AREAS OF PRACTICE: Bankruptcy law and related litigation; debtor and creditor representation in workouts, reorganizations, and liquidations involving individuals and small / medium-size businesses; bankruptcy litigation; business litigation involving contract, commercial and fraud issues; mediation advocate and facilitator in all types of business disputes.
EDUCATION: University of California at Berkeley, Boalt School of Law (J.D., 1982); University of Southern California (B.A., 1974); Pepperdine University Institute for Dispute Resolution, "Bankruptcy Mediation" (1995), "Advanced Mediation" (1998) and "Negotiating Skills" (2004). BAR: California (1982); District of Columbia (1998); Commonwealth of Massachusetts (1998). Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal; United States District Court for the Central, Eastern, Northern and Southern Districts of California. Admitted pro hac vice in various proceedings outside California, including Delaware, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Wyoming.
AWARDS: The Mediator Who Settled The Most Mediations (2002-2003 Term of the Bankruptcy Mediation Program - Santa Ana Division); The Most Frequently Chosen Mediator (2002-2003 Term of the Bankruptcy Mediation Program - Santa Ana Division).
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS: Bankruptcy Mediation Panel for the Central District of California (1995-Present); Attorney Settlement Officer Panel for the Central District of California (2001-2005); Peter M. Elliott Inn of Court, Master (1995-Present), Secretary (1997-1998), Treasurer (1998-1999), Program Chair (1999-2000), Vice President (2000-2001), President (2001-2002); State Bar of California, Insolvency Law Committee of the Business Law Section (1990-1993) and (1994-1997); Orange County Bankruptcy Forum (1987-Present); American Bankruptcy Institute (1993-Present); Orange County Bar Association (1982-Present); Los Angeles County Bar Association (1995-Present).
COMMUNITY AFFILIATIONS: Orange County Bankruptcy Forum, Holiday Fundraiser Committee (2004); The Pacific Club (2002-Present); Foothill Education Fund Foundation, Board of Directors (2000-2004), Auction Chair (2002), Alumni Contributor's Campaign Chair (2003); Foothill Knights Football Boosters (2000-2004), Special Events Co-Chair (2001-2002), President (2002-2004).
ARTICLES: "Police Power Exception to the Automatic Stay: What Is Its Scope When Applied to Postpetition Governmental Action Against Property of the Estate," 18 Cal. Bankr. J. 261 (1990); "What Do Bankruptcy and Family Law Have in Common . . . A Lot!" Bus. L. News, p. 13 (Summer 1994); "The Future of Non-Exclusive License Agreements in California After the Ninth Circuit's Ruling in In re Catapult Entertainment, Inc.," Bus. L. News, p. 6 (Summer 1999); "Contracting Around Section 523 of the Bankruptcy Code: Is There an Iron-Clad Way to Create a Nondischargeable Settlement Obligation", Orange County Lawyer, Vol. 45, No. 4, p. 35 (April 2003); "Contracting Around the Debt Discharge Under Section 523(a)(2)(A), 27 Cal. Bankr. J. 40 (2003).
PANELIST: Frequent panelist and speaker. See separate listing.