Alexandria, Va.— ABI announces that Jingzhi Dai of Jefferies LLC (New York) has been selected as one of ABI’s “40 Under 40,” ABI’s award program that recognizes 40 of the top insolvency industry professionals under the age of 40. The honorees will be recognized at a special ceremony on Dec. 13 during ABI’s 2024 Winter Leadership Conference at The Phoenician Scottsdale in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Dai is a managing director in the Debt Advisory and Restructuring Group at Jefferies LLC in New York, where he advises debtors, creditors, official committees and other key stakeholders in the context of transaction advisory, special-situation financing and distressed mergers & acquisitions, out-of-court recapitalization, and chapter 11 bankruptcy restructuring across a number of industries, including technology/media/telecom, specialty finance, metals and mining, real estate/gaming, industrials, health care, consumer and retail. He also leads debt-advisory coverage at Jefferies for the Asia Pacific region, specifically China, and has executed a number of cross-border transactions, including the precedent-setting restructuring of LDK Solar’s offshore liabilities.

Dai co-founded a restructuring professionals’ group, Restructuring Asians in New York (RAINY), to create a platform for Asian restructuring and bankruptcy professionals to exchange ideas and expand their professional networks. Within his firm, he is known as the educator, as he hosts firm-wide trainings on restructuring, leading the training of junior restructuring bankers and developing an internal training curriculum for new members of the group. As a way of giving back to Emory University, his alma mater, which he credits for launching him to New York to start his career, Dai’s been deeply committed to mentoring and guiding students through the recruiting process to break into investment banking. He has led campus recruiting for Jefferies at Emory for over a decade, which has added dozens of bankers in New York and designated Emory’s MBA program as one of Jefferies’ target schools.

“We are honored to celebrate the exceptional leaders within the 2024 class as they continue to make a significant impact both in their practice and in their communities,” said ABI Executive Director Amy Quackenboss. “As bankruptcy practice continues to evolve, this diverse collection of honorees will propel ABI and the insolvency community forward.”

The “40 Under 40” winners are distinguished by professional achievements and service and were selected by a group of experienced professionals from ABI’s current leadership. Now in its eighth year, the goal of ABI’s “40 Under 40” award program is not simply to create a one-time ceremony, but to fully engage those selected as future leaders in the insolvency profession and to build on the initiative each year.

Click here to view the full list of the 2024 “40 Under 40” honorees.

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ABI is the largest multi-disciplinary, nonpartisan organization dedicated to research and education on matters related to insolvency. ABI was founded in 1982 to provide Congress and the public with unbiased analysis of bankruptcy issues. The ABI membership includes nearly 10,000 attorneys, accountants, bankers, judges, professors, lenders, turnaround specialists and other bankruptcy professionals, providing a forum for the exchange of ideas and information. For additional information on ABI, visit www.abi.org. For additional conference information, visit http://www.abi.org/calendar-of-events.