Members in the News

Journal Issue

Jun 2006

Column Name

Citation

ABI Journal, Vol. XXV, No. 5, p. 81, June 2006

Journal HTML Content

Members in the News
Haynes and Boone LLP partner Stacey G.C. Jernigan, who began her career as a
summer clerk 18 years ago, will leave the firm to accept appointment as judge
for the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division.
She played a major role in the expansion of the Haynes and Boone bankruptcy
practice. Ms. Jernigan focused on complex chapter 11 cases and out-of-court
restructurings. In 2001, She was appointed adviser to the California Legislature
in connection with the financial crisis that rocked California utility companies.
She was recently elected as a Fellow in the American College of Bankruptcy,
and in 2005 she was named one of the leading Texas bankruptcy lawyers by Chambers
USA. Ms. Jernigan has been an ABI member since 1993.

Grant Thornton LLP, the U.S. member firm of Grant Thornton International in
Chicago, launched a recovery and reorganization services practice in May, with
the intention of providing professional services to underperforming and financially
troubled businesses and their stakeholders. The firm has named nationally recognized
reorganization industry professionals Marti Kopacz and Loretta Cross
to lead the practice. The two women have worked together for more than 10 years,
and each brings more than two decades of experience in the reorganization industry.
Ms. Kopacz, an ABI member since 1990, most recently served as a managing director
at Alvarez & Marsal in Norwell, Mass. She was a principal at PricewaterhouseCoopers
LLP, where she was a founding member of the corporate restructuring practice
before it was acquired by FTI Consulting Inc. At FTI, she was a senior managing
director. Ms. Cross was most recently a managing director and Southwest co-regional
leader for Alvarez & Marsal in Houston. Previously, she was a partner at
PwC and a senior managing director at FTI.
Buccino & Associates, Inc. in New York named Shawn A. Lederman a
vice president of the firm in April. Mr. Lederman joined the firm as an associate
in 2003, where his assignments included litigation support, financial restructuring
and reorganization, valuation and pre and post-petition debtor advisory services.
Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Lederman was a consultant with Putnam, Hayes
& Bartlett and Charles River Associates. Mr. Lederman received his M.B.A.
with distinction from New York University's Stern School of Business and earned
his B.S. summa cum laude at Boston University. He has been an ABI member
since 2004.

Kirk B. Burkley, a partner at Bernstein Law Firm PC in Pittsburgh, was
named a Pennsylvania Rising Star by Philadelphia Magazine. Mr. Burkley
concentrates on creditors' rights.
Deborah A. Hughes of Harrisburg, Pa., a member of the first class of
ABI Board Certified Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys and an ABI member since 1985,
was recently named as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer for 2006. The award will be
carried in the Philadelphia Magazine and Pennsylvania Super Lawyers
Magazine coming out this month. Only 5 percent of Pennsylvania attorneys
receive this honor each year.
Morris, Nichols, Arsht & Tunnell LLP in Wilmington, Del., announced in
April that senior partner William H. Sudell Jr. was unanimously elected
as the Chairperson of the Bankruptcy Section of the Delaware State Bar Association
for the year beginning July 1, 2006. Regarded by his peers as one of the top
bankruptcy lawyers in Delaware, Mr. Sudell has been recognized in Chambers
USA and The Best Lawyers in America. He has served on each of the
three merit selection panels appointed by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals
since 1994 to recommend persons to fill judicial vacancies on the Delaware Bankruptcy
Court. Mr. Sudell is a member of the Morris Nichols' business reorganization
and restructuring and corporate and business litigation groups, where he represents
debtors and creditors' committees, as well as secured and unsecured creditors,
in Delaware and elsewhere. Mr. Sudell earned his B.S. at Brown University and
his J.D. at the University of Pennsylvania Law School. He has been an ABI member
since 1992.

Bridge Associates LLC named Richard Reighard and David Phelps
managing directors of the firm, joining managing directors Anthony H.N. Schnelling,
Carl Young, Mark Stickel and Dean Vomero. Mr. Reighard,
CPA, is an experienced operating executive with special expertise in conflict
resolution and business process integration. He currently serves as CFO of International
Garment Processors, a manufacturer of distressed denim products located in El
Paso, Texas and Ju‡rez, Mexico. Prior to joining Bridge in 2000, Mr. Reighard
worked with Food Donation Connection, a company that coordinates the donation
of surplus food for national chains through nonprofit distribution channels.
He also held a variety of executive positions with Anchor Glass Container Corp.
Mr. Reighard earned his B.B.A. at Ohio University. Mr. Phelps, CPA, has extensive
experience in operating distressed companies and has handled numerous merger
and acquisition projects and financial transactions. He joined Bridge as a principal
in 2002. Presently, Mr. Phelps is CRA to Torch Offshore, Inc. in New Orleans.
He also heads a section of Bridge's crisis management and bankruptcy advisory
team at Wickes Inc. Mr. Phelps earned his B.S. at Indiana University.
The Orange County Bankruptcy Forum and the Commercial Law and Bankruptcy Section
of the Orange County Bar Association in March presented the 2005 Hon. Peter
M. Elliott Memorial Award to Charles F. (Chuck) Rosen for his continued
outstanding scholarship, ethics and service to the Orange County, Calif., bankruptcy
community. Mr. Rosen is an attorney with the Law Offices of A. Lavar Taylor
in Santa Ana, Calif. Until 2000 when he retired from IRS, he was a senior bankruptcy
advisor with the Special Procedures Branch of IRS and has taught extensively
for the Service. Mr. Rosen has been a member of ABI for almost 23 years and
is a former chair of ABI's Bankruptcy Taxation Committee. He has taught both
tax and bankruptcy courses at Western State University in Fullerton, Calif.

Moglia Associates changed its name to Moglia Advisors in May. The firm has
offices in Chicago, Los Angeles and Phoenix. Henry Ritter, who was recently
been named managing director, jointly leads the Los Angeles office.
Mesirow Financial Consulting promoted Brian Davies (Boston) and Lori
Payne (Los Angeles) to managing directors of the firm in March. The promotion
of these talented professionals reflects the firm's continued growth and success
in the financial advisory services marketplace. Bob Wessels, professor
of commercial law at Vrije University in Amsterdam, has been appointed by the
American Law Institute as a reporter of the project "Principles for Cooperation
in International Insolvency Cases." The objective of the project is to
establish the extent to which it is feasible to achieve a worldwide acceptance
of the Principles of Cooperation among the NAFTA Countries that were developed
during the Institute's Transnational Insolvency Project in 2000. The project
intends to investigate the possibility of extending, or further refining, certain
of the Principles in order to reflect the evolution of global opinion regarding
important issues in the transnational insolvency process.
Leonard P. Goldberger of Stevens and Lee in Philadelphia recently spoke
at the Environmental and Emerging Claims Managers Association Conference. In
his presentation, "Solvent Schemes of Arrangements," Mr. Goldberger
discussed how the increasing use of solvent schemes of arrangement for run-off
insurers in the global insurance markets effects the claims and rights of U.S.-based
insurers. Mr. Goldberger, a shareholder, has nearly 30 years of experience in
business bankruptcy law. He represents insurers in asbestos, mass tort and environmental
bankruptcy cases and works with clients in the acquisition and financing of
financially distressed businesses. A former Vice President, Director and Executive
Committee member of ABI, Mr. Goldberger also serves on the editorial board of
the ABI Journal. He earned his J.D. at Villanova University School of
Law and his B.A. summa cum laude from Temple University.

Mark R. Owens joined Barnes & Thornburg LLP's Indianapolis office
in April as an associate in the creditors' rights and business, tax and real
estate departments. Prior to joining Barnes & Thornburg LLP, Mr. Owens was
an associate at Klett Rooney Lieber & Schorling PC in Wilmington, Del. and
Philadelphia. An ABI member since 2003, Mr. Owens received his law degree cum
laude from Widener University School of Law, where he served two years on
the Widener Journal of Public Law. He also received a master's degree
from Bloomsburg University and a bachelor's degree magna cum laude from
Wilkes University.

Kutak Rock partner Kevin R. Huennekens was recently appointed to a 14-year
term for the 4th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va., making him
the second bankruptcy court judge serving in the Richmond division, alongside
Judge Douglas O. Tice Jr. Mr. Huennekens has served as a chapter 7 bankruptcy
trustee since 1987 and earned his J.D. the College of William and Mary's Marshall-Wythe
School of Law. He has been an ABI member since 1988.

Journal Authors

ABI

Journal Date

Thursday, June 1, 2006 - 12:00

Bankruptcy Rule

2006

none