Areas of Practice

Bankruptcy Law

Debtors and Creditors Rights

Commercial Debt Workouts

Business and Real Estate Transactions

Business Law

Banking, Financing and Leasing

Certifications

Certified Specialist, Bankruptcy Law, Arizona Board of Legal Specialization

Honors and Achievements

Super Lawyers® (Bankruptcy), 2007, 2010

Best Lawyers in America® (Bankruptcy), 2010

Practice Highlights

• Representation of secured creditors, surety companies, unsecured creditors, committees, lessors, trustees and debtors in Chapter 7, 11, 12 and 13 proceedings

• Representation of clients in bankruptcy cases involving such diverse matters as real estate, construction, manufacturing, high tech equipment, trucking, airlines, food production, surety claims, intellectual property, oil and gas, multi-tiered marketing, factoring and asset based lending

• Represented a debtor oil and gas company in a Chapter 11 reorganization involving $55 million in debt and obtained a confirmed plan of reorganization

• Represented a factoring company with a multi-million-dollar secured claim in a printing company Chapter 11 case where debtor tried to subordinate the claim to DIP financing

• Pursued multi-million-dollar reclamation and unsecured claims on behalf of vendors in the Circle K bankruptcy case

• Obtained a multi-million-dollar state court verdict on a fraudulent transfer action

• Negotiated and documented DIP financing transactions for both factoring companies and asset based lenders

• Successfully defended a non-dischargeability action brought by a bank against a client

• Represented an unsecured creditors committee, resulting in a consensual plan of reorganization

• Represented bond holders involving the bankruptcy sale of HUD low-income apartments

Professional Memberships

American Bar Association: Bankruptcy Law Section, Litigation Section

State Bar of Arizona: Business Law Section, Bankruptcy Section

Colorado Bar Association

State Bar of Georgia

Maricopa County Bar Association

Presentations and Published Articles

"Bankruptcy Litigation Skills in Arizona," National Business Institute, Inc., 1992

"Business Valuation in a Bankruptcy Context," Fifth Annual Bankruptcy Symposium, State Bar of Arizona, 1994

"Nondischargeability Litigation," 8th Annual Bankruptcy Symposium, State Bar of Arizona, 1997

"The Interplay of Bankruptcy Law and Construction Law," Maricopa Country Bar Association, 1998

"Common Bankruptcy Issues Facing Contractor Clients Regarding Preference Claims and Defenses," Maricopa County Bar Association, 1998

"When Bankruptcy Law and Construction Law Cross Paths," Maricopa County Bar Association, 1998

"Bankruptcy Claims and Subrogation," Fidelity and Surety Law Committee Newsletter of the American Bar Association, 1999

"Individual Bankruptcy Issues: Discharge Exceptions in Bankruptcy," Western States Surety Conference, 2000

"Fundamentals of Bankruptcy Law and Procedure in Arizona," National Business Institute, 2002

"Bankruptcy Ambushes Lurking in the Legal Jungle," State Bar of Arizona, 2002

"Winning at Oral Argument: A Judges Point of View," Maricopa County Bar Association, 2002

"Bankruptcy Law: The Big Picture, An Overview of Bankruptcy Law and Its Implications," Maricopa County Bar Association, 2002

"The Interplay of Bankruptcy Law and Construction Law," Maricopa County Bar Association, 2002

"When Bankruptcy and Construction Law Cross Paths," Maricopa County Bar Association, 2004

"Involuntary Bankruptcy: A Rational Option?" Maricopa County Bar Association, 2004

"Bankruptcy Hors D'Oeuvres for the Construction Lawyer," 2006

"A Bankruptcy Primer for Trade Creditors," PIPE (Print Industry) Conference, 2007

"The Bankruptcy Appeals Process," Maricopa County Bar Association, 2010

"Overview of Bankruptcy Law," Maricopa County Bar Association, 2010

Bar Admissions

Arizona

Georgia

Colorado

U.S. District Court, District of Arizona

U.S. District Court, Northern District of Georgia

U.S. District Court, District of Colorado

U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit

Education

J.D., Emory University, 1979

B.S., University of Colorado, 1976

Born

Greeley, Colorado