Methodology
What Our Numbers Mean
More than $150 million in discharged debt represents the cumulative non-priority unsecured liabilities — credit cards, medical bills, deficiency balances, business guarantees, and old tax debt that met dischargeability standards — eliminated for our clients over the last two decades. It is not a measure of money paid to creditors; it is a measure of financial weight permanently lifted off of California families and small-business owners.
Volume matters in bankruptcy practice for reasons that aren't always obvious to clients comparing attorneys. Familiarity with the local trustee panel in the Central District of California — including the Los Angeles, Santa Ana, Riverside, and Woodland Hills divisions — shortens the path between filing and discharge. Knowing how a particular Chapter 7 trustee evaluates exemption claims, or how a specific judge approaches cramdown valuation in single-asset real-estate cases, allows us to set expectations accurately and avoid unnecessary motion practice.
An honest qualifier on our 98% Chapter 7 success rate: the rate depends almost entirely on the completeness and accuracy of the information our clients provide. A Chapter 7 case is only "easy" when the petition, schedules, and Statement of Financial Affairs are correct the first time, exemptions are properly claimed, and there are no undisclosed transfers in the look-back period. We invest substantial pre-filing time so that our clients earn the benefit of that statistic.
Practice Areas
Notable Case Categories
Our case record cuts across the full range of consumer and commercial bankruptcy work.
Consumer matters
- Chapter 7 liquidations for wage earners and retirees facing unmanageable medical, credit-card, or business-guarantee debt.
- Chapter 13 reorganizations for homeowners who need to cure mortgage arrears, strip wholly unsecured second liens, or restructure non-dischargeable tax obligations over a three-to-five-year plan.
Commercial & complex matters
- Closely held operating companies, professional practices, and real-estate holding entities in Chapter 11 reorganizations.
- Subchapter V small-business cases under the Small Business Reorganization Act of 2019.
- High-asset individual Chapter 11 filings, single-asset real estate, multi-property investor portfolios.
- Cash-collateral disputes and contested plan confirmations against secured lenders or the U.S. Trustee.
Adversary & contested work
- Adversary proceedings to determine dischargeability under §523.
- Defense of §727 objections to discharge.
- Lien-strip motions and reaffirmation-agreement negotiation.
- Stay-violation claims under §362(k) when creditors ignore the automatic stay.
For clients whose situations don't require a bankruptcy filing, we evaluate debt settlement and other workout options. For perspective on how reorganization can preserve enterprise value even in difficult cases, see our overview of famous Chapter 11 success stories.
Why It Matters
Why a Track Record Matters When Choosing a Bankruptcy Attorney
Bankruptcy is a procedurally demanding area of federal practice, and the consequences of a poorly prepared filing can include denial of discharge, loss of non-exempt assets, and even dismissal with a 180-day refiling bar under §109(g). When evaluating attorneys, prospective clients are right to look beyond marketing language and ask about actual case outcomes, courtroom experience, and familiarity with the specific division where their case will be assigned.
Subchapter V has only existed since February 2020. It substantially streamlines small-business reorganization but introduces its own learning curve around the eligibility cap, the role of the Subchapter V trustee, the 90-day plan deadline, and the relaxed absolute-priority rule. Firms that have actively litigated Sub-V cases since the framework took effect are positioned differently than those just beginning to take them on.
Continuity with the local bench and trustees. Our partners have appeared before nearly every sitting judge in the Central District of California and routinely work with the standing Chapter 13 trustees and panel Chapter 7 trustees throughout the region. That continuity is part of what allows us to give clients realistic outcome ranges at the consultation stage rather than after the §341 meeting.
FAQ