Bankruptcy
By virtue of our concentration, Platzer, Swergold, Goldberg, Katz & Jaslow, LLP maintains a more substantial insolvency group than many of the larger, multi-department firms. At the same time, the partnership is small enough to encourage a collegial atmosphere where attorneys from all our departments work with each other sharing strategies on complex legal issues. Our support staff of paralegals and other professionals allows our attorneys to concentrate on the client's legal needs, enabling us to economically and expeditiously handle matters. We believe this cooperative style has helped the firm develop an eminently practical and thorough approach to bankruptcy proceedings and related matters.
As a result of the firm's depth of experience in sophisticated insolvency issues, we have worked with clients in broad array of industries and with companies ranging from small closely-held businesses to large publicly owned corporations. We have represented a number of large single asset real estate interests and have worked with parties purchasing assets from insolvent estates, including real estate, machinery and equipment, and leases.
Our practice includes representing Chapter 11 creditors' committees, debtors-in-possession, secured lenders, equipment leaser's, major insurance companies, individual unsecured creditors, Chapter 11 and Chapter 7 trustees, landlords and both filed and unfilled liquidating companies.
We have represented creditors' committees in both large and small Chapter 11 cases. The long history and wide scope of our practice in bankruptcy and insolvency cases -- both on the debtor and the creditor sides -- and the nature of our involvement in several precedent setting cases, brings real advantage to those creditors' committee clients. Our ability to quickly identify off-balance-sheet assets is one example of that advantage. Another is our proficiency in negotiating agreements which avoid the need for the debtor company to file for protection. Our experience has taught us to explore all avenues of potential relief and recovery on behalf of creditors, including out-of-court common law compromises, which often reduce expenses and expedite distributions to creditors.
Philosophically, we view the declaration of bankruptcy as a last resort. We encourage corporate management, individuals and creditors to consult with us at the first signs of fiscal distress and encourage debtor companies to meet with their creditors prior to resorting to the filing of a voluntary or involuntary bankruptcy petition. Through early intervention and proactive planning, our attorneys are able to help clients explore options and restructuring debt. In this regard, we regularly represent clients in negotiating lease and financing agreements, loan workouts, and secured lender refinancing. Many times we have worked with insolvent companies and informal creditors' committees to reach out-of-court settlements.
Once engaged, whether in a workout with, or on behalf of, creditors or in a filed bankruptcy proceeding or corporate restructuring, we apply thoroughness which is the result of our years of experience in the field. The accumulated knowledge gained in handling thousands of cases means we can move quickly and surely to protect our clients.