Attorney Profile

David M. Reeder

attorney at law

David M. Reeder is an attorney with over 30 years of experience focused on bankruptcy cases, business reorganizations, bankruptcy litigation, loan workouts, bankruptcy trustee representation, and the representation of purchasers of distressed assets. He has also written and spoken extensively on bankruptcy topics.

Education

• Morningside College, Sioux City, Iowa. B.A., History, 1972
• Drake University Law School, Des Moines, Iowa, J.D., with honors, 1987;
  member of the Drake University Law Review, 1986-1987.

Bar Admissions

• State Bar of California – 1988
• New York State Bar – 2008

Practice Affiliations

Reeder Law Corporation
Los Angeles, CA
1999 – present
Principal Attorney
Represents companies and individuals in bankruptcy cases, business reorganizations, and bankruptcy litigation. The practice focuses on counseling business owners and individuals regarding their options, dealing with out of court restructurings, all phases of chapter 11 cases, asset acquirer representation, bankruptcy litigation, and loan work-outs. Also handles commercial and real estate litigation, as well as attorney fee arbitrations as both an advocate and an arbitrator.

Valensi Rose, PLC
Los Angeles, CA
2015-2019
Of-counsel
Handled bankruptcy cases (both debtor and creditor side), bankruptcy and commercial litigation, including trial practice.

Hoffman Polland & Furman, PLLC
New York, NY and Los Angeles, CA
2007-2009
Of Counsel
Handled loan workouts, bankruptcy litigation, and bankruptcy cases on behalf of companies, trustees, and creditors’ committees.

Lewis, Brisbois, Bisgaard & Smith
Los Angeles, CA
1995 – 1999
Partner
Established the bankruptcy department at the firm’s downtown Los Angeles office. Advised the firm’s litigation and transactional attorneys on bankruptcy issues arising in their cases.

Shapiro, Posell, Rosenfeld & Close
Los Angeles, CA
1990 – 1995
Associate
Lead attorney in the firm’s bankruptcy department. Represented business debtors, creditors, creditors’ committees, and bankruptcy litigants.

Saltzburg, Ray & Bergman
Los Angeles, CA
1987 – 1990
Associate
Bankruptcy and receivership practice.

Published Cases

In re Madison Associates, 183 B.R. 206 (Bankr. C.D. Cal. 1995)
In re Charles William Spenler, 212 B.R. 625 (Bankr. 9th Cir. 1997)

Martindale Hubbell Peer Rating

AV – the highest rating in both professional competence and ethical practice

Alternative Dispute Resolution

• Arbitrator, Los Angeles County Bar Association Fee Arbitration Panel
• Member, Mediation Panel for the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California
• Member, Mediation Panel for the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York

Expert Witness Assignments

Gatto vs. K.R. et al, Van Nuys Superior Court (2008). Gave expert testimony at trial regarding the dischargeabilty of federal and state income taxes in bankruptcy.

Federal Court Admissions

• United States District Courts for the Central, Northern, Southern and Eastern Districts of California, 1988
• Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, 1997
• United States District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, 2008

Lecturing and Speaking

Speaker, RBZ, LLP, Bankruptcy Principals for Accountants and Business Advisors (2014)
Speaker, Family Law Inns of Court, Bankruptcy and Family Law; Strange Bedfellows (2014)
Speaker, Gibbs, Gidden, Locher, Turner & Senet, LLP “Bankruptcy 2011 – Key Concepts and Developments” (2011)
Speaker, San Gabriel Valley Bar Association “Bankruptcy 2010 – Key Concepts and Developments” (2010)
Speaker, Association of Certified Fraud Examiners – Los Angeles Chapter “Shining the Light: The Role of Fraud Examiners in Bankruptcy Cases” (2009)
Speaker and Panel Moderator, Los Angeles County Bar Association – Real Property Section “Navigating and Negotiating a Bankruptcy Sale” (2009)
Panel Materials Contributor, American Bankruptcy Institute Annual Spring Meeting,. “Representing the Foreign Creditor in Today’s Financial Meltdown” Washington D.C (2009)
Speaker and Panel Moderator, American Bankruptcy Institute Winter Leadership Conference “Chapter 15, Coming Soon to A Court Near You” Tucson, AZ (2008). Panel members included the late Hon. Burton Lifland and Hon. Arthur Gonzalez.
Speaker and Panel Moderator “Bankruptcy Basics” National Business Institute (2003)
Speaker, RBZ, LLP “Bankruptcy Trends Effecting Accountants” (2003)
Speaker and Panel Moderator, Los Angeles County Bar Association, “The Effect of Bankruptcy on Construction Projects”, (2002)
Speaker, Moss Adams, LLP, “The Bankruptcy Act of 2001; Creditors Paradise, Debtor’s Inferno?”, (2001)
Seminar Coordinator, Agudas Israel Professional Seminar, “The Israel Supreme Court”, (2001)
Speaker, Burbank Bar Association, “The Bankruptcy Act of 2001; Creditors Paradise, Debtor’s Inferno?”, (2001)
Speaker and Panel Moderator, Los Angeles Bankruptcy Forum. “The Bankruptcy Act of 2001”, (2001)
Speaker and Panel Moderator, Bankruptcy and Commercial Law Section, Los Angeles County Bar Association. “The Treatment of Executory Contracts, Unexpired Leases, and Licenses in Bankruptcy Cases”, (2000). Panel members included Hon. Ernest Robles
Speaker, Blanc Williams Johnston & Kronstadt, LLP. “Intellectual Property Issues in Chapter 11 Cases”. (1999)
Speaker, Lewis, D’Amato, Brisbois and Bisgaard, LLP, “Bankruptcy Issues for Litigators”, (1998)
Panelist, Beverly Hills Bar Association “Life After Bankruptcy”, (1997)
Speaker, National Business Institute, “Fundamentals of Bankruptcy Practice in California”, (1997)
Panelist, Los Angeles County Bar Association, Bankruptcy and Commercial Law Section, “Bankruptcy Basics”, (1994)
Speaker, Bankruptcy and Commercial Law Section, Los Angeles County Bar Association, “A Partially New Ballgame; The Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1994”, (1994)
Speaker, Bankruptcy and Commercial Law Section Subcommittee – Los Angeles County Bar Association “Cape Fear Re-visited; A Bankruptcy Lawyer’s Duty to Zealously Represent His Client”, (1993)
Speaker and Panel Moderator, Bankruptcy and Commercial Law Section – Los Angeles County Bar Association, “Tax Issues Affecting Individual Bankruptcy Cases” (1993)
Speaker and Panel Moderator, National Business Institute, “Bankruptcy Practice in the Central District of California”, (1993)
Speaker and Panel Moderator, Bankruptcy and Commercial Law Section – Los Angeles County Bar Association, “Chapter 13; The Sleeping Giant Stirs”, Panelists included Hon. Samuel Bufford and Hon. Alan Ahart. (1993)
Speaker and Panel Moderator, Bankruptcy and Commercial Law Section – Los Angeles County Bar Association. “Efficient and Economical Handling of Non-dischargeability Litigation” (1992). Panelists included Hon. Geraldine Mund.
Speaker and Panel Moderator, Bankruptcy and Commercial Law Section – Los Angeles County Bar Association, “Issues in Individual and Consumer Bankruptcy Cases”, Panelists included Hon. Vincent Zurzolo (1992)
Panel Moderator, Bankruptcy and Commercial Law Section – Los Angeles County Bar Association “Discharging Student Loans in Bankruptcy”, (1992)
Speaker and Panel Moderator, Bankruptcy and Commercial Law Section – Los Angeles County Bar Association, “Pre-bankruptcy Planning”, (1992)
Speaker, Culver City – Marina Bar Association, “Bankruptcy Issues for Non-Bankruptcy Lawyers”, (1992)
Speaker, San Gabriel Valley Bar Association “Bankruptcy Issues for Non-Bankruptcy Lawyers”, (1992)
Speaker, Gustin, Brandlin, Cheatom & Associates, CPAs, “Identifying Preferential Transfers and Fraudulent Conveyances”, (1991)
Speaker, Real Estate Section, Los Angeles County Bar Association “Real Estate Issues in Bankruptcy Cases”, (1990)
Team Instructor and Panelist, Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Workshop, Pepperdine University Law School , (1990)
Speaker and Coordinator, Saltzburg, Ray & Bergman, Associates and Summer Clerks Writing Program, (1989)
Speaker, Los Angeles Paralegal Association, “Bankruptcy Practice and Procedure”, (1989)
Speaker, Saltzburg, Ray & Bergman, “Bankruptcy and Commercial Law for Paralegals” 3-part program , (1989)

Published Materials

Ninth Circuit Warms to Cannabis Bankruptcy Cases, Insolvency Insights (Reeder Law Corporation) September 2019
The Law of Recovery of Preferential Transfers: “Can They Really Do This?”, Valensi Rose, PLC Insolvency Newsletter June 2018
Retail bankruptcies and history-in-the making, Valensi Rose, PLC Insolvency Newsletter May 2017
There are some limits to fees in bankruptcy cases, Los Angeles Daily Journal June 2015
Judicial Opinions Provide a Path to Life Long Learning, Los Angeles Daily Journal January 30, 2013
Jurisdiction Questions to Plague Bankruptcy Courts, Los Angeles Daily Journal January 18, 2013
Shine the Light: The Use of Examiners to Uncover Fraud in Chapter 11 Cases, American Bankruptcy Institute Commercial Fraud Taskforce e-News Letter (April, 2008)
Norton on Bankruptcy, Contributing author (West 2006).
Personal and Small Business Bankruptcy Practice in California, Contributing author (C.E.B. 2003)
Reederlaw Report, Editor and publisher of an online newsletter featuring timely articles on legal and business topics. (2002-present)
New Central District Bankruptcy Rules Aim to Prevent ‘Procedural Roulette’, Los Angeles Daily Journal, June 7, 2002
Non-scheduled Claims are Subject to the Debtor’s Discharge in an Individual ‘No Asset’ Bankruptcy Case, Los Angeles County Bar Association Commercial and Business Section Newsletter, Fall, 1994
The Shrinking Exemption Pool; Ninth Circuit BAP Declares Annuities To Be Non-exempt As a Matter of Law, Los Angeles County Bar Association Commercial Law and Bankruptcy Section Newsletter, Spring, 1994
The Sinking of American Mariner, 6 Bankruptcy Study Group Journal 5, March, 1988
The Administrative Priority in Bankruptcy — A Survey, 36 Drake L. Rev. 135, 1987

Key Accomplishments

Chapter 11 Business Reorganization

• Confirmed an “earn-out” plan for an architectural firm after an evidentiary hearing, over the objection of the largest creditor, who was also the debtor’s largest competitor. Components of the plan included a new value contribution by existing equity, and separate classification of a guaranteed unsecured claim, which established a consenting impaired class, and kept the objecting creditor from blocking confirmation of the plan.
• Lead counsel for Union China Investment and Development, Inc., the owners of a distressed office complex. Successfully moved for use of cash collateral. Negotiated a consensual plan of reorganization. Confirmed the plan after successfully meeting the bankruptcy court’s special requirements for a “new-value” plan.
• Lead counsel for Hallmark Carpet Mills, Inc. Successfully sought and gained broad “first day” order in a court where such relief was not common. Confirmed a plan of reorganization.

Trustee Representation

• Represented the operating trustee of National Pax, Inc., manufacturer of the well-known consumer product “Otter Pops”. Negotiated purchase agreement for the sale of all operating assets of the debtor, negotiated loan agreement with purchaser providing for funding of estate’s operations pending approval and closing of sale. Secured bankruptcy court approval of sale over virulent opposition of debtor, insiders, and a “spurned suitor”.
• Represented the chapter 11 trustee of Greenhorn Ranch, Inc. Confirmed consolidated plan of reorganization which included the sale of a residential subdivision.

Litigation

• Successfully defended well-known professional athlete in non-dischargeability lawsuit in the bankruptcy court. Verdict for defense after a bench trial.
• Successfully prosecuted numerous avoidance actions involving preferences and fraudulent transfers. Successfully represented numerous recipients of pre-litigation letters regarding preferences and fraudulent transfers, convincing opposing counsel that the “target” had valid defenses to the proposed avoidance action.

Acquisitions from Bankruptcy Estates

• Represented the purchaser of the assets of ice-cream manufacturer Cool-A-Coo, Inc. from its bankruptcy estate. Negotiated and documented the transaction. Convinced the Bankruptcy Court to disallow bids of non-qualified over bidders at hearing regarding sale.
• Represented the purchaser of a multi-million dollar almond processing facility in California’s Central Valley. Convinced the bankruptcy court to exclude from the sale order certain onerous provisions insisted upon by an aggressive European bank that was undersecured by over $20,000,000.

Creditor Representation

• Represented creditor Elke Sommer in the bankruptcy case of Zsa Zsa Gabor. Blocked confirmation of the debtor’s plan and achieved a favorable settlement for the client.
• Represented a “spoiler” creditor in the case of Madison Associates fka Panell Kerr Forster (one of the 10 largest public accounting firming in the U.S.). Achieved special treatment for the client after several victories in court and keeping steady pressure on the debtor.

Professional Affiliations and Activities

• American Bankruptcy Institute
  Litigation Committee
  Educational Director, International Committee (2008-2009)
• Los Angeles Bankruptcy Forum
• Financial Lawyers Conference
• Los Angeles County Bar Association, Bankruptcy and Commercial Law Section
• Fee Arbitrator – Los Angeles County Bar Association Fee Arbitration Program 2011 – present
• Pro-bono representation on behalf of Agudas Israel

Non-legal activities

Real estate broker, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 1974-1983
Agricultural land appraiser, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 1976-1982
Building contractor, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 1977-1982