James Doak

Managing Director and Co-Head
Miller Buckfire

James Doak is a Managing Director and Co-Head of Miller Buckfire. Mr. Doak's experience includes M&A, financing and restructuring transactions on behalf of the City of Detroit, the Mashantucket (Western) Pequot Tribal Nation, Broder Bros. Co., Magna Entertainment Corp., Standard Pacific Corp., Allied Holdings, Hines Horticulture, ITC^DeltaCom, Level 3 Communications, Kanebo Ltd., Burlington Industries, Horizon Natural Resources, CenterPoint Energy, Gilat Satellite Networks, Viatel and Allied Riser Communications. Mr. Doak has also represented creditor constituents and buyer groups in various restructuring transactions including the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Idearc, Wilton Brands Inc., YRC Worldwide and The Lenox Group, and advised several non-disclosed sovereigns and municipalities. Mr. Doak is a former member of the financial restructuring group of Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein, which he joined in 2000. Prior to joining Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein, he was an investment banker at Goldman, Sachs & Co.

Mr. Doak has focused on a variety of sectors throughout his career, including municipal/sovereign financial distress, gaming, transportation, telecommunications, distribution, home goods, information technology, textiles and power generation and transmission. A member of the Turnaround Management Association and the American Bankruptcy Institute, Mr. Doak has authored several articles on corporate distress and turnaround leadership and is a frequent panelist at industry conferences. His work with the City of Detroit received awards from the Turnaround Management Association, M&A Advisor and M&A Atlas Awards, which has also recognized him repeatedly as a Top 100 Restructuring Professional. In June 2011, he was selected as one of The M&A Advisor’s 40 Under 40 leading M&A, financing and turnaround professionals. Mr. Doak currently serves on the Board of Directors of The Heat and Warmth Fund, a leading non-profit provider of utility assistance for Michigan residents in need. Mr. Doak has an M.B.A. (with high distinction) from Harvard Business School where he was a Baker Scholar, a J.D. (cum laude) from Harvard Law School and an A.B. (magna cum laude) from Harvard University.