Arthur J. Gonzalez (LL.M. '90), a U.S. bankruptcy judge for the Southern District of New York, is presiding over Chrysler's Chapter 11 bankruptcy case in federal court. The financially troubled automaker temporarily halted its manufacturing operations on May 4, but will still pay wages and benefits and maintain its customer warranty programs.
Gonzalez has ruled in favor of bidding procedures facilitating the swift execution of a reorganization plan in which Chrysler will sell its principal assets to an entity comprised of the Italian car manufacturer Fiat, the United Automobile Workers Union, and the U.S. and Canadian governments. The Obama administration, which guided Chrysler into federal bankruptcy protection, hopes for a quick "surgical bankruptcy" lasting 30 to 60 days.
Gonzalez is no stranger to complex bankruptcy proceedings. In the past decade, he oversaw the reorganizations of both Enron and WorldCom.
