Gary Kennedy & ‘Twelve Years of Turbulence’ as American Airlines GC

© 2018 The Texas Lawbook.

By Mark Curriden

(Jan. 9) – Gary Kennedy was walking up five flights of stairs at American Airlines’ headquarters the morning of Aug. 13, 2013 when his cell phone buzzed with a new email.

Kennedy, who was guiding the airline through the treacherous waters of bankruptcy and restructuring, had told his CEO and corporate board that much of the Chapter 11 process was completely unpredictable, but there was one thing he knew for sure: federal approval of American’s proposed merger with US Airways “would be a walk in the park.”