Doerner lawyers have decades of experience representing all key parties involved in bankruptcy or reorganization: debtors, secured and unsecured creditors, committees, trustees and investors. We are experienced in all aspects of Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings and in such highly specialized areas as Chapter 9 municipal bankruptcies, single-asset real estate cases and small business reorganizations. In all matters our key strength is facilitating restructurings and reorganizations that preserve assets and business relationships for all stakeholders.

Our firm has handled small bankruptcies and multi-billion dollar proceedings involving oil and gas businesses, manufacturers, retailers and distributors, service and financial entities and all forms of commercial real estate. Our representation of Official Committees offers a 30-plus year record of unsurpassed effectiveness. A deep bench of skills in employment, environmental, oil and gas, transactional and real estate law, among other specialties, enables us to handle the business issues of a liquidation, asset purchase or sale, workout or receivership.

We recognize that establishing confidence and trust with our clients is crucial for handling bankruptcy or restructuring successfully. The officers and directors of companies involved in these proceedings are in a new and stressful environment, and our lawyers are always accessible at any time to give guidance and reassurance. When trustees for bankrupt companies target corporate officers and directors for financial responsibility, we vigorously defend their interests against claimed fiduciary breaches and liability.

Just as importantly, we are known and highly regarded in bankruptcy courts throughout Oklahoma and in numerous jurisdictions around the country. Trustees and committees appreciate our cost accountability and detailed billings. And in workouts and restructurings, our commitment to finding business solutions that keep troubled companies out of bankruptcy is valued by debtors and creditors alike.

  • Crafted the successful Chapter 11 reorganization of a restaurant chain involving 13 separate entities.
  • Successfully reorganized municipal corporations under Chapter 9.
  • Represented the unsecured creditors’ committee in a manufacturing company’s Chapter 11 case, resulting in confirmed plan payout valued at 90% of claim value.
  • Defended local telephone companies against a Chapter 11 plan administrator’s fraudulent transfer and business tort claims totaling $23MM.
  • Defended a turnaround consulting firm against a Chapter 7 trustee’s breach of fiduciary duty and fraud claims stemming from involvement with a failed convenience store chain.
  • Provided successful defense against debtor and liquidating trustee objections to Ponzi scheme net loss claims by the Ponzi mastermind and Chapter 11 debtor.
  • Prosecuted successful Section 523 non-dischargeability claims against a Chapter 7 debtor based upon state court litigation.
  • Defended against a Chapter 7 trustee’s preferential transfer claims.
  • Prosecution of Section 523 dischargeability and Section 727 discharge objections against a convicted Chapter 7 debtor.

  • Representation of Chapter 11 and Chapter 7 trustees in bringing and successfully completing hundreds of avoidance actions, while defending against such actions in other matters.
  • Restructuring of comprehensive bank debt on behalf of commercial real estate developers, retail business owners, oil and gas businesses, professional services companies and high income individual borrowers and guarantors of business debt.
  • Successful prosecution of numerous motions for relief from the automatic stay for creditors of debtors in Chapter 7, 11, 12 and 13 bankruptcy cases.
  • Reorganization of dozens of companies in a wide range of business sectors, plus representing interests of scores of lenders, trade creditors, employees, committees, trustees, bidders, and purchasers, lessors and lessees in reorganizations.
  • Experience in both judicial and non-judicial (power of sale) commercial real estate foreclosure and receivership proceedings.
  • Assisting buyers and sellers of business assets in and out of numerous bankruptcy proceedings.

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Doerner lawyers understand that for creditors, debtors and trustees, bankruptcy or reorganization is ultimately about doing business under difficult circumstances. The Bankruptcy Code allows for a wide range of business options, and we use the Code to pursue the effective and creative strategies that best meet each client’s needs. We also recognize that bankruptcy is only a tool to be used to facilitate a business solution and that a consensual, non-bankruptcy solution to a financial problem is often the best result.

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