About

Dan Kamensky is an attorney and entrepreneur with over two decades of experience in the legal and investment management industries. His experience has given him an in-depth understanding of solving complex problems using his legal and financial background.

He has worn many hats throughout his career, including that of founder and CEO, entrepreneur, academic, and attorney. He has also focused much of his career on finance, having previously founded a distressed debt hedge fund that was rewarded with the prestigious Absolute Return Award for best risk-adjusted returns. Throughout his career and work, he has cultivated a reputation for being fair and seeking to balance all stakeholders' interests to develop optimal solutions.

Mr. Kamensky has always had a strong sense of right and wrong and fighting against injustice. As a young teenager, he joined Chicago Action for Soviet Jewry to raise awareness of the plight of Jews living in the Soviet Union. Growing up in the Soviet Union in the 80s was a dangerous time. Jews lived in fear and with anxiety of an unknown future. He worked tirelessly to help relatives still in Russia emigrate to the United States, which they did in the late 80s. His newly arrived extended family found jobs and have successfully adjusted to their new lives.

He has always tried to be a force multiplier for good, believing firmly in charity and doing well for others. That sense of justice and working to help others was borne from his youth and a strong belief in the Jewish proverb “Justice, Justice, Thou Shalt Pursue.”

He continues to follow that belief through his work with the Creditor Rights Coalition. The CRC is a leading thought-leadership non-profit industry association dedicated to promoting transparency, accountability, and equality of treatment for similarly situated creditors. The Coalition works hard to ensure fair and robust stakeholder participation in bankruptcy proceedings.

By working with the Creditor Rights Coalition, investor and philanthropist Daniel Kamensky aims to achieve a more just outcome for all creditors in the bankruptcy process. By having consistent “rules of the road,” parties can form consistent expectations of how to treat each other,” he says.

“Bankruptcy can be a daunting and unfamiliar place. Bankruptcy is not a winner-take-all process. The process is equitable and seeks to achieve a fair outcome for everyone involved," notes Kamensky. Having spent his career working as an attorney and investor in the bankruptcy and restructuring industry, he is well-positioned to make a difference.

One of the critical missions of the Creditor Rights Coalition is to provide thought leadership through educational content and programming. The Coalition sponsors an annual restructuring symposium with the leading industry association representing lender rights. Further, the Coalition interacts with policymakers and other stakeholders to advocate for well-crafted and balanced bankruptcy policies. This is nothing new for him. He previously served on an Advisory Board formed by the American Bankruptcy Institute to study reform of the bankruptcy code.

He is also an educator. He not only participates in the educational activities of the Creditor Rights Coalition but also lectures at leading universities and writes extensively on bankruptcy topics (including in a forthcoming law review). He will co-lead an endowed bankruptcy seminar at a leading University in the Fall of 2023.

For Daniel Kamensky, studying law has always been about more than just getting a legal degree. He believes the law is a tool to protect individual rights and to fight for fair outcomes.

His legal background remains an integral part of his career. He remains an advocate on behalf of clients through Restructuring Law Advisory P.C., where he counsels and advises clients about their business goals and how to navigate the often contentious bankruptcy process.

“One of the symbols of justice is a balanced scale, and it’s an apt symbol. Ideally, legal frameworks are balanced to ensure that the rights and interests of everyone are respected," he points out.

When negotiations become stressful for the parties involved, Mr. Kamensky notes that understanding and respecting the other parties’ positions can be vital to achieving a successful outcome. His approach aims to create buy-in among all parties by identifying the cost and benefits to each stakeholder. In that way, he believes a rising tide lifts all boats. Only after all information is provided and all viewpoints shared can parties be prepared to agree on the best path forward.

For this to happen, leadership is critical. That's why he strives to lead by example by setting a respectful tone to create a foundation for trust. Ultimately, leaders set the tone for their organizations and efforts. For a problem to be successfully addressed and resolved, leaders must establish trust, which leads to commitment and buy-in for the chosen course of action.

Mr. Daniel Kamensky hopes he can help others create success for themselves. His experience has prepared him to share his insights with others in building their teams and navigating the pitfalls that come with success. He also looks to have a lasting and positive impact on the bankruptcy industry through the efforts of the Creditor Rights Coalition.