Best Lawyers in America for Litigation - Bankruptcy
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State
Tom Forrester’s practice is focused primarily on business bankruptcy cases under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code, workouts and commercial litigation. Tom represents debtors, secured and unsecured creditors, court-appointed creditor and equity committees, buyers and sellers of assets, lenders, trustees, lessors and others in the field of insolvency. Tom also has extensive experience in claims litigation and lien-enforcement litigation in the Bankruptcy Courts. He works wi...
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...
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...
Douglas S. Draper practices primarily in the creditor and debtor rights area. His practice involves an equal mix of litigation and business negotiation. The creditor and debtor rights work involves representation of bondholders, creditors’ committees and debtors in large commercial and business cases. Has represented clients in successful reorganizations of hotels, grocery chains, apartment complexes, office buildings, oil companies, shipyards, clothing stores, an oil refinery, and fast...
Tristan Manthey is a partner in Fishman Haygood’s Litigation Section and specializes in bankruptcy. Since 1998, his practice has concentrated on chapter 11 reorganizations, business workouts, debt restructuring, insolvency litigation, and creditor’s rights. Tristan is experienced in complex financial and legal matters involving numerous industries, including but not limited to, oil and gas, medical, construction, manufacturing, hotel and tourism, utilities, gaming companies, publi...
Katherine Clark 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. Katherine, who practices law in New Orleans, Louisiana, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Katherine is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Pat Vance is a partner in and leader of the Litigation Practice Group. He focuses on business litigation, debtors' and creditors’ rights litigation, and business bankruptcy. Pat has the distinction of being one of the few lawyers who is both a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and a Fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy. He is also a life member of the American Law Institute and a member of the National Bankruptcy Conference. As a trial attorney, Pat has handled mor...
Will Sugden is partner with the Bankruptcy & Financial Restructuring Group at Alston & Bird. He represents debtors, bankruptcy trustees, creditors’ committees and other fiduciaries, as well as creditors and indenture trustees, in bankruptcy proceedings. Will has substantial experience advising parties on insolvency-related issues arising in workouts and insolvency-related issues in significant transactions. He also has significant experience advising clients on derivatives safe-...
Mark Bernet litigates complex commercial and business disputes, class action defense, bankruptcy, creditors’ rights/foreclosures, and appellate matters in state and federal court. Experienced across a range of sectors, including finance, banking, real estate, aviation finance, and hospitality, his clients include local, regional, and national banks and financial institutions, manufacturers, and venture capitalists. Frequently recommended by the federal agencies and Attorneys General fro...
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.
Alan Kornfeld is a senior litigation partner. His practice focuses principally on complex litigation matters in bankruptcy courts. Mr. Kornfeld has tried a diverse set of matters, including contested confirmations, DIP financing and cash collateral motions, sale motions, rejection motions, and incentive plan motions. Mr. Kornfeld has also handled a wide variety of commercial disputes in state and federal courts and has tried adversary actions and claim objections in bankruptcy courts. He was ...
Jay Kornfeld primarily represents companies in commercial creditor and debtor issues, emphasizing workouts, restructurings, and Chapter 11 reorganizations. Over the years, he has represented clients in diverse industries, including agricultural, food processing, grocery, commercial real estate, retail, high-tech and software, wood products, commercial fishing, and newspaper. He is a Fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy, is AV-rated, and a Trustee of the King County Bar Association (Ju...
Jonathan Shenson 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. Jonathan, who practices law in Los Angeles, California, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Jonathan is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Richard A. Vance is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Litigation - Banking and Finance and Litigation - Bankruptcy. Richard A., who practices law in Louisville, Kentucky, has been recognized since 2022. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Richard A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Howard S. Steel 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. Howard S., who practices law in New York, New York, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Howard S. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
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.