Chicago Bankruptcy Lawyer - Case Examples
The biggest cases handled by the Firm:
- Zepeda Construction Services, Inc. ("ZCSI"), a 35 million dollar per year minority construction company, the largest minority-owned construction business in Chicago, had ceased operations after defaulting on several City contracts. For a year, it did no work. It was sued by the City, by the bonding company, and by numerous subcontractors in state and federal court. The bonding company seized all of the company's books and records, contracts, and computers. Three of ZCSI's unions filed an involuntary chapter 7 case against it, Case No. 02 B 18501, and against the company's 100% shareholder, Sam Zepeda. Both debtors at first engaged an attorney who had no experience in chapter 11 cases to represent them. He converted the cases to cases under chapter 11. They were consolidated and were on the point of being dismissed when the attorney referred ZCSI to this Firm. Sam Zepeda voluntarily dismissed the personal chapter 11. This Firm then sought and obtained a return of all the contract books from the bonding company, enforced the automatic stay, sought to collect receivables, defended ZCSI against mechanics lien actions in state court, engaged in bankruptcy litigation, objected to proofs of claim, negotiated with the unions, and drafted a disclosure statement and plan. Ultimately, the disclosure statement was approved by the court and ZCSI's plan of reorganization was confirmed after a majority of the voting creditors approved. The confirmed plan was later modified as a liquidating plan approved by the court. The plan was substantially performed and the case was closed in early 2005.
- Dr. and Mrs. Galo L. Tan who had numerous business interests came to the Firm in 1995. After analyzing their needs and the needs of their businesses, the Firm filed three related chapter 11 cases: Dr. Galo L. Tan, M.D., S.C. (for the doctor's practice), Geotrack, Inc. (another business owned by Dr. Tan), and Mr. and Mrs. Galo L. Tan (individuals with business interests). Dr. Tan was a shareholder and often officer or board member of numerous businesses. He and his businesses were being sued in various jurisdictions around the state. He also had various causes of action to be prosecuted in state and federal courts, and numerous proofs of claim to which he needed to object. Although we filed the Geotrack, Inc. chapter 11, there would have been a conflict of interest to represent that chapter 11 debtor, so we referred it out to another competent chapter 11 attorney, who brought it to a successful reorganization within a few years. The court saw no conflict of interest in representing Dr. Tan's professional practice, and this Firm brought that chapter 11 to a successful conclusion (confirmed plan, case closed) within a year. The remaining chapter 11 case, Dr. and Mrs. Tan, continued for years. The Firm engaged other attorneys to pursue fraud claims against certain defendants, and Dr. Tan was awarded several million dollars from that suit. Ultimately, this Firm withdrew as counsel and a subsequent attorney completed the successful reorganization.
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