Find Lawyers in North Carolina, 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.
Select a city from the list below to find the best legal talent for your needs.
Cities
June Basden is both an attorney and a Certified Public Accountant with over 35 years of experience in commercial finance and insolvency law. She represents national, regional and community banks, financial institutions and commercial lenders in a variety of finance transactions, with a special focus on commercial lending and creditors’ rights. June has extensive experience in asset-based lending, factoring, loan workouts and modifications, foreclosures, bankruptcies and commercial real ...
Jay represents debtors, banks, secured creditors, indenture trustees, and purchasers of distressed assets in complex chapter 11 and chapter 9 bankruptcy cases and in out-of-court workouts, reorganizations, restructurings, and liquidations. Jay also has extensive experience in state and federal court receivership actions, both in representing creditors seeking the appointment of a receiver for their collateral and in representing the court-appointed receivers. Jay has served as lead bankruptcy...
Hillary Crabtree brings considerable bankruptcy experience, corporate law and restructuring experience to her clients, which have been drawn from such areas as energy, airlines, auto, manufacturing, biopharmaceutical, and retail sales. A seasoned attorney with experience in bankruptcy, corporate law, and finance, Hillary Crabtree counsels high-profile clients in industries including energy, airlines, auto, manufacturing, restaurants, biopharmaceutical and retail sales. Hillary works across th...
Gregory Crampton was born in Washington, D.C. in 1947, and has lived in Raleigh since early childhood. He graduated from Washington and Lee University in 1969, and received his law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1972. After graduation, he served as a law clerk to the Honorable Walter E. Brock, Chief Judge of the North Carolina Court of Appeals. Mr. Crampton concentrates his practice in the areas of commercial and business litigation and business bankruptcies an...
David Eades has over 30 years of experience as a financial restructuring and bankruptcy lawyer. Lenders, administrative agents, collateral agents, and indenture trustees call on him to represent them in complex workouts and bankruptcy proceedings. David has successfully represented numerous clients in workouts and bankruptcy proceedings across the country and across a wide spectrum of industries. David served as team leader for Moore & Van Allen's Bankruptcy and Financial Restructuring gr...
Paul leads the Creditors' Rights Practice Group and is certified by the American Board of Certification and the North Carolina State Bar as a Board Certified Specialist in Business and Consumer Bankruptcy Law. His practice experience encompasses bankruptcy, collections, creditors' rights, and lender liability. He concentrates his practice in the representation of creditors in complex bankruptcy cases and state court collection litigation, including workouts, reorganizations, and contested mat...
Michael leads the Health Care practice. He counsels physicians, hospitals, and other healthcare providers on regulatory, compliance, and transactional matters. He represents all types of closely-held businesses and their owners on such issues as the formation of business entities, financing transactions, and the merger, acquisition, and sale of businesses. Additionally, Michael advises banks, automobile and tractor finance companies, shopping center owners, homeowners' associations, and suppl...
Steve Gruendel represents banks and other creditors in connection with workouts and bankruptcies. A certified mediator, an entrepreneur and a workout lawyer, Steve brings a practical, solution-seeking approach to complex legal situations. He’s been recognized in Chambers Partners USA as a go-to workout lawyer for the past 10 years. Steve is co-head of the Bankruptcy & Financial Restructuring group. He represents banks and other creditors in workouts and bankruptcies. Certified as a ...
A former Managing Chariman of the firm, Ben Hawfield provides senior leadership and brings decades of experience to client matters related to workouts and bankruptcy proceedings. Ben Hawfield advises Moore & Van Allen corporate clients in acquisitions and financing transactions, particularly those involving a compromise or restructure of debt. He has significant experience in representing corporations, individuals and lenders in workouts and bankruptcy proceedings.
Jim Langdon represents both debtors and creditors in bankruptcy cases, with an emphasis on representing lenders and other financial institutions in connection with the collection and/or restructure of indebtedness both in and outside of bankruptcy. Jim has significant experience representing parties in connection with the acquisition of assets out of bankruptcy, lenders in connection with postpetition financing and entities in the acquisition and administration of distressed debt investments....
Jim Lanik is a partner at Waldrep Wall Babcock & Bailey PLLC. Prior to joining the firm, he was a partner at Waldrep LLP and an associate and then member at Roberson, Haworth & Reese, PLLC focusing on business bankruptcy and municipal law. Jim is Board Certified in Business Bankruptcy Law by the North Carolina State Bar and by the American Board of Certification. He has represented trustees, creditors, and debtors in all aspects of business bankruptcy cases. Jim is currently on the pa...
Luis Lluberas’ multidisciplinary practice encompasses a wide range of financial services matters with a focus on the resolution of troubled credits. Luis has extensive experience representing key stakeholders in connection with all aspects of financial restructuring matters in a myriad of industries, including agriculture, commercial real estate, energy, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, technology and transportation. Luis routinely represents financial institutions, in both lender and...
Jennifer Lyday, a partner at Waldrep Wall Babcock & Bailey PLLC, represents creditors, trustees, and businesses in Chapter 11 proceedings, as well as advises on the sale and purchase of distressed assets. She is held in particular high esteem for her abilities in bankruptcy litigation and advising clients on broader commercial disputes. Prior to joining the firm, she was a partner at Waldrep LLP and an associate at Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, LLP, focusing on corporate Chapter 11...
Lance represents creditors in collections, foreclosures, bankruptcy, Uniform Commercial Code security agreement enforcement, and structured liquidations and workouts. He also represents clients in drafting and negotiating a wide variety of contract, loan, and workout agreements. Lance is certified by the American Board of Certification and the North Carolina State Bar as a Board Certified Specialist in Business Bankruptcy Law. He litigates at all levels of state and federal court, with an emp...
Gabriel Mathless advises both creditor and company-side clients in corporate bankruptcies, out-of-court restructurings, M&A transactions involving troubled companies, and other distressed situations. He also routinely represents financial institutions, as lenders and agents, in connection with secured lending transactions and intercreditor issues. Gabriel has represented clients in a broad array of industries, including retail, healthcare, restaurant, manufacturing, technology, agricultur...
Jeff Oleynik is a seasoned business litigator handling a multitude of corporate disputes, many of which end up in bankruptcy court. Jeff represents clients on disputes involving ownership, management and control of companies, and is frequently involved in antitrust matters. Jeff often litigates antitrust issues, but also consults with clients on how to avoid “crossing the line” and creating antitrust and noncompetition issues on the front end, prior to any dispute with a competito...
Alan Pope primarily counsels financial institutions in corporate workouts and bankruptcies and in structuring intercreditor arrangements. Alan applies substantial experience to representing administrative agents and collateral agents in syndicated credit facilities and other financial institutions in secured lending transactions.
Cole Richins advises banks, other financial institutions, equipment lessors, and corporate entities in restructuring matters, corporate bankruptcies, foreclosures, and collections. Cole routinely represents administrative agents in connection with the negotiation and documentation of secured and unsecured senior syndicated financing transactions, and banks and other financial institutions in front-end secured and unsecured middle market financings. Cole also has considerable experience in rep...
Ciara L. Rogers is a partner at Waldrep Wall Babcock & Bailey, PLLC. She focuses her practice on bankruptcy and business insolvency. She is certified as a Business Bankruptcy Law Specialist by the North Carolina State Bar and is licensed to practice in all Federal and State Courts in North Carolina and Virginia, as well as the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. Before joining Waldrep Wall Babcock & Bailey PLLC, Ciara was an attorney with Oliver & Cheek. Prior to that, she was a law ...
Tyler is passionate about the hemp and cannabidiol ("CBD") industries, their products, and their people. He co-chairs the firm's Hemp Law practice group, and he represents clients in all aspects of the hemp and CBD industries – both in North Carolina and beyond. His clients include farmers and growers, processors, extractors, product manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers. He also assists clients who are involved in the industry but do not directly "touch the plant" &nd...
Kevin L. Sink focuses his practice on bankruptcy and reorganization matters, commercial transactions, real estate and business litigation. He is certified as a Business Bankruptcy Law Specialist by the North Carolina State Bar and a Chapter 7 Panel Trustee for the Eastern District of North Carolina. Kevin is licensed to practice in all Federal and State Courts in North Carolina, as well as the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. He is a frequent lecturer at bankruptcy seminars. Kevin served as t...
John Small has more than 35 years of experience representing both creditors and debtors in business bankruptcies, and is a Board Certified specialist in Business and Consumer Bankruptcy Law. He also counsels small businesses and religious organizations on a variety of legal issues. He thrives on solving clients’ most complex problems. He represents secured creditors in bankruptcies for business and real estate loans. He also has experience working with landlords, equipment lessors, trad...
A member of Manning Fulton's litigation section, William C. Smith, Jr. has a diverse litigation practice. He represents small and large businesses, and individuals in a variety of litigation and administrative law matters, including contract disputes, debt collection, employment, real estate and bankruptcy matters. William represents clients in both federal and state courts. He also advises both employers and employees on labor and employment issues and related matters, and represents a numbe...
Zachary Smith is a Member and the Co-head of Moore & Van Allen’s Financial Restructuring practice. Zach’s practice focuses on the representation of distressed companies in in-court and out-of-court restructurings, private equity sponsors of distressed portfolio companies, special situation funds, court-appointed receivers, acquirers of distressed businesses and distressed assets, and secured lenders. Zach’s experience includes domestic and cross-border matters, and he ha...
Tom Waldrep's deep institutional expertise in the bankruptcy space is informed by his decade of experience serving as a bankruptcy judge. He acts for all parties in complex proceedings and out-of-court matters, including particular skills advising on bankruptcies and distressed M&A transactions in the healthcare industry. Tom represents secured creditors, debtors, unsecured creditors’ committees, and trustees in business bankruptcy cases. He has extensively represented buyers and se...
David Walls has extensive experience representing banks, lenders, agents and other financial institutions in workout transactions, restructurings and large corporate bankruptcies. He also has experience in structuring and documenting complex syndicated lending transactions. David has been admitted to practice in various bankruptcy courts and federal district courts throughout the United States. His client services include: Defense of avoidance actions Representation of secured creditors in wo...
Anna-Bryce is an associate in the Construction Practice Group. She represents general contractors and subcontractors engaged in a variety of construction projects. Her primary focus is on public and private commercial construction disputes, whether they be in the form of lien actions, delay claims, general breach of contract disputes, or other construction-related claims. Anna-Bryce also assists clients in drafting and negotiating their construction contracts. Prior to starting at Bradley, An...
Britton maintains a diverse practice within Carruthers & Roth’s Banking and Finance and Commercial Real Estate practice groups. This allows him to serve as the rare attorney that advises clients on transactional matters one moment and argues before the court on their behalf the next. Britton routinely represents developers and business owners with sales and acquisitions, development projects, leasing, and financing transactions. He is equipped to help clients with all aspects of due...
Natalia comes to Capua Law Firm with over a decade of legal experience. After graduating from Boston College Law School with distinction, she began her career as Assistant District Attorney for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, acting as lead counsel in more than fifty criminal trials to verdict. From there, Natalia was a Federal Law Clerk in the Western District of North Carolina for the honorable U.S. Magistrate Judge Carleton Metcalf before joining Waldrep Wall Babcock & Bailey PLLC, ...
Thomas' practice encompasses a wide range of creditors' rights law and business transactions. His creditors' rights experience includes representation of financial institutions, lenders, community associations, and other creditors in collections and bankruptcy proceedings, as well as navigating commercial loan transactions and workouts. Thomas routinely represents creditors in commercial litigation, in addition to drafting complex loan and settlement documentation. In his business practice, T...
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.