2026 Blackshear Presidential Fellows
Sameer Alifarag
Sameer is a Senior Associate in Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP’s Finance Practice Group and a member of the US Restructuring and Insolvency team, where he advises institutional investors, lenders, and other stakeholders on complex domestic and cross-border debt finance and restructuring matters.
Sameer’s practice spans the full lifecycle of financial distress, from proactive risk assessment through resolution. He regularly represents clients in complex chapter 11 proceedings, out-of-court workouts, asset dispositions, claims reconciliation processes, and avoidance litigation, and he advises on commercial transactions with an eye toward mitigating insolvency-related risk. His experience cuts across a wide range of industries, including retail, education, aerospace, broadcasting, pharmaceuticals, and oil and gas, giving him a nuanced understanding of the distinct commercial and regulatory pressures that shape distressed situations in each sector.
Sameer has counseled a diverse roster of clients through high-stakes chapter 11 cases, including trustees, agents, unsecured creditor committees, hospitality management companies, software suppliers, online retailers, multinational music conglomerates, retail distributors, widget manufacturers, litigation administrators, digital marketing agencies, individual creditors, and nonprofit organizations. This range reflects his versatility in representing both financial institutions and operating companies across the capital structure, and his ability to translate sophisticated finance and insolvency principles into practical guidance for stakeholders with varying degrees of bankruptcy experience.
Before joining Eversheds Sutherland, Sameer practiced in the bankruptcy, reorganization, and creditors’ rights group of a prominent U.S. law firm. He also served as a law clerk to the Honorable Christopher M. Alston at the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Washington.
Nicole Carnero
Nicole Carnero is a Florida-based consumer bankruptcy attorney dedicated to providing clients with knowledgeable and compassionate legal representation.
Nicole graduated magna cum laude from Western Michigan University Cooley Law School on an academic scholarship. During law school, she earned numerous academic honors while gaining valuable insight into the practice of bankruptcy law. Nicole externed for the Honorable Catherine Peek McEwen of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Florida, volunteered as a student representative in the law school’s Debt Relief Clinic, and served as the Preemption and Screening Editor of the Thomas M. Cooley Law Review.
Her interest in bankruptcy law quickly developed into a passion for helping individuals overcome financial challenges. Since beginning her legal career, Nicole has represented hundreds of debtors in Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy cases. She also previously worked as a creditors’ rights attorney and a consumer bankruptcy case manager, providing her with a well-rounded perspective on the bankruptcy process.
Fluent in both English and Spanish, Nicole is licensed to practice before the United States District Courts and Bankruptcy Courts for the Northern, Middle, and Southern Districts of Florida. She is committed to strengthening her consumer bankruptcy expertise with each passing year to provide her clients with high-quality representation.”
Alastair Gesmundo
Alastair Gesmundo is based in Washington, D.C. where he litigates as a Trial Attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice in the Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Corporate/Financial Litigation Section. Prior to joining the Department, he practiced as an Associate at Winthrop Golubow Hollander, LLP in Newport Beach, California, specializing in chapter 11 reorganizations. He clerked for the Honorable Erithe A. Smith and the Honorable Neil W. Bason and externed for the Honorable Robert N. Kwan in the Central District of California Bankruptcy Court. During law school, he assisted chapter 7 debtors through the Consumer Bankruptcy Clinic, in collaboration with Public Counsel and the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles. Before law school, Alastair worked as a legal assistant in the Staff Attorney’s Office of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, in his hometown of San Francisco. He earned his Juris Doctor from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, and his bachelor’s degree cum laude from Santa Clara University, where he studied Economics and French.
David Gharkany
David G. Gharkhany is an Associate in the Bankruptcy & Restructuring Practice Group at FBT Gibbons LLP in Denver, Colorado. His practice focuses on bankruptcy litigation, Chapter 7 and Chapter 11 matters, preference and avoidance actions, creditors’ rights, and related commercial disputes.
Prior to joining FBT Gibbons, David served as a law clerk to the Hon. Brian F. Kenney of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. During law school, he interned for Chief Judge Michael B. Kaplan of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey and externed for the Hon. Andre M. Espinosa, United States Magistrate Judge for the District of New Jersey. These experiences provided him with a strong foundation in bankruptcy, commercial, and federal litigation practice.
David graduated from Rutgers Law School, where he served as Editor-in-Chief of the Rutgers Business Law Review and earned the highest grade in Bankruptcy Law. He was also selected as a Fellow in the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges’ Diversity Program, reflecting his dedication to the advancement of the bankruptcy profession.
Before attending law school, David worked as a clinician at a community mental health center in Denver, where he received national recognition for his work supporting individuals facing mental health and addiction challenges. He graduated summa cum laude from Metropolitan State University of Denver with a bachelor’s degree in human service. He remains committed to mentorship and professional development through his involvement with organizations including the Federal Bar Association, the Just The Beginning Foundation, and Rutgers Law School.
Kenneth Thomas
Kenneth M. Thomas is a partner at Fox Swibel Levin & Carroll LLP in the Bankruptcy, Restructuring & Creditors’ Rights Group. Ken represents clients in a wide range of commercial and bankruptcy-related litigation matters. He represents creditors, trustees, board members, and bondholders in all types of bankruptcy and insolvency situations and has extensive experience litigating fraudulent transfer and preference actions, motions for relief from the automatic stay, sales of assets, derivative standing, dischargeability, and any other issue that might arise in a bankruptcy court across the country. Ken also serves as a member of the panel of chapter 7 bankruptcy trustees in the Northern District of Illinois.
Additionally, Ken has significant experience representing clients before state and federal appellate courts including the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and Seventh Circuit and the Illinois Appellate Court in a variety of matters including commercial litigation, bankruptcy, housing, and immigration law matters.
Ken remains active in pro bono matters including representing low income tenants in eviction defense cases through the Law Center for Better Housing (formerly the Lawyers’ Committee for Better Housing) and through service on the Northern District of Illinois Bankruptcy Court’s Volunteer Attorney Panel. Ken’s pro bono service earned him the Lawyers’ Committee for Better Housing Pro Bono Award, awarded to one Chicago lawyer per year for outstanding legal representation of pro bono clients. During law school, Ken was inducted as a fellow into the Tony Patiño Fellowship. He also serves as a member of the New Community Covenant Church Bronzeville leadership team and as chair of the appeals sub-committee of the Northern District of Illinois Bankruptcy Court Liaison Committee.