New York law firm Hahn & Hessen LLP is pleased to announce that Justine J. Block has joined the Firm, as Special Counsel.

"We are pleased to welcome Justine to the Firm," said Managing Partner Mark S. Indelicato.  "Justine brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in representing clients in the purchase and sale of distressed assets, including U.S. and international bank loans and claims against bankrupt and financially-distressed companies.  The addition of Justine to the Firm's already-robust bankruptcy and restructuring group strengthens and provides greater depth to the claims trading and distressed investment advisory services we provide to the Firm's institutional and other clients."

Block''s practice focuses on the representation of companies, financial institutions and hedge funds in secondary loan trading utilizing forms promulgated by the Loan Syndications and Trading Association (LSTA) for the U.S. market and the Loan Market Association (LMA) for the European/Asian/Middle East markets, as well as tailored documentation for other complex secondary loan transactions.  She advises clients on and negotiates transfer documentation in connection with their acquisition of secured, administrative expense and general unsecured trade claims against debtors in bankruptcy and the trading and settlement of private securities issued by companies emerging from Chapter 11, utilizing various applicable exemptions from the registration requirements of the securities laws.  Block also assists clients with the documentation for total return swaps, loan credit default swaps and derivative transactions and she advises investors in distressed assets on a variety of confidentiality and nondisclosure issues.

Prior to joining Hahn & Hessen, Block was an attorney in the Corporate Restructuring and Bankruptcy Group at Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP.

She is a 1998 cum laude graduate of Brooklyn Law School, where she served on the Law Review, and a 1995 graduate of Cornell University.  She is admitted to practice law in New York.

Founded in 1931, Hahn & Hessen LLP is a full service commercial firm serving primarily financial institutions and creditors holding distressed debt.  The Firm has received substantial recognition for its unique capabilities in situations where the creditworthiness of a client's existing or potential borrower, counterparty or customer is of concern.