Best Lawyers in California, United States for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
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Justin Rawlins is Vice Chair and Managing Director of the Financial Restructuring group and a member of the Global Finance practice at Paul Hastings and is based in the firm's Century City office. Mr. Rawlins has extensive experience and is consistently ranked as a leading lawyer in top legal directories. He principally represents asset managers and lenders investing in private businesses with an emphasis on complex financings, special situations and restructurings.
Mr. Orgel has had lead responsibility in chapter 11 cases representing public and private companies, creditors' committees, and trustees. Mr. Orgel also frequently consults with companies doing business with troubled businesses in and out of bankruptcy. Mr. Orgel is a graduate of Rutgers College and received his J.D. from UCLA. Mr. Orgel is a periodic lecturer on bankruptcy issues. He holds an AV Preeminent Peer Rating, Martindale-Hubbell's highest recognition for ethical standards and legal ...
Cia H. Mackle is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law and Litigation - Bankruptcy. Cia H., who practices law in Los Angeles, California, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Cia H. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
For more than 30 years, William Freeman has acted as a trusted advisor in high-stakes bankruptcies, workouts and distressed capital markets transactions. Bill is among a handful of go-to attorneys for the most complex insolvency and restructuring matters on the West Coast and across the nation. Widely respected in the legal community, he represents lenders, borrowers and fiduciaries, with particular experience advising banks and other financial institutions. Bill represents regional, national...
Frank Merola is a partner in Stroock’s Financial Restructuring Group and has more than 25 years of experience in business reorganization and bankruptcy. Mr. Merola has advised debtors, creditors, acquirers and equity holders in both Chapter 11 and out-of-court restructurings across a range of industries. He also focuses his practice on the representation of ad hoc and official creditor committees and equity holders. Prior clients include Sirius Satellite Radio, Harbinger Capital Partner...
Gillian Brown is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law and Litigation - Bankruptcy. Gillian, who practices law in Los Angeles, California, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Gillian is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Lou Cisz concentrates his practice on insolvency, restructuring debts, creditors’ remedies and related litigation. His clients include lenders, special servicers, manufacturers, vendors, contractors, health care companies, insurers, indenture trustees, buyers and sellers of assets and business ventures in a large cross-section of industries. Mr. Cisz has also worked in the food and beverage industry and has represented clients in that industry throughout his career. He has represented p...
Ms. Greenwood specializes in bankruptcy-related litigation. She has over eighteen years' experience in civil litigation and bankruptcy, including representation of chapter 11 trustees, debtors, creditors, and creditors' committees in significant business bankruptcies. Ms. Greenwood has won summary judgments in the prosecution of multimillion-dollar breach-of-fiduciary-duty claims and defense of multimillion-dollar preference and fraudulent-transfer claims. She has also successfully prosecuted...
Pamela Kohlman Webster is a Shareholder in Buchalter Nemer's Insolvency and Financial Solutions Practice Group, a member of the Executive Committee, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer, and a member of the Board of Directors. Ms. Webster’s practice includes corporate reorganizations, insolvency, bankruptcy, workouts and liquidations, with a particular emphasis on entertainment and regulated industries including insurance companies, healthcare providers, and financial instit...
Steven M. Spector’s practice focuses on receiverships and assignments for the benefits of creditors as well as other alternative methods of managing or liquidating businesses, he also represents debtors and creditors in reorganization proceedings and represents banks and financial institutions in bankruptcy and state court. Mr. Spector also represents lenders as well as buyers and sellers in transactional matters.
Jeff Garfinkle represents secured and unsecured creditors, creditors’ committees, trustees, equity receivers, debtors, and other parties in a variety of bankruptcy, restructuring cases and collection matters, including out of court workouts. Jeff also specializes in matters pertaining to Articles 2 and 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code and asset sales of bankrupt and financially-troubled companies.
JOEL G. SAMUELS joined the firm’s Bankruptcy group in Los Angeles in June 1985, following a one-year clerkship with the Honorable James R. Browning, Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Mr. Samuels has represented a variety of clients in both in-court bankruptcy cases and out-of-court restructurings, including secured and unsecured creditors, creditors’ committees and debtors. Mr. Samuels’ representations have included: Representation of D...
Jessica represents Chapter 7 Trustees in individual and corporate bankruptcy cases, as well as creditors and creditor committees in chapter 7 and chapter 11 matters. Jessica is also routinely responsible for a wide range of motion practice in contested matters and adversary proceedings. Prior to joining the firm, Jessica clerked for the Honorable Ellen Carroll (retired) and Robert N. Kwan of the Los Angeles Division of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California....
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.