Best Lawyers in America for Litigation - Bankruptcy
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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...
Lisa Futrell is a partner in the Litigation Practice Group. She focuses on bankruptcy and creditors’ rights matters. Lisa Futrell has practiced in the areas of bankruptcy, insolvency, and financial restructuring for more than 30 years. The scope of her practice includes the representation of creditors, debtors, trustees, and official and ad hoc committees in Chapter 11 cases, a foreign representative in Chapter 15 cases, adversary proceedings, out of court restructurings and forbearance...
Frank B. B. Knowlton is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Litigation - Bankruptcy, Mortgage Banking Foreclosure Law and Product Liability Litigation - Defendants. Frank B. B., who practices law in Columbia, South Carolina, has been recognized since 2009. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the hig...
Michael P. Ridulfo 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. Michael P., who practices law in Houston, Texas, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Michael P. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
CLARK R. HAMMOND is a partner with Wallace Jordan Ratliff & Brandt LLC. He is also a member of the Firm’s Litigation practice group. Mr. Hammond practices primarily in the area of bankruptcy, commercial and real estate loan defaults and workouts, construction law, workout of defaulted municipal and commercial bonds, creditor’s and debtor’s rights, securities litigation and general commercial litigation. Prior to 1989, Mr. Hammond’s work included the representation ...
Colin M. Bernardino 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. Colin M., who practices law in Atlanta, Georgia, has been recognized since 2020. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Colin M. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Kirk B. Burkley is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Commercial Litigation, Litigation - Bankruptcy and Real Estate Law. Kirk B., who practices law in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been recognized since 2011. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Kirk B. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice ...
Mr. Bakst represents clients in the areas of creditors' rights, bankruptcy, reorganization, and insolvency. He regularly represents secured and unsecured creditors, debtors, trustees, and creditors' committees in loan workout and other negotiations and in state and federal courts. Upon graduation from Wayne State University Law School, Mr. Bakst clerked for a U.S. Bankruptcy Judge for the Eastern District of Michigan. He is a former two-term board member of the Detroit Chapter of the Turnarou...
Marc Cohen has substantial experience representing state and municipal agencies on a wide range of legal, budgetary and financial issues, including escheat (or unclaimed property) matters, developing creative solutions for government and administrative agencies facing budget gaps and other serious fiscal challenges and intragovernmental disputes. Mr. Cohen has also advised government clients on municipal bankruptcy matters, such as Chapter 9 eligibility and case administration, treatment and ...
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...
Mike has a multi-state practice focused on debt restructuring and complex commercial litigation. Mike serves many businesses, but specializes in automotive, agriculture and telecommunications. Mike also regularly represents health care research facilities, ambulance agencies, and other health care clients. Mike represents the Roman Catholic Diocese of Grand Rapids. Mike served as a law clerk to the late Honorable David E. Nims, a United States Bankruptcy Judge. In the 1980s, Mike was an FBI a...
Lauren R. Goodman 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. Lauren R., who practices law in Omaha, Nebraska, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Lauren R. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Mr. Bruck's practice focuses primarily in the areas of bankruptcy, reorganization, shareholder disputes and complex distressed corporate transactions. He represents stakeholders in out of court arrangements, restructurings, state court receiverships and Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. He is an approved mediator for the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District of New Jersey. With a foundation that includes insolvency proceedings, commercial foreclosures, receiverships, real estate and commercial tra...
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.