Imagine walking into a company that just imploded—thousands of employees in panic mode, creditors furious, and the entire financial world watching.
That was Ashish Shrestha’s reality when he worked on the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy, the largest bankruptcy ever filed in the US.
Here’s what it was like—and the hard-earned lessons he took away.
When Lehman Fell
It was 2008. The global financial system was on fire. Lehman Brothers—once a Wall Street giant—collapsed under its own weight, filing for bankruptcy with over $600 billion in debt.
Ashish, then working in Deloitte’s corporate restructuring group, was part of the massive team sent in to clean up the mess.
“We had hundreds of people working around the clock. It was unlike anything I’d ever experienced”
Inside the Chaos
His job? To help untangle the financial web and stabilize parts of the business so creditors could recover something from the wreckage.
Every day was intense:
🕒 Long hours
📊 Endless spreadsheets
📌 Decisions that affected thousands of livelihoods
“You’re not just crunching numbers—you’re dealing with real people, real pain. That hits different”
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What Lehman Taught Him
Working on such a historic collapse taught Ashish three big lessons:
Stay calm under pressure - “Everyone’s panicking. You need to be the steady hand.”
Communication is key – “In chaotic situations, clear updates keep teams (and clients) sane.”
Nothing is ‘too big to fail’ – “Even giants like Lehman can fall. Always plan for the unexpected.”
For Future Problem-Solvers
If you dream of a high-stakes finance career, know this:
“You’ll have to make tough calls. It’s stressful, but also rewarding. You’re helping save what’s left of businesses and giving people a chance to rebuild.”