Best Lawyers in New York, United States for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
Brett Lawrence is a partner in the Financial Restructuring group at Paul Hastings and is based in the firm’s New York office. Mr. Lawrence focuses on in-court and out-of-court restructuring and distressed M&A issues for creditors, distressed investors, and equity holders. He represents official and ad hoc committees of creditors and equity holders, and counsels individual investors in structuring and executing investments, raising capital, and acquiring distressed assets. Mr. Lawren...
Steven B. Smith is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law. Steven B., 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 Steven B. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Dave Capriotti serves as the managing partner of Harris Beach Murtha's Syracuse office. His practice primarily involves commercial litigation and complex financial restructuring litigation. He is also adept in litigating contract and construction cases. Dave has extensive courtroom experience, having conducted many jury trials, bench trials, and hearings across New York state and federal courts, including the United States Bankruptcy Court.
Michael J. Cohen is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law. Michael J., who practices law in New York, New York, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Michael J. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Hugh McDonald focuses his practice on all aspects of restructuring, workouts and bankruptcy and litigation. He has represented secured and unsecured creditors, banks, trustees, bondholders, debtors, creditor committees and acquirers of assets. He is also experienced with asset sales in bankruptcy cases, debtor-in-possession financing, the liquidation of estates and cross-border cases. Hugh has represented parties in connection with complex commercial litigations and related appeals in both st...
Mark H. Stein is an attorney with Lacy Katzen LLP in Rochester, New York, focusing his practice on Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law. He has been included in Best Lawyers for this practice area beginning in 2026, based on peer review within the legal profession. Mark has practiced law for more than 20 years, with substantial experience in collections, evictions, and creditor-related matters. He is a partner in the firm’s Default Services Departmen...
Judith Elkin 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. Judith, who practices law in New York, New York, has been recognized since 2005. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Judith is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
David D. MacKnight focuses his practice on Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law, representing both consumer and business clients. His work includes insolvency matters involving liquidation and reorganization, as well as representation of secured and unsecured creditors in bankruptcy cases. Based in Rochester, New York, David is a member of Lacy Katzen LLP and regularly advises financial institutions, including providing comprehensive bankruptcy-related ser...
Mr. Ziehl has been a managing partner of the firm since it was founded in 1983, overseeing its growth into the nation’s largest law firm specializing in insolvency matters. Admitted to the bar in both California and New York, he has a national bankruptcy and litigation practice, specializing in complex bankruptcy proceedings and business litigation, with significant trial experience in both state and federal courts. Mr. Ziehl has represented debtors, creditor committees, bondholders, tr...
Christopher Marcus is a partner in Kirkland's Restructuring Group. He represents debtors, creditors, equity sponsors, and investors in distressed companies in a wide array of industries, including oil and gas, energy, retail, telecommunications, media, real estate, and manufacturing. Christopher has been recognized in the 2018–2022 editions of Chambers USA, with sources praising him as “very smart and very commercially oriented,” “a good advocate” and a “ta...
Kristin, a partner in the Firm’s Business Restructuring practice, represents clients in bankruptcy and insolvency proceedings. She concentrates her practice in commercial bankruptcy and insolvency matters, creditors’ rights, out-of-court workouts and restructurings and financial services litigation. Kristin is a co-Managing Partner of the Firm’s New York office and a member of the Firm-wide Management Committee. Read full biography: https://www.mwe.com/people/going-kristin-k/
Peter is a partner in our Business Law department, concentrating on corporate bankruptcy cases, commercial law and banking law. With over 40 years of experience representing banks and secured lenders, Peter regularly appears in bankruptcy court for the Northern District of New York. In addition to his creditors’ rights practice, he has represented several Chapter 11 debtors and has successfully confirmed a number of Chapter 11 reorganization cases. Peter’s clients include banks, l...
Philip Anker, chair of the firm's Bankruptcy and Creditors’ Rights Litigation Practice Group, is a leading bankruptcy litigator and advisor who has practiced for more than 35 years in the field. Among other honors, he has been inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy. Mr. Anker has been selected as one of the “Best Lawyers” in Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law in the Best Lawyers in America each year since 2005, with pe...
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.