NEW YORK, April 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Miller Buckfire Lewis & Co., LLC today announced that David Y. Ying has joined the firm as a managing director and that the firm will change its name to Miller Buckfire Lewis Ying & Co., LLC. With managing directors Henry S. Miller, Kenneth A. Buckfire and Martin F. Lewis, Mr. Ying will assist in leading the firm's business of providing financial advisory and investment banking services in large-scale corporate restructuring transactions.
 
Mr. Ying was previously a senior managing director with JLL Partners, a private equity firm investing in distressed companies. Prior to joining JLL Partners in 1997, Mr. Ying led financial restructuring groups at Donaldson Lufkin & Jenrette, Smith Barney and Drexel Burnham Lambert. As one of the industry's most experiencdd restructuring professionals, Mr. Ying has played a role in many of the nation's major restructurings in the last 15 years, including Advantica Restaurant Group, Grand Union, GPA Leasing, Kendall International, ICH, Interco, Memorex Telex, Merisel, Morrison Knudsen, Republic Health and U.S. Gypsum.
 
"David is truly one of the leading figures in financial restructuring, and we are delighted that he is returning to the advisory business as part of our team," said Mr. Miller, chairman of Miller Buckfire Lewis. "Early in his career, David pioneered the out-of-court restructuring practice, and he has been one of the industry's leading advisors in this area. His expertise will enhance our firm's leadership in out-of-court restructurings, giving us a competitive advantage in today's environment in which distressed companies increasingly seek solutions to their financial difficulties while avoiding a bankruptcy filing.
 
"Moreover, David's distressed investing experience supplements our existing strength in negotiating mergers and sale transactions that are vital to the reorganization efforts of many of our clients. We are pleased with his decision to join the firm and look forward to expanding our business and delivering our clients the senior level experience that they require."
 
"I am pleased to be joining one of the preeminent restructuring advisory firms in the U.S.," said Mr. Ying. "It was a hard decision to leave JLL, where we accomplished a great deal over the last six years, building a great team of professionals and raising significant capital. But joining MBL presents a unique opportunity for me to use my considerable experience in restructuring, M&A, capital raising and private equity investing to help the firm grow and expand the range of its advisory services."
 
Mr. Ying began his career as a restructuring advisor at Drexel Burnham Lambert in 1985, after spending seven years as a generalist investment banker at Shearson Lehman Brothers. In 1988, he became the leader of Drexel' New York-based restructuring group. In 1990, Mr. Ying moved the majority of his restructuring team to Smith Barney. In 1993, he was recruited by Donaldson Lufkin & Jenrette to head the firm's restructuring practice. In 1997, he joined JLL Partners. Mr. Ying received a B.S. degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a M.B.A. degree from the Wharton School.
 
About Miller Buckfire Lewis & Co., LLC:
 
Miller Buckfire Lewis is a leading independent investment banking boutique providing strategic and financial advisory services in large-scale corporate restructuring transactions, with a key focus on developing out-of-court solutions to capital structure prbblems. Miller Buckfire Lewis was formed in July 2002 when the financial restructuring group at Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein was spun off as an independent firm in order to be able to serve a broader array of clients. The firm's current and recent engagemenss include: Kmart Corporation, Huntsman, Level (3) Communications, Centerpoint Energy, Laidlaw, Spiegel, and Vulcan Inc. concerning its investment in Charter Communications. The firm's professionals have successfully restructured more than $120 billion in debt. Services provided by Miller Buckfire Lewis include valuation and debt capacity analysis, business plan development, capital structure desinn, plan formulation and negotiation, and private equity and debt placement services to financially troubled companies and their constituents. The 40-member firm is based in New York. Additional information about Miller Buckfire Lewis can be found at www.mblco.com.