Ms. Michon Danielle Walker Related Seminars and Products

Arthur L. Walker & Associates LLC

Michon Walker is a partner with Arthur L. Walker and Associates, LLC, a boutique firm specializing in consumer bankruptcy and represents debtors in Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 cases in the Middle and Southern Districts of Georgia.  Michon is a member of the Bankruptcy Lawyers Advisory Committee for the Southern District of Georgia (BLAC) and the Criminal Justice Act Panel for the Southern District of Georgia.

Ms. Leah Fiorenza McNeill Related Seminars and Products

Alston & Bird LLP

Leah Fiorenza McNeill represents lenders, investors, debtors, trustees, trade creditors, funds, and other parties in a range of restructuring matters, including Chapter 11 cases, out-of-court workouts, financings, and restructuring matters.

Leah has experience handling restructuring matters from a wide range of industries but has specifically honed her skills in the distressed health care space and the food and beverage industry, where she has niche expertise in the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act to assist with insolvencies, restructurings, and corporate transactions.

Chambers USA has recognized Leah for Bankruptcy/Restructuring – Georgia since 2021, she has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America^® since 2020, and she has been recognized in the Atlanta community as a Super Lawyers “Rising Star” since 2016. Leah also co-chairs the ABA’s Business Bankruptcy Committee’s Healthcare and Nonprofits in Bankruptcy Subcommittee, is the chair of the Bankruptcy Section of the Georgia Bar, and is a member of the State Bar of Georgia’s Special Committee on Artificial Intelligence and Technology.

Representative Experience

• Representing and advising a regional food distributor as a creditor in bankruptcy cases, obtaining critical vendor status for it throughout the United States, and asserting its rights under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA) to get paid in full before payment of other creditors.
• Representing and advising a national food distributor as a creditor in bankruptcy cases, obtaining critical vendor status and priority claim status, asserting PACA claims and rights, and navigating contract assumption issues.
• Represented the official committee of unsecured creditors in a Chapter 11 reorganization of a Tier 1 auto supplier.
• Represented multiple financial institutions in connection with secured real estate transactions.
• Represented a Chapter 11 trustee in liquidating a world-renowned luxury resort.
• Defended various corporations in preference and fraudulent transfer actions.
• Represented a distressed corporation in the sale of substantially all its assets outside of bankruptcy for over $20 million.
• Represented a middle market radiology business as a stalking horse bidder in a Section 363 acquisition of an Arizona-based radiology business.
• Represented the largest secured creditor and DIP lender of a skilled nursing facilities operator in bankruptcy in the Northern District of Texas.
• Represented a community hospital in a Chapter 11 bankruptcy where substantially all its assets were sold in a Section 363 acquisition.
• Advised clients in preparing COVID procedures, including analyzing risks associated with accepting alternative payment methods, offering support for issues expected to arise due to COVID fallout, including breach of a MAC clause, and advising on steps to take in preparation to address those issues.
• Defended a nationwide food distributor in a procedurally complex PACA mass action in which unpaid creditors and lenders were seeking to recover $2 million. This lawsuit involved complex nuanced areas of PACA law.
• Represented a Canadian company in an expedited Section 363 acquisition of Casa Systems’ 5G mobile core and RAN assets for $32.2 million.
• U.S. counsel for liquidators based in the Cayman Islands and British Virgin Islands in a major fraud liquidation involving more than a dozen foreign jurisdictions.

Dr. Jack Williams Related Seminars and Products

Georgia State University College of Law

Jack Williams is a Professor at Georgia State University College of Law in Atlanta, Georgia. Jack started teaching at GSU in 1991 and has visited at a number of schools including UGA and Emory. He teaches Bankuptcy, Remedies, Mergers & Acquisitions, and Law & Accounting. He received his JD from The George Washington University National Law Center and his PhD (Archaeology) from the University of Leicester, UK. He has been blessed with great students, colleagues, and friends and family. You can reach him at jwilliams@gsu.edu.

Mr. Jacob Axel Johnson Related Seminars and Products

Alston & Bird LLP

Jacob Johnson is a senior associate in Alston & Bird’s Financial Restructuring & Reorganization Group. He represents clients in a wide range of insolvency matters both in and out of court.

In court, Jacob represents clients in domestic and cross-border cases under the Bankruptcy Code, receiverships (creditor, regulatory, and SEC), ABCs, and state-law liquidations. He also represents clients in complex domestic and cross-border insolvency-related litigation, with a particular focus on complicated financial transactions. Outside the courtroom, Jacob negotiates out-of-court debt restructurings and business-separation agreements and counsels banks, large corporations, funds, and smaller companies in a wide variety of insolvency matters related to investment structures, corporate transactions, credit-risk mitigation, and financial services.

Jacob has been recognized in the “Ones to Watch” list by The Best Lawyers in America^© for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law since its inauguration in 2020.

Jacob formerly clerked for the Hon. Marc T. Treadwell in the U.S. District Court for Middle District of Georgia and the Hon. Austin E. Carter in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Georgia. In law school, Jacob served as managing editor for the Mercer Law Review.

Donald Kirk Related Seminars and Products

Carlton Fields

Donald Kirk is a board certified attorney who represents clients in high-value insolvency and financial restructuring matters, officer and director fiduciary duty litigation, and commercial litigation. He regularly represents secured lenders, purchasers of assets from troubled companies, debtors, fiduciaries, committees, and other stakeholders in multiparty disputes and reorganizations. His practice has recently focused on the highly specialized health care insolvency industry, particularly on behalf of institutional buyers of health care practices such as hospitals and skilled care facilities. Donald has represented stalking horse buyers in cases in and out of Florida, secured lenders that are participants in complex financing facilities, physician practice groups in contract disputes such as risk share agreements, and defending officers and directors of hospitals. Donald’s representation of officers and directors is expansive and typically involves taking the lead defense role in matters involving numerous defendants and their legal teams. His clients include executives of public, private, and not-for-profit companies, advising them on their duties, risks, and obligations as financial concerns arise, defending and resolving litigation involving breaches of fiduciary duty, and advisory services concerning governmental investigations. His expertise includes navigating the nuanced insurance issues that arise in such circumstances. He has successfully led multiparty negotiations for his clients in numerous such matters ranging in size from several million to hundreds of million dollars in claims. These resolutions often involve permanent relief from future claims. Donald has handled contested matters, through trial, in numerous state and federal courts, including those in Colorado, Delaware, New York, California, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Washington, New Hampshire, and U.S. Virgin Islands. Donald is board certified in business bankruptcy by the American Board of Certification, and is a fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy. He is also a former president of the Tampa Bay Bankruptcy Bar Association. As co-chair of the Florida Bar’s Proceeding Supplementary Task Force, his team revised Florida’s proceeding supplementary judgment execution statute. He also chaired the American Bar Association’s successful effort to draft a model asset purchase agreement for bankruptcy sales. Chambers USA, a leading guide to the legal profession, noted that he "is very experienced in a wide variety of representations and a wide variety of cases. He's very bright, very capable, and does a good job across the board." 

Mr. Robert McCay Dearing Mercer Related Seminars and Products

Mercer Law LLC

Having been a partner for many years in the bankruptcy and restructuring group of a large international law firm, Robert has a high-stakes bankruptcy and insolvency litigation practice.

In his over twenty-five years of practice, Robert has represented just about every major player in chapter 11 cases including post confirmation trustees, creditors’ committees, chapter 11 debtors, indenture trustees, receivers, asset purchasers, directors and officers, pre-petition lenders, and debtor-in-possession lenders.

Robert has appeared in bankruptcy courts around the country including the United States Bankruptcy Courts for the Southern District of New York and the District of Delaware. In addition, he has represented clients in high-stakes insolvency and commercial litigation in state and federal courts.

There are two significant ways that Robert’s practice differs from comparable bankruptcy and insolvency litigators. First, in very select cases, Robert represents insolvency fiduciaries in high-stakes litigation on a contingency fee. Second, unlike most bankruptcy and insolvency litigators, he does not represent—and, therefore, is not precluded from suing—any banks.

Honors & Awards
Chambers USA, Bankruptcy/Restructuring, Georgia, 2013 – 2021, 2023

Selected as a "Super Lawyer" in Bankruptcy by Atlanta Magazine, 2018-2023

Selected as a "Legal Elite" in Bankruptcy Law by Georgia Trend, 2016, 2018-2023

Recent Speaking Engagements

Moderator, “The Shoot Out at the OK Corral: Insolvency Litigation Targeting D&Os and Lenders”, TMA Atlanta Panel, Buckhead Club in Atlanta, Georgia, September 1, 2023.

Moderator, “Set ‘Em Up & Knock ‘Em Down: Litigation Arising Out of Distressed Deals”, TMA Southeast Regional Conference, Nashville, Tennessee, August 10, 2023.

Moderator, “Advanced Fraudulent Transfers: A Baker’s Dozen of Helpful Tips and Insights,” ABI Southeast Bankruptcy Workshop, Amelia Island, Florida, July 21, 2022.

Industry Leadership
Vice President of Membership (2018-2023) & Board of Directors (2014-2023) Turnaround Management Association, Atlanta Chapter

Advisory Board, American Bankruptcy Institute Southeast Bankruptcy Workshop (2017- 2023)

Advisory Committee, TMA Southeast Conference (2022-2023)

Andrew Woltman Related Seminars and Products

Statera Capital

Andy is Managing Director and Co-Founder of Statera Capital, a Chicago based commercial litigation finance firm differentiated by its flexible, responsive investment structures.  At Statera, Andy is responsible for investment sourcing, selection and management, fund operations, and investor relations. Andy also serves as Statera’s General Counsel.

Andy is responsible for leading Statera’s mission to provide access to litigation finance to a broader universe of lawyers and clients facing important legal challenges.  He is a trusted partner and recognized for his insight into the business of law and legal finance.  He has been ranked by Chambers and Partners, included in Lawdragon’s Global 100 Leaders for Litigation Finance, and recognized by Business Today as a top 10 U.S. litigation finance lawyer shaping the U.S. legal industry in 2023.  He is an advocate for greater efficiency in the U.S. civil justice system, and frequently speaks on how litigation finance can increase parity and promote access to justice.

Prior to launching Statera, Andy was an experienced commercial litigator who represented individuals and businesses in a wide range of complex commercial disputes. Andy joined Statera from an AmLaw 100 global law firm where, as a partner in the firm’s commercial litigation practice, Andy represented commercial entities as plaintiffs and defendants in federal and state courts and arbitrations throughout the country.

Andy received his B.S. from Boston College and J.D. from the University of Notre Dame Law School.

Mr. Paul Maurice Baisier Related Seminars and Products

US Bankruptcy Court

Judge Baisier has been a bankruptcy judge in the Northern District of Georgia in Atlanta since July of 2015.  Prior to that time, he was for 15 years a partner in the Atlanta office of Seyfarth Shaw LLP, where he represented creditors in bankruptcy and related workout and collection matters and various parties in commercial real estate matters.  Judge Baisier began his legal career at King & Spalding, where he represented parties on all sides of bankruptcy cases, including debtors, creditors, creditors' committees, asset purchasers and even a future claims representative.  Judge Baisier received a B.S. in Finance from the University of Illinois with highest honors and a J.D.  magna cum laude from Harvard Law School.

Hon. John T. Laney III Related Seminars and Products

US Bankruptcy Court

Hon. John T. Laney III has been serving as a bankruptcy judge in the Middle District of Georgia since October 1, 1986. His career began after graduating Mercer University in Macon, Georgia where he received his undergraduate degree in 1964 and his law degree in 1966. Having been enrolled in the ROTC program, Judge Laney was commissioned in the Army as a Captain in the Judge Advocate General (“JAG”) Corps where he served at Ft. McPherson in Atlanta, what was then known as Ft. Benning in Columbus, now known as Ft. Moore, and for a period at Camp Howze in Korea. In 1970, he entered private practice at a Columbus-based firm, Swift, Pease, Davidson, and Chapman, the predecessor to the current Columbus firm Page, Scrantom, Sprouse, Tucker & Ford, P.C. He worked in general civil practice with an emphasis in insurance defense and bankruptcy law for 16 ½ years until he ascended to the bench in 1986. Outside of the job, Judge Laney can be found either participating in amateur radio competitions or attending the youth sports games of his four grandsons. 

Hon. James Peyton Smith Related Seminars and Products

US Bankruptcy Court

Mr. Jeffery Wayne Cavender Related Seminars and Products

US Bankruptcy Court

Jeffery W. Cavender was sworn in as a bankruptcy judge for the Northern District of Georgia on March 2, 2018.  Judge Cavender graduated from Berry College, summa cum laude, in 1990 with a degree in history, and from the University of Georgia School of Law, cum laude, in 1993 where he was a member of the Georgia Law Review and inducted into the Order of the Coif.  Prior to his appointment to the bench, Judge Cavender was a partner in the financial restructuring practice of Troutman Sanders LLP (n/k/a Troutman Pepper, LLP) where he primarily represented corporate debtors and secured lenders in Chapter 11 cases and mortgage servicers in consumer-related litigation and bankruptcy matters.  Judge Cavender previously was a partner in the bankruptcy group of McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP (n/k/a Dentons LLP) and previously served as the general counsel for a national mortgage company.  Judge Cavender served as chair of the Bankruptcy Section for the Atlanta Bar Association (2017-2018) and was a member of its board of directors (2012-2018).  During Judge Cavender’s tenure as chair, the Atlanta Bar Bankruptcy Section was named the national CARE chapter of the year and received the Pro Bono Award for Excellence and the Small Section of the Year Award from the Atlanta Bar.   Judge Cavender is an active member of the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges, the Turnaround Management Association and the American Bankruptcy Institute, having previously served on the advisory committee for the ABI Southeastern Workshop.  In 2021 Judge Cavender was appointed by Chief Justice John Roberts to serve a three year term on the Federal Judicial Center’s Bankruptcy Judges Education Advisory Committee.

Ms. Leslie M. Pineyro Related Seminars and Products

Jones & Walden LLC

Leslie is a partner at Jones & Walden. She represents clients in a variety of legal matters in state and federal courts and in business transactions. Leslie represents debtors and creditors in bankruptcies and adversary proceedings. 

Prior to joining Jones & Walden, Leslie practiced at the boutique entertainment law firm of Jonathan E. Leonard, P.C., where she negotiated entertainment contracts and managed business and intellectual property matters for a variety of entertainment clients, including Grammy Award-winning writers, producers, and artists.

Leslie graudated from the University of Tennessee with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance in 2001 and from Georgia State University College of Law in 2006.

Ms. Sage McKinley Sigler Related Seminars and Products

US Bankruptcy Court

Sage Sigler was appointed as a United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Northern District of Georgia in 2018.  Judge Sigler succeeds the Hon. Mary Grace Diehl, for whom she clerked after graduating from law school.  She earned her J.D. from the Emory University School of Law, where she was the executive symposium editor of the Emory Bankruptcy Developments Journal, and earned her B.A. in political science from the University of Florida.  Prior to her appointment to the bench, Judge Sigler was a partner in Alston & Bird LLP’s Bankruptcy Group. 

Judge Sigler is a member of ABI’s Board of Directors and the judicial chair for ABI’s Southeast Conference. She was a member of ABI's innagural class of "40 under 40" in 2017 and is an alumna of NCBJ's NextGen program. Judge Sigler is also an active member of NCBJ, IWIRC, TMA, and the Bankruptcy Section of the Atlanta Bar Association. She lives in Atlanta with her husband, daughter (6), and their rescue dog.   

Mr. Matthew Michael Weiss Related Seminars and Products

Parker Hudson Rainer & Dobbs LLP

Matthew Weiss is an associate attorney at Parker, Hudson, Rainer & Dobbs, where he helps creditors successfully navigate bankruptcy and restructuring matters, with a focus on creditors’ rights and insolvency-related litigation in bankruptcy, federal and state courts.  In addition to bankruptcy and creditors’ rights, Matt’s legal practice includes commercial litigation and political law, including his service as the Deputy General Counsel for the Democratic Party of Georgia.  Matt graduated from the University of Georgia and the University of Georgia School of Law.  Prior to entering private practice, he clerked for The Honorable Marvin H. School of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.  Matt has previously been published in the Georgia Law Review, the ABI Journal, the Journal of Corporate Renewal, and the American Bankruptcy Law Journal.  Matt has been recognized as “One to Watch” in Best Lawyers, a “Rising Star” by Super Lawyers Magazine, and one of Georgia’s “Legal Elite” by Georgia Trend Magazine.  Matt currently holds leadership roles with the Georgia Lawyer Chapter of the American Constitution Society, the American Jewish Committee, and the Jewish Community Relations Council of Atlanta.  Matt lives in Sandy Springs with his wife, Stephanie, his children, Blake and Molly, and his dog, Emmy.      

Jason Brookner Related Seminars and Products

Gray Reed

Serving as Gray Reed's Bankruptcy Practice Group Leader, Jason Brookner focuses his practice on advising debtors, buyers, creditors, trustees, committees, lenders and other constituents in all aspects of distressed, insolvency and restructuring scenarios. Known for his practical and diligent approach to solving challenging problems, he has obtained successful outcomes in complex cases in many industries, ranging from oil and gas, manufacturing, distribution and healthcare to poultry and meat processing, metals trading and restaurants (including fast casual and quick-service).
 

Selected by peers and clients in Chambers & Partners USA as one of the leading bankruptcy/restructuring lawyers in Texas every year since 2005, Jason has built a strong reputation for being fair but firm with opponents, developing creative solutions to his clients’ problems and providing compassionate representation. Jason was also recently recognized for his important role in the Life Partners Holdings, Inc. case, which was named the 2017 "Turnaround of the Year" in the large company category by the Turnaround Management Association.

Ms. Mandy Kathleen Campbell Related Seminars and Products

Chapter 13 Trustee's Office

Mandy K. Campbell has served as staff attorney for Chapter 13 Trustees for over 15 years.  She received her undergraduate degree from Randolph-Macon Woman’s College and is graduate of the University of Georgia School of Law, 2005. She represented debtors in Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 before she was hired in 2008 by Adam M. Goodman, Standing Chapter 13 Trustee in the Northern District of Georgia, and she continues to represent his successor, Melissa J. Davey, as senior staff attorney.

Mr. Nathan Tal Juster Related Seminars and Products

US District Court

Nate Juster is a career law clerk for Judge Victoria Calvert, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. He previously clerked for Judge Amy Totenberg, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia and Judge Mary Grace Diehl, U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Georgia. Between his clerkships, he primarily practiced bankruptcy law, representing debtors in cases under chapters 7, 11, and 13, both in private practice at Jones & Walden and as a senior staff attorney with Atlanta Legal Aid Society. He is a co-author on the recently released Bankruptcy Basics, 3d Edition published by the National Consumer Law Center in 2023. He is also a contributing author to Collier on Bankruptcy and the Collier Bankruptcy Practice Guide. He has published articles in the ABI Journal and Pratt’s Journal of Bankruptcy Law. Mr. Juster was the 2019 recipient of the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys (NACBA)'s K. Colleen Nunnelly Award and the 2017 recipient of NACBA's Henry J. Sommer Legal Aid Scholarship.

Mr. Jason Lamont Pettie Related Seminars and Products

Taylor English Duma, LLP

Jason Pettie is a partner in Taylor English’s Litigation and Dispute Resolution Department focusing his practice on bankruptcy, restructuring, and creditors’ rights matters. Jason is a veteran bankruptcy practitioner with experience representing debtors, trustees, creditors, equity holders, and asset purchasers.  Jason offers clients the unique perspective of an attorney who also serves as a Chapter 7 and Chapter 11 trustee.  Known as an excellent communicator, Jason is adept at managing multiparty litigation, and his work as a bankruptcy trustee provides him with an experienced perspective on how diverse cases play out.

In 2008, Jason was appointed to the panel of Chapter 7 trustees in the Northern District of Georgia by the Office of the U.S. Trustee. In this role, he has successfully administered more than 15,000 Chapter 7 cases, which have included estates worth up to $31 million. He has a deep understanding of managing bankruptcy cases from start to finish, with experience filing pleadings and adversary proceedings, submitting required reports, investigating cases for fraud, and making referrals to the Office of the U.S. Trustee. 

Jason is member of the American Bankruptcy Institute and the National Association of Bankruptcy Trustees (NABT). Jason has served as an elected member of NABT’s Board of Directors since 2015.  Through his role with the NABT, he has worked directly with members of Congress and Congressional staff to advocate for the organization’s legislative priorities.  He also serves as chairman of NABT’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee, a role which has led him to work with the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges (NCBJ) and the Office of the United States Trustee to broadly improve access to the bankruptcy system.  Jason is a frequent speaker sharing his bankruptcy knowledge with attorneys at continuing legal education seminars and providing college students with information on financial literacy and debt management. 

Jason clerked for the he Honorable Audrey R. Evans and Chief Judge Richard D. Taylor of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas.  Jason graduated from the Howard University School of Law, with honors, and he obtained his undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia.