Find Lawyers in Florida, United States for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
Practice Area Overview
While some bankruptcy lawyers represent insolvent individuals, many corporate bankruptcy lawyers represent debtors, creditors, and groups of creditors in bankruptcy cases. When representing debtors, the bankruptcy lawyer’s involvement typically starts long before a company actually commences a bankruptcy case by counseling the debtor concerning strategic options. These options run the spectrum, from gaining the protections afforded by commencing a reorganization case under chapter 11 (to implement an asset sale, a consensual plan of reorganization, or perhaps a contested “cramdown” plan), to negotiating an out-of-court workout. Creditor representations similarly require strategic analysis and skilled advocacy. The challenge facing creditors’ counsel is not merely competing with the debtor and its shareholders, but also competing against other creditor constituencies with differing agendas. After all, the restructuring objectives of a trade creditor, a bond holder, a labor union, a government agency, or a creditor that may be junior or senior in the capital structure likely will vary, potentially to a substantial degree, depending on the circumstances.
In today’s dynamic financial restructuring landscape, bankruptcy lawyers also must tackle a host of ancillary issues. For example, cross-border insolvencies continue to grow in number and intricacy as businesses expand globally into legal jurisdictions around the world. Likewise, the advent and growth of structured financial products and derivatives adds additional layers of complexity to the already complex mix of legal and business issues that bankruptcy lawyers routinely confront. In addition, the bankruptcy process continues to serve as a springboard for M&A opportunities presenting distressed investors with opportunities to acquire assets at attractive valuations in the marketplace.
Bankruptcy law provides ample, important restructuring opportunities to financially troubled businesses and has made bankruptcy an effective business tool, as evidenced by the number of large business enterprises increasingly seeking the protections and benefits that bankruptcy affords.
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Cities
Adam Lawton Alpert’s practice focuses on the representation of debtors, secured and unsecured creditors, and trustees in Chapter 11 reorganizations and Chapter 7 liquidations. Mr. Alpert is Board Certified in Business Bankruptcy Law by the American Board of Certification, accredited by The Florida Bar. Mr. Alpert regularly represents distressed companies, unsecured creditors' committees, and purchasers of assets in all aspects of bankruptcy. Mr. Alpert's practice also includes handling ...
Eyal Berger focuses his practice on bankruptcy law, creditors’ rights, and insolvency problems. He protects the interests of financial institutions and lessors as secured and unsecured creditors in bankruptcy proceedings, assisting them in preserving and/or repossessing their collateral. Eyal has served as counsel in well-known bankruptcy proceedings, including the representation of the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors for the Estate of Rothstein, Rosenfeldt & Adler, P.A., ...
Noel R. Boeke is a business lawyer who focuses on solving a wide range of business problems. He specializes in bankruptcy, creditors' rights litigation, commercial litigation, mergers and acquisitions, and documenting loan transactions. He also has experience in business contract negotiations and Uniform Commercial Code issues. Mr. Boeke has represented various types of business clients, financial institutions and other creditors, including commercial banks, private equity funds, finance subs...
Steve is chairman of the firm and head of its Litigation Department. Steve is a trial lawyer, with his practice centered on complex commercial litigation and insolvency matters. Steve has a successful record in extended jury trials in major business disputes. Steve represents plaintiffs and defendants in contract, business torts and corporate governance disputes. His insolvency experience includes lead representation of debtors and creditors in chapter 11 reorganizations of publicly held comp...
Marko Cerenko is a go-to commercial and real estate litigator known for taking on the most complicated and sophisticated legal issues and business disputes. Marko is known for consistently shaping winning litigation strategies for clients by developing creative approaches that create successful results around high-level commercial, real estate and business tort cases. As a strong advocate for his clients’ interests and by custom tailoring his approach based upon specific needs or goals,...
Described in Chambers USA as “an outstanding bankruptcy lawyer,” Jules Cohen represents banks and other lenders as secured creditors in bankruptcy proceedings in all types of businesses. He has represented clients in notable bankruptcy proceedings, including, the billion dollar Chapter 11 case of Braniff Airlines, serving as the court appointed examiner of the Sheraton Twin Towers case, and representing a lender group with a $114 million secured claim in the Gencor Industries case...
Michael is a member of the firm’s Board of Directors and focuses his practice on complex business litigation and insolvency matters. He has many years of trial experience in cases involving business torts, bankruptcy proceedings, corporate governance issues, employment disputes, and litigation concerning contracts, secured transactions, fraudulent transfers, financial workouts, lender liability, banking relationships, and commercial paper. For 12 years, Michael was a senior executive wi...
Mariane's practice is primarily focused on insolvency and bankruptcy related cases. The insolvency practice includes the representation of debtors-in-possession in Chapter 11 proceedings, representation of Chapter 11 trustees, liquidating agents, and receivers, and the representation of secured and unsecured creditors in cases pending before the bankruptcy court. Mariane has also represented assignors and assignees in the statutorily created liquidation process known as an “Assignment f...
Keith Fendrick is a Partner in the Holland & Knight Tampa office and a member of the Bankruptcy Practice Group. He focuses his practice on bankruptcy and creditors' rights, corporate reorganizations and restructurings, and commercial litigation. Mr. Fendrick has represented financial institutions, corporations, insurance companies, and creditor groups in numerous large Chapter 11 cases around the country. He has also worked with secured and unsecured creditors in workouts, non-bankruptcy ...
Rob has represented national mortgage servicers against class action allegations in the context of forced-placed insurance claims, failure to honor oral modification of loan payment terms and in the context of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. He has also represented mortgage servicers and financial institutions in litigation concerning the Fair Credit Reporting Act, Ohio Consumer Sales Practices Act, Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, Telephone Consumer Protection Act and Truth in ...
Gary Freedman focuses his practice on bankruptcy and restructuring, receiverships, complex business litigation, creditors’ rights, financial services, commercial foreclosure, director, officer, manager and member liability litigation, and fraud litigation.He has represented debtors, creditors, creditors’ committees, trustees, and he served as the Liquidating Trustee in the world’s fifth largest cruise line’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy case in the Southern District of Florid...
Christian George serves as managing partner of Akerman’s Jacksonville office. Christian has a statewide practice focusing on commercial litigation and creditors’ rights in all courts, including bankruptcy court. Christian routinely represents financial institutions and other lenders, shareholders, members and partners in professional corporations, LLCs and partnerships, as well as all types of businesses, individuals and families in all areas of commercial litigation. Additionally...
Leonard H. Gilbert is a partner in Holland & Knight's Tampa office. He practices in the areas of banking, commercial finance, asset based lending, creditors' rights, insolvency, arbitration and commercial litigation, as well as maintaining an active transactional practice. He is a member of the firm’s Financial Services Practice Group. Mr. Gilbert’s emphasis has been in the representation of financial institutions and other institutional lenders. In his bankruptcy practice, Mr...
A Fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy, Michael Goldberg chairs Akerman’s Fraud and Recovery Practice, an experienced team of lawyers focused on unraveling high-profile investor fraud, including Ponzi schemes, receiverships, and EB-5 Immigrant Investor Visa Program wrongdoing. Michael has managed some of the largest Ponzi scheme liquidation recoveries in U.S. history. More recently he has developed a reputation for his work unraveling EB-5 fraud schemes. As noted in Chambers USA...
Al Gomez is a partner in the Tampa office of Johnson, Pope, Bokor, Ruppel & Burns, LLP. The majority of his practice is in the area of bankruptcy law, insolvency, assignments for the benefit of creditors and all other aspects of debtor/creditor law. He has represented clients in all aspects of bankruptcy representation and insolvency matters (debtors, creditors, trustees, assignees, receivers, purchasers, etc.) since 1990. His practice has primarily focused on the commercial and corporate...
Andrea Hartley is the chair of Akerman’s Bankruptcy & Reorganization Practice Group, a nationally recognized team serving as bankruptcy counsel or receivers in many of the largest bankruptcy filings in the United States. An experienced bankruptcy and creditors’ rights litigator, Andrea counsels clients in the financial services, real estate, hospitality, restaurant, and retail sectors on business reorganizations and liquidations, assumption and rejection of leases, workouts, d...
Ross has focused his law practice on bankruptcy and insolvency since 1998. He represents parties in all aspects of the bankruptcy process including trustees, assignees for the benefit of creditors, receivers, creditors, debtors, committees, and purchasers of assets. Ross is a member of the Panel of Bankruptcy Trustees for the Southern District of Florida where he is routinely appointed as a chapter 7 and chapter 11 trustee. He also serves as a receiver and assignee for the benefit of creditor...
Corporate transactional attorney with a focus representing owners, developers, buyers and distressed investors in a wide array of real estate transactions. Experience structuring mezz, private equity and EB5 transactions. Represent landlords and tenants on lease transactions. Experience with construction financing, code compliance, title, and corporate restructuring matters. Handle commercial foreclosures on behalf of servicers and lenders. Counsel start-up ventures and assist companies in th...
Amy Leitch focuses her practice on a broad range of complex commercial litigation and bankruptcy matters, including trusts and estates, debtor-creditor law, breach of contract, business torts, shareholder disputes, real estate, fraudulent transfers, landlord-tenant claims, judgment recovery, franchise disputes, and product liability and warranty. She represents clients throughout the United States and frequently appears in state and federal courts in Florida, Georgia, and Colorado. Amy is als...
Since starting with the Firm in 1988, Michael’s practice has concentrated on bankruptcy and insolvency related Litigation. Michael has represented corporate and individual debtors, secured creditors, equipment lenders, landlords, creditor’s committees, trustees and petitioning creditors in involuntary bankruptcies. Michael also has substantial experience in receivership cases.
D. Brett Marks represents troubled companies, secured and unsecured creditors, asset purchasers, private equity groups, trustees, and creditors’ committees in Chapter 7 and Chapter 11 cases, out-of-court workouts, and litigation matters. Brett also has significance experience representing and counseling officers and directors of insolvent companies, including defense of alleged breach of fiduciary duty claims and other claims of malfeasance. Brett’s experience extends across a num...
Brian A. McDowell practices in the areas of bankruptcy, insolvency litigation and receiverships. In bankruptcy, Mr. McDowell has primarily focused on representing debtors, secured and unsecured creditors, tenants, landlords, asset purchasers, defendants in adversary proceedings and trustees. These matters have arisen in both voluntary and involuntary Chapter 11 cases. Mr. McDowell has conducted two jury trials in the United States Bankruptcy Court. In addition to Mr. McDowell's debtor and cre...
David Otero’s national practice focuses on bankruptcy and tax litigation and counseling. A partner in both the Tax and Bankruptcy & Reorganization Practice Groups, his clients include Citigroup, Capital One, Nissan, Santander Bank, Sears, Synchrony Financial, U.S. Bank, Venus Fashion, and professional athletes. In his tax practice, David advises multistate businesses on state and local tax controversy matters throughout the United States. He represents institutions financing both cr...
Alan J Perlman, is a Member at Dickinson Wright. Alan specializes in the resolution of complex business disputes in the bankruptcy and commercial litigation forums. His practice focuses on bankruptcy, insolvency litigation, State and Federal complex litigation, workouts, ABCs, avoidance actions, purchase and sale engagements, corporate reorganization and related appeals, with a presence throughout the State of Florida. Alan speaks and writes frequently on various topics related to his practic...
Edward J. Peterson, III specializes in the representation of debtors and creditors in out-of-court workouts and bankruptcy cases and proceedings throughout the Southeast. Edward also has experience representing creditor committees. Moreover, Edward specializes in commercial litigation in all courts, including litigation involving directors and officers. Edward is actively engaged in various representations in Alabama and Florida. In addition, Edward has represented both assignors and assignee...
Jim is a trial lawyer whose practice is concentrated in commercial litigation and insolvency matters. Jim is experienced in jury trials regarding business torts, contracts, secured transactions, mortgage foreclosures, fraudulent transfers, mechanics liens, trade secrets, workouts and lender liability, government contracts, non-compete issues, insurance coverage, banking and commercial paper, state court assignment proceedings and the defense of class actions. Jim’s insolvency experience...
Lauren Raines is a member of the Banking and Financial Services Practice Group and the Real Estate Practice Group. Lauren divides her time between transactional and litigation matters and regularly handles both commercial lending transactions and financial services litigation. This hybrid practice has allowed Lauren to better serve her transactional clients by advising them on the potential areas of conflict that could arise later in litigation, and to effectively advocate for her litigation ...
Ed's practice focuses primarily in the areas of banking and insolvency. He has represented lenders, lessors, trustees, committees, and debtors in chapter 11 cases and has extensive legal experience in mortgage foreclosures, workouts, lending transactions, lending-related litigation, and assignments for the benefit of creditors. Ed's bankruptcy experience includes the defense and prosecution of preference actions, fraudulent transfer actions, and other avoidance actions, claims litigation, dis...
Scott practices in the areas of bankruptcy and creditors' rights with a long track record of advising corporate debtors, creditors, and distressed investors in all parts of the capital structure. Scott primarily represents chapter 11 debtors in bankruptcy cases, both corporate and individual. Scott is board certified in Business Bankruptcy. In addition to corporate chapter 11 work, Scott has also represented chapter 11 trustees in large fraud or Ponzi Scheme cases including Evergreen Security...
Lauren partners with companies, business owners, and financial institutions in complex bankruptcy, financial recovery and commercial litigation matters. She represents debtors-in-possession in Chapter 11 proceeding, trustees and examiners, secured and unsecured creditors, adversary defendants, creditors’ committees, adversary defendants, equity holders and other significant stakeholders in bankruptcy, federal, and state court proceedings. She uses her experience to achieve the best resu...
Frank Terzo’s practice is devoted to a wide range of insolvency matters, including representation of corporate and consumer clients in complex workouts, bankruptcies, assignment for the benefit of creditors and receiverships. He has also represented creditor’s committees and Chapter 11 and 7 trustees. In addition, his practice encompasses both the prosecution and defense of all forms of complex bankruptcy litigation, including preference, fraudulent transfers, and complex conteste...
Jeff Warren's practice focuses on Chapter 11 reorganization cases. Mr. Warren was lead bankruptcy counsel to the debtor, Celotex Corporation, in one of the largest Chapter 11 cases ever filed. He successfully argued Celotex v. Edwards before the United States Supreme Court, establishing national precedent regarding the jurisdiction of bankruptcy judges.
Alan M. Weiss practices in the litigation area at Holland & Knight. Since 1981 he has focused his work in the area of creditors' rights and bankruptcy matters, representing debtors and creditors in Chapter 11 and Chapter 7 cases. His experience includes the representation of the debtor in one of the largest individual bankruptcies in Jacksonville, Florida, as well as representing debtors primarily engaged in operating hotels, restaurants and manufacturing facilities. He also has represent...
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