Best Lawyers in America for Litigation - Bankruptcy
State
Thomas W. Lawless earned his JD in 1980 from the Nashville School of Law and was admitted to practice in Tennessee in 1981. He is admitted to practice in all state and federal courts in Tennessee as well as the Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit, Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the United States Supreme Court. He is a board certified Creditors’ Rights Law Specialist by the American Board of Certification and the Tennessee Commission on Continuing Legal Education and Speci...
Bill Norton focuses his practice in the business bankruptcy area, dealing in all aspects of bankruptcy cases, creditor rights and insolvency. He first became familiar with the bankruptcy law from his Dad who was a noted scholar and Bankruptcy Judge in Atlanta, Georgia. Bill went to Vanderbilt Law School intending to practice in bankruptcy law and has done so since 1984. Over more than 25 years of practice of bankruptcy and insolvency law, Bill has represented just about every kind of client i...
Ryan Lorenz is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area of Litigation - Bankruptcy. Ryan practices law in Phoenix, Arizona Best Lawyers has recognized Ryan Lorenz since 2022. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Ryan Lorenz is held by other lawyers.
Bill has almost 40 years of experience in bankruptcy litigation. Bill is a calming and relaxed force while being a committed advocate for his clients. Bill is the senior member of Barack Ferrazzano’s Bankruptcy & Creditor Rights Group. In recent years Bill has focused his practice on representing secured debt holders and landlords in Chapter 11 cases and other insolvency proceedings. Bill has litigated a broad variety of cases in the bankruptcy courts, including stay relief, adequat...
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...
Colin M. Bernardino is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law and Litigation - Bankruptcy. Colin M. practices law in Atlanta, Georgia Best Lawyers has recognized Colin M. Bernardino since 2020. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Colin M. Bernardino i...
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...
W. Timothy Miller is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law and Litigation - Bankruptcy. W. Timothy practices law in Cincinnati, Ohio Best Lawyers has recognized W. Timothy Miller since 2006. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which W. Timothy Miller is he...
Tara's practice emphasizes bankruptcy, creditors' rights, and commercial litigation. She represents all types of parties in all types of bankruptcy matters including unsecured creditors' committees, business debtors in reorganization proceedings, creditors including banks and other financial service providers, bankruptcy trustees and receivers. She protects clients' interests and represents them on a national level in multiple bankruptcy jurisdictions. Tara is certified by the American Board ...
David Westrup, a Shareholder in the Litigation and Risk Management Practice Group at von Briesen & Roper, s.c., provides trusted advice and innovative solutions to national and international manufacturers and commercial enterprises, focusing on protecting and advancing client interests in product liability, insurance and risk management, and antitrust. David works extensively with Fortune 500 management and legal departments, providing sophisticated insights to creatively address challeng...
As chair of Pachulski Stang Ziehl & Jones’s post confirmation practice group, Mr. Caine oversees the entire spectrum of claims and avoidance litigation for debtors, creditors committees, trustees, liquidation or post-confirmation trusts, and defendants, from “mega cases” to smaller, individual matters. While many lawyers handle this type of work few, if any, can produce outstanding recoveries for all parties by calling upon the same case experience and litigation backgro...
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...
Marvin is a partner with substantial experience representing clients in complex commercial litigation in state and federal courts in Arizona and Nevada. His practice primarily focuses on business disputes and litigation, including partnership disputes, real estate litigation, business torts, and fraud claims. Additionally, Marvin has extensive experience litigating debtor/creditor relationships, including prosecuting fraudulent transfer actions and obtaining prejudgment remedies; defending cl...
Rachael Smiley brings more than 15 years of legal experience to FBFK Law and currently serves as Chair of the firm’s Restructuring practice. She advises clients throughout the Chapter 11 reorganization process, including asset sales, plan confirmation, and post-confirmation plan administration. Rachael also has experience litigating bankruptcy-related disputes, including contested matters, adversary proceedings, valuation disputes, claim objections, and avoidance actions. Before joining...
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.
