Back when broadly syndicated bank loans reigned supreme in debt finance, law firms that lacked longstanding relationships with the banks writing the loans were at a disadvantage when it came time to restructure a deal.

If you weren't an experienced partner with connections to institutional lenders, entire swaths of the market could be out of reach, said Goulston & Storrs restructuring partner Timothy Carter. Recently, an in-house restructuring lawyer at a major bank told Carter, "I only have (outside counsel) my age that work for me," Carter recalled him saying. "That's 17 guys and they're all in their 60s."