David M. Reeder, Esq.
Reeder Law Corporation
2029 Century Park East, Suite 2500 • Los Angeles, CA 90067
(Office) (310) 557-8911 • (Fax) (310) 557-0380 • david@reederlaw.com • www.reederlaw.com
Curriculum Vitae
Profile
Accomplished attorney with strong background in bankruptcy and commercial law, including all aspects of business bankruptcy and bankruptcy litigation. Proven ability to effectively represent troubled companies, creditors, asset purchasers, creditors’ committees, trustees, and litigants.
Martindale Hubbell Peer Rating
AV – the highest rating in both professional competence and ethical practice
Avvo Rating
10/10 - Superb
Legal Experience
Chapter 11 Practice. Lead counsel in successful chapter 11 business reorganizations; handled all aspects of chapter 11 cases for diverse interests, including debtors, creditors, committees, trustees and acquirers of assets.
Bankruptcy Litigation. Experienced in all aspects of bankruptcy litigation on both plaintiff’s and defendant’s sides, including preparing pleadings, drafting and responding to written discovery, prosecuting and resolving discovery disputes, preparing and opposing motions for summary judgment, and trying cases. Briefed and argued bankruptcy appeals
Acquisition of Assets from Bankruptcy Estates. Active in all aspects of the purchase of businesses and assets from bankruptcy estates, including: advising the acquirer with respect to transaction strategy, documenting the transaction, determining break-up fees and overbid protection, representing the purchaser at bankruptcy court hearings involving overbids, drafting and negotiating detailed orders of sale.
Practice Affiliations
Reeder Law Corporation
Los Angeles, CA1999 – present.
Principal Attorney
Represents companies and individuals in bankruptcy cases, business reorganizations, and bankruptcy litigation. The practice focuses on counseling business owners regarding their options, dealing with out of court restructurings, all phases of chapter 11 cases, asset acquirer representation, bankruptcy litigation, and cross-border insolvency issues.
Hoffman Polland & Furman, PLLC
New York, NY/Los Angeles, CA
2007-2009
Of Counsel
Handled loan workouts, bankruptcy litigation, and bankruptcy cases on behalf of companies, trustees, and creditors committees.
Lewis, Brisbois, Bisgaard & Smith
Los Angeles, CA
1995 – 1999
Partner
Established a strong bankruptcy department at the firm’s Los Angeles office. Advised the firm’s litigation and transactional attorneys on bankruptcy issues arising in their cases. High success rate in bankruptcy litigation. Excellent record in collecting bankruptcy department’s accounts receivable on behalf of a bottom-line-oriented firm.
Shapiro, Posell, Rosenfeld & Close
Los Angeles, CA
1990 – 1995
Associate
Lead attorney in the firm’s bankruptcy department. Represented business debtors, creditors, creditor’s committees, and bankruptcy litigants.
Saltzburg, Ray & Bergman
Los Angeles, CA
1987 – 1990
Associate
Represented a chapter 7 trustee and state court receiver. Represented the trustee in a multi-million dollar case regarding a failed Ponzi scheme. Represented a publicly-traded R.E.I.T. in its chapter 11 case.
Education
Morningside College, Sioux City, Iowa. B.A., History, 1972
Drake University Law School, Des Moines, Iowa, J.D., with honors, 1987;
member of the Drake University Law Review, 1986-1987.
Bar Admissions
State Bar of California - January, 1988
New York State Bar – August, 2008
Lecturing and Speaking
Lectured on bankruptcy-related topics for the Los Angeles County Bar Association, Los Angeles Bankruptcy Forum, Beverly Hills Bar Association, National Business Institute, San Fernando Valley Bar Association, Burbank Bar Association, Culver Marina Bar Association, San Gabriel Valley Bar Association. Prepared detailed materials, organized the panel, and acted as moderator of panels which have often included bankruptcy judges.
Lectures and programs presented by David Reeder include:
Speaker, San Gabriel Valley Bar Association “Bankruptcy 2010 - Key Concepts and Developments” (2010)
Speaker, Association of Certified Fraud Examiners – Los Angeles Chapter “Shining the Light: The Role of Fraud Examiners in Bankruptcy Cases" (2009)
Speaker and Panel Moderator, Los Angeles County Bar Association – Real Property Section “Navigating and Negotiating a Bankruptcy Sale” (2009)
Panel Materials Contributor, American Bankruptcy Institute Annual Spring Meeting,. “Representing the Foreign Creditor in Today’s Financial Meltdown” Washington D.C (2009)
Speaker and Panel Moderator, American Bankruptcy Institute Winter Leadership Conference “Chapter 15, Coming Soon to A Court Near You” Tucson, AZ (2008). Panel members included Hon. Burton Lifland and Hon. Arthur Gonzalez.
Speaker, RBZ, LLP "Bankruptcy Trends Effecting Accountants" (2003)
Speaker and Panel Moderator, Los Angeles County Bar Association, "The Effect of Bankruptcy on Construction Projects", (2002)
Speaker, Moss Adams, LLP, "The Bankruptcy Act of 2001; Creditors Paradise, Debtor's Inferno?", (2001)
Seminar Coordinator, Agudas Israel Professional Seminar, "The Israel Supreme Court", (2001)
Speaker, Burbank Bar Association, "The Bankruptcy Act of 2001; Creditors Paradise, Debtor's Inferno?", (2001)
Speaker and Panel Moderator, Los Angeles Bankruptcy Forum. "The Bankruptcy Act of 2001", (2001)
Speaker and Panel Moderator, Bankruptcy and Commercial Law Section, Los Angeles County Bar Association. "The Treatment of Executory Contracts, Unexpired Leases, and Licenses in Bankruptcy Cases", (2000). Panel members included Hon. Ernest Robles
Speaker, Blanc Williams Johnston & Kronstadt, LLP. "Intellectual Property Issues in Chapter 11 Cases". (1999)
Speaker, Lewis, D'Amato, Brisbois and Bisgaard, LLP, "Bankruptcy Issues for Litigators", (1998)
Panelist, Beverly Hills Bar Association "Life After Bankruptcy", (1997)
Speaker, National Business Institute, "Fundamentals of Bankruptcy Practice in California", (1997)
Panelist, Los Angeles County Bar Association, Bankruptcy and Commercial Law Section, "Bankruptcy Basics", (1994)
Speaker, Bankruptcy and Commercial Law Section, Los Angeles County Bar Association, "A Partially New Ballgame; The Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1994", (1994)
Speaker, Bankruptcy and Commercial Law Section Subcommittee - Los Angeles County Bar Association "Cape Fear Re-visited; A Bankruptcy Lawyer's Duty to Zealously Represent His Client", (1993)
Speaker and Panel Moderator, Bankruptcy and Commercial Law Section - Los Angeles County Bar Association, "Tax Issues Affecting Individual Bankruptcy Cases" (1993)
Speaker and Panel Moderator, National Business Institute, "Bankruptcy Practice in the Central District of California", (1993)
Speaker and Panel Moderator, Bankruptcy and Commercial Law Section - Los Angeles County Bar Association, "Chapter 13; The Sleeping Giant Stirs", Panelists included Hon. Samuel Bufford and Hon. Alan Ahart. (1993)
Speaker and Panel Moderator, Bankruptcy and Commercial Law Section - Los Angeles County Bar Association. “Efficient and Economical Handling of Non-dischargeability Litigation” (1992). Panelists included Hon. Geraldine Mund.
Speaker and Panel Moderator, Bankruptcy and Commercial Law Section - Los Angeles County Bar Association, "Issues in Individual and Consumer Bankruptcy Cases", Panelists included Hon. Vincent Zurzolo (1992)
Panel Moderator, Bankruptcy and Commercial Law Section - Los Angeles County Bar Association "Discharging Student Loans in Bankruptcy", (1992)
Speaker and Panel Moderator, Bankruptcy and Commercial Law Section - Los Angeles County Bar Association, "Pre-bankruptcy Planning", (1992)
Speaker, Culver City - Marina Bar Association, "Bankruptcy Issues for Non-Bankruptcy Lawyers", (1992)
Speaker, San Gabriel Valley Bar Association "Bankruptcy Issues for Non-Bankruptcy Lawyers", (1992)
Speaker, Gustin, Brandlin, Cheatom & Associates, CPAs, "Identifying Preferential Transfers and Fraudulent Conveyances", (1991)
Speaker, Real Estate Section, Los Angeles County Bar Association "Real Estate Issues in Bankruptcy Cases", (1990)
Team Instructor and Panelist, Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Workshop, Pepperdine University Law School , (1990)
Speaker and Coordinator, Saltzburg, Ray & Bergman, Associates and Summer Clerks Writing Program, (1989)
Speaker, Los Angeles Paralegal Association, "Bankruptcy Practice and Procedure", (1989)
Speaker, Saltzburg, Ray & Bergman, "Bankruptcy and Commercial Law for Paralegals" 3-part program , (1989)
Published Materials
Shine the Light: The Use of Examiners to Uncover Fraud in Chapter 11 Cases, American Bankruptcy Institute Commercial Fraud Taskforce e-News Letter (April, 2008)
Contributing Author, Norton on Bankruptcy (West 2006).
Bankruptcy Practice Overview chapter in the multi-volume treatise Personal and Small Business Bankruptcy Practice in California published in 2003 by C.E.B. (Continuing Education of the Bar, A Division of the State Bar of California)
Reederlaw Report, Editor and Publisher of an online newsletter featuring timely articles on legal and business topics. (2002-present)
Trustee Alert, Editor and Publisher of a semi-monthly newsletter with articles of interest to bankruptcy trustees.
New Central District Bankruptcy Rules Aim to Prevent 'Procedural Roulette', Los Angeles Daily Journal, June 7, 2002
Non-scheduled Claims are Subject to the Debtor's Discharge in an Individual 'No Asset' Bankruptcy Case, Los Angeles County Bar Association Commercial and Business Section Newsletter, Fall, 1994
The Shrinking Exemption Pool; Ninth Circuit BAP Declares Annuities To Be Non-exempt As a Matter of Law, Los Angeles County Bar Association Commercial Law and Bankruptcy Section Newsletter, Spring, 1994
The Sinking of American Mariner, 6 Bankruptcy Study Group Journal 5, March, 1988
The Administrative Priority in Bankruptcy -- A Survey, 36 Drake L. Rev. 135, 1987
Published Cases
In re Madison Associates, 183 B.R. 206 (Bankr. C.D. Cal. 1995)
In re Charles William Spenler, 212 B.R. 625 (Bankr. 9th Cir. 1997)
Expert Wittness
Gatto vs. K.R. et al, Van Nuys Superior Court (2008). Testified at trial regarding the dischargeability of federal and state income taxes in bankruptcy.
Key Accomplishments
Chapter 11 Business Reorganization
- Lead counsel for Union China Investment and Development, Inc., the owners of a distressed office complex. Successfully moved for use of cash collateral. Negotiated a consensual plan of reorganization. Confirmed the plan after successfully meeting the bankruptcy court’s special requirements for a “new-value” plan.
- Lead counsel for Hallmark Carpet Mills, Inc. Successfully sought and gained broad “first day” order in a court where such relief is not common. Confirmed a plan of reorganization.
Trustee Representation
- Represented the operating trustee of National Pax, Inc., manufacturer of the well-known consumer product “Otter Pops”. Negotiated purchase agreement for the sale of all operating assets of the debtor, negotiated loan agreement with purchaser providing for funding of estate’s operations pending approval and closing of sale. Secured bankruptcy court approval of sale over virulent opposition of debtor, insiders, and a “spurned suitor”.
- Represented the chapter 11 trustee of Greenhorn Ranch, Inc. Confirmed consolidated plan of reorganization which included the sale of a residential subdivision.
Litigation
- Successfully defended well-known professional athlete in non-dischargeability lawsuit in the bankruptcy court. Verdict for defense after a bench trial.
- Successfully prosecuted numerous avoidance actions involving preferences and fraudulent transfers. Successfully represented numerous recipients of pre-litigation letters regarding preferences and fraudulent transfers, convincing opposing counsel that the “target” had valid defenses to the proposed avoidance action.
Acquisitions from Bankruptcy Estates
- Represented the purchaser of the assets of ice-cream manufacturer Cool-A-Coo, Inc. from its bankruptcy estate. Negotiated and documented the transaction. Convinced the bankruptcy court to disallow bids of non-qualified over bidders at hearing regarding sale.
- Represented the purchaser of a multi-million dollar almond processing facility in California’s Central Valley. Convinced the bankruptcy court to exclude from the sale order certain onerous provisions insisted upon by an aggressive European bank that was undersecured by over $20,000,000.
Professional Affiliations and Activities
American Bankruptcy Institute
Educational Director, International Committee (2008-present)
INSOL (International Association of Restructuring, Insolvency & Bankruptcy Professionals)
American Bar Association
Los Angeles Bankruptcy Forum
Financial Lawyers Conference
Los Angeles County Bar Association, Bankruptcy and Commercial Law Section
Pro-bono representation on behalf of Agudas Israel
Delegate, U.S.-Israel Cross Border Insolvency Conference, Jerusalem,
February, 1999
|
