkland & Ellis

Chris Koenig is a Partner at Kirkland & Ellis. Further professional details are not available.

Christian L. Oberbeck

Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer & President at Saratoga Investment Corp.

Christian L. Oberbeck is the Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer & President of Saratoga Investment Corp. Further professional details are not available.

Christopher Greco

Partner, Restructuring Group at Kirkland & Ellis, LLP

Christopher Greco is a partner in the Restructuring Group of Kirkland & Ellis and serves as the global co-chair of the Firm’s Recruiting Committee. He represents companies, sponsors, and investors in complex liability management, financings, recapitalizations, restructurings, and other special situation transactions. Mr. Greco earned a BS from Villanova University and a JD from Wake Forest University School of Law.

Dan Kelsall

Partner at AlixPartners

Dan Kelsall is a Partner at AlixPartners. Further professional details are not available.

David J. Cohen

Partner at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP

David J. Cohen is a Partner at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP. Further professional details are not available.

Eli Vonnegut

Partner, Restructuring Group at Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP

Eli Vonnegut is a Partner in the Restructuring Group at Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP. Further professional details are not available.

Evan Maass

Managing Director at Centerbridge Partners

Evan Maass is a Managing Director at Centerbridge Partners. Further professional details are not available.

Fran Blair

Managing Director, Credit Investments at PSP Investments

Fran Blair is a Managing Director in Credit Investments at PSP Investments. Further professional details are not available.

Fred Sosnick

Global Co-Head, Restructuring at A&O Shearman

Fred Sosnick is the Global Co-Head of Restructuring at A&O Shearman. Further professional details are not available.

Igor Fuks

Managing Director at Golub Capital

Igor Fuks is a Managing Director at Golub Capital. Further professional details are not available.

James Doak

Managing Director and Head, Capital Structure Advisory Group at Stifel

James Doak is a Managing Director and Head of the Capital Structure Advisory Group at Stifel. Further professional details are not available.

Jane VanLare

Partner at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP

Jane VanLare is a Partner at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP. Further professional details are not available.

Joe Zujkowski

Partner at Latham & Watkins LLP

Joe Zujkowski is a Partner at Latham & Watkins LLP. Further professional details are not available.

Joseph Goldschmid

Portfolio Manager & Partner at Oak Hill Advisors

Joseph Goldschmid is a Portfolio Manager & Partner at Oak Hill Advisors. Further professional details are not available.

Justin Lee

Co-Head, Banking & Finance at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP

Justin Lee is the Co-Head of Banking & Finance at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP. Further professional details are not available.

Kate Thompson

Partner at Joele Frank

Kate Thompson is a Partner at Joele Frank. Further professional details are not available.

Kumanan Ramanathan

Managing Director at Alvarez & Marsal

Kumanan Ramanathan is a Managing Director at Alvarez & Marsal. Further professional details are not available.

Laurent Lantonnois

Executive Director at HPS Investment Partners

Laurent Lantonnois is an Executive Director at HPS Investment Partners, where he manages workouts and restructurings for the middle market private credit strategy. Prior to this role, he was part of BlackRock’s global restructuring group and an Associate at White & Case LLP. Mr. Lantonnois holds a Master of Laws from Stanford Law School, a Master of Laws from the College of Europe, a Master's degree from the Université Catholique de Louvain, and a Bachelor's degree from the Université de Namur.

Leon Caine

Managing Director at Brightwood Capital Management

Leon Caine is a Managing Director at Brightwood Capital Management. Further professional details are not available.

Matt Barr

Co-Chair, Restructuring Department at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP

Matt Barr is the Co-Chair of the Restructuring Department at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP. Further professional details are not available.

Michael Leitner

Senior Managing Director at Stonepeak

Michael Leitner is a Senior Managing Director at Stonepeak. Further professional details are not available.

Michael Patterson

Co-President and Founding Partner at HPS Investment Partners

Michael Patterson is Co-President and a Founding Partner of HPS Investment Partners, where he serves as the Portfolio Manager for the HPS Specialty Loan Funds and the Core Senior Lending Funds. He is also the Chairman and CEO of the HPS Corporate Lending Fund and the HPS Corporate Capital Solutions Fund. Prior to HPS, he held positions at Silver Point Capital and Goldman Sachs. Mr. Patterson holds an AB in Applied Mathematics from Harvard College and an MBA from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business.

Nate Simon

Principal, Special Situations Group at Ares Management

Nate Simon is a Principal in the Special Situations Group at Ares Management. Further professional details are not available.

Ned Schodek

Partner at A&O Shearman

Ned Schodek is a Partner at A&O Shearman. Further professional details are not available.

Peter Sluka

Partner at Latham & Watkins LLP

Peter Sluka is a Partner at Latham & Watkins LLP. Further professional details are not available.

Rachel Murray

Managing Director at Moelis & Company

Rachel Murray is a Managing Director at Moelis & Company. Further professional details are not available.

Richard Eddison

Managing Director at Third Point

Richard Eddison is a Managing Director at Third Point. Further professional details are not available.

Ross M. Kwasteniet

Partner at Kirkland & Ellis

Ross M. Kwasteniet is a Partner at Kirkland & Ellis. Further professional details are not available.

Russell Mason

Managing Director at Houlihan Lokey

Russell Mason is a Managing Director at Houlihan Lokey. Further professional details are not available.

Sandeep Parihar

Managing Director at JPMorgan

Sandeep Parihar is a Managing Director at JPMorgan. Further professional details are not available.

Sheel Patel

Partner at Mayer Brown

Sheel Patel is a Partner at Mayer Brown. Further professional details are not available.

Shubham Saharan

Deputy Editor, US Private Credit Team at 9fin

Shubham Saharan is the Deputy Editor of the US Private Credit Team at 9fin. Further professional details are not available.

Swapna Deshpande

Partner & Managing Director at AlixPartners

Swapna Deshpande is a Partner & Managing Director at AlixPartners. Further professional details are not available.

Vikas Keswani

Partner at HPS Investment Partners

Vikas Keswani is a Partner at HPS Investment Partners. Further professional details are not available.

William H. Hardie III