Who is Kevyn Orr? - Philadelphia News, Weather and Sports from WTXF FOX 29

Who is Kevyn Orr?

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Kevyn Orr Kevyn Orr
DETROIT (WJBK) -

A bankruptcy expert who represented automaker Chrysler LLC during its successful restructuring has been chosen to steer Detroit out of its financial abyss. The distressed city, which was once one of the nation's most prosperous manufacturing centers, is now the largest U.S. city to have its finances placed under state control.

Gov. Rick Snyder announced Thursday that he had chosen Kevyn Orr, a partner in the law and restructuring Jones Day firm, as Detroit's emergency manager. He officially will be hired by Michigan's Emergency Loan Board, which had scheduled a meeting for 3 p.m. EDT Thursday.

During a news conference Thursday, Orr called Detroit a "storied American city."

"We can rise from the ashes," Orr said. "This is a beautiful city and a wonderful state that gave me my start. I feel compelled to do this job."

So who is Kevyn Orr?

According to his bio page on the Jones Day law firm web site, Orr has "practiced in the areas of business restructuring, financial institution regulation, and commercial litigation since 1984."

Orr has strong ties to the state. The 54-year-old is a University of Michigan law graduate (1983) and represented Chrysler LLC during its bankruptcy proceedings in 2009.

Orr is a member of the bars in Florida and the District of Columbia. He also serves on the advisory board at the American Bankruptcy Institute.

FOX 2 political analyst Tim Skubick says Snyder recently met with Orr in Washington at the National Governors Association's winter meeting.

Orr would at first hold the formal title of emergency financial manager for Detroit. On March 28, a new emergency manager law (Public Act 436) passed in December will go into effect, giving Orr and other emergency managers across Michigan the power to cancel and change contracts as well as sell off assets with the permission of the governor and state treasurer.

Stay with FOX 2 and myFOXDetroit.com for continuing coverage.

- The Associated Press contributed to this report

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