Board Certified -- Business Bankruptcy Law -- The American
Board of Certification (1993-present)
Certified Specialist -- Bankruptcy Law -- State Bar of
California Board of Legal Specialization (1994-present)
Rated "AV Preeminent" by Martindale-Hubbell (AV
rated 1991-present)
Selected as Southern California "Super Lawyer" in
Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights (2004-present)
Adjunct Professor of Law, Loyola Law School, Los Angeles --
bankruptcy law, debtor-creditor law, and Uniform Commercial Code (1982-1987)
Mediator, Bankruptcy Mediation Program, United States
Bankruptcy Court, Central District of California (1995-present). Tied for most
frequently selected mediator (Los Angeles Division, 1999-2000, Northern
Division, 2012-2013). Contributing editor, Bankruptcy Mediation News (U.S.
Bankruptcy Court, Central District of California, 2019-present)
Author, "Why my Associate Should Become a
Mediator," Bankruptcy Mediation News (U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Central
District of California, 2021)
Author, "Billing Tips from a Fee Examiner: An Interview
with Prof. Nancy B. Rapoport" ABI Journal (American Bankruptcy Institute,
2021)
Author, "Meeting a Bankruptcy Judge’s Expectations: An
Interview with the Hon. Barry Russell," ABI Journal (American Bankruptcy
Institute, 2020)
Author, "Bankruptcy Mediation Snacks," Bankruptcy
Mediation News (U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Central District of California, 2019)
Author, "The Lighter Side of Mediation,"
Bankruptcy Mediation News (U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Central District of
California, 2019)
Author, "American Board of Certification Names 2019
Officers, Directors and Emeritus Director" ABI Journal (American
Bankruptcy Institute, 2019)
Author, "It’s Only Au Revoir: War Stories and Missteps
in Advocacy," ABI Journal (American Bankruptcy Institute, 2018)
Author, "These are a Few of my Favorite Things:
Treasured Possessions of Bankruptcy Judges," ABI Journal (American
Bankruptcy Institute, 2018)
Author, "Dusting Off the Western Union '92 Code to
Shorten Bankruptcy Briefs," ABI Journal (American Bankruptcy Institute,
2018)
Author, "40 Years of Electronic Music: An Interview
with the Hon. Marc Barreca," ABI Journal (American Bankruptcy Institute,
2018)
Coauthor, "The Hon. Calvin K. Ashland and his Big Book
of Bankruptcy Funnies," Consumer Bankruptcy Journal (National Association
of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys, Winter 2018)
Contributing editor, Norton Bankruptcy Law and Practice 3d
(2008-2017)
Coauthor, "The Bankruptcy Crisis in Chicago,"
Consumer Bankruptcy Journal (National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy
Attorneys, Summer 2017)
Author, "Great pick-up lines from American Bankruptcy
Institute Conferences," ABI Journal (American Bankruptcy Institute, 2017)
Author, "Travels and Adventures in Ham Radio with the
Hon. John T. Laney, III," ABI Journal (American Bankruptcy Institute,
2017)
Author, "Amusements Off the Bench: Hobbies of the Hon.
Scott C. Clarkson," ABI Journal (American Bankruptcy Institute, 2016)
Author, "Judicial Perspectives on Life, Bankruptcy Law,
and All That," ABI Journal (American Bankruptcy Institute, 2016)
Author, "On the Dangers of Asteroids and Other
Disclosure Statement Lessons," ABI Journal (American Bankruptcy Institute,
2016)
Speaker, Federal Bar Association, 18th Annual Bankruptcy
Ethics Symposium, "Technical Competency and Ethical Pratfalls: ‘I am Not a
Cat’ and Much More" (scheduled, 2021)
Master of Ceremonies, Central District Consumer Bankruptcy
Attorneys Association, 2021 Hon. Calvin Ashland Awards Dinner (scheduled, 2021)
Planning committee and breakout facilitator, Conference of
Ninth Circuit Chief Bankruptcy Judges and Bankruptcy Lawyer Representatives
(2021)
Speaker, American Bankruptcy Institute, "Crossfire:
§1129(a)(9)(A) and Confirmation of Chapter 11 Plans" (2021)
Speaker, San Fernando Valley Bar Association, Bankruptcy Law
Section, "Attacking the Adversary Proceeding Complaint: Federal Rule of
Civil Procedure 12" (2021)
Speaker, Federal Bar Association, 17th Annual Bankruptcy
Ethics Symposium, "Attorney Competence 101: The Latest Scams And Technical
Dangers For Lawyers And Other Human Beings" (2020)
Speaker, Beverly Hills Bar Association, Taxation and
Bankruptcy Law Sections, "Taxperson at the Door: Exemption Planning,
Collection Powers, Liens, and Horror Stories" (2020)
Speaker, Beverly Hills Bar Association, Bankruptcy Law
Section, "Business Appraisal and Real Estate Valuation in 2020:
Application of the Federal Rules of Evidence in a Free Fall Economy"
(2020)
Speaker, Century 21 Discovery, "Bankruptcy Basics for
Real Estate Professionals: the Automatic Stay; Getting Employed by Bankruptcy
Trustees and Debtors in Possession; and the Magic of Bankruptcy Sales"
(2020)
Speaker, Central District of California Judicial Conference,
Bankruptcy Judges And Bankruptcy Lawyer Representatives Roundtable, "Local
Bankruptcy Procedures and Rules -- Three Easy Fixes" (2020)
Speaker, Los Angeles Bankruptcy Forum, "A Few Words
About Attorney Joe Bernfeld -- Co-Founder of the Los Angeles Bankruptcy
Forum" (2020)
Speaker, San Fernando Valley Bar Association, Bankruptcy Law
Section, "11 U.S.C. §523: Meeting the Bankruptcy Judge's
Expectations" (2020)
Speaker, Federal Bar Association, 16th Annual Bankruptcy
Ethics Symposium, "Bankruptcy Lawyer Trip Ups: Law Firm Technology; Less
Than Perfect Law Firm Practices; and The Very Best of Those Gosh Darn
Solicitations That Land in My In Box Every Single Morning" (2019)
Moderator, Central District Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys
Association, "2019 Hon. Calvin Ashland Awards Dinner" (2019)
Speaker, American Bankruptcy Institute, "Consumer
Bankruptcy Evidence Workshop" (2019)
Speaker, Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference, Bankruptcy
Judges Education Program, "Bankruptcy Breakout: Six Hot Topics"
(2019)
Speaker, American Board of Certification/American Bankruptcy
Institute, "Ain't Misbehaving: 11 U.S.C. §707(b)(4) and Federal Rule of
Bankruptcy Procedure 9011" (2019)
Speaker, San Fernando Valley Bar Association, Bankruptcy Law
Section, "Dude! How to litigate cases under 11 U.S.C. §727" (2019)
Speaker, American Bar Association, Center for Education and
Accreditation, National Specialization Roundtable, ʺUnplugged! Marketing Tricks
and Tips for Certified Specialists and Legal Specialization Programsʺ (2019)
Speaker, Beverly Hills Bar Association, Bankruptcy Law
Section, "Drafting Rock Solid Declarations in Federal Court: Presenting
Evidence for Motions and Trials" (2019)
Speaker, Federal Bar Association, 15th Annual Bankruptcy
Ethics Symposium, "The Ethical Lawyer’s Dilemma: Information Technology in
the Era of the iPhone, Software as a Service, and the Internet of Things"
(2018)
Volunteer, Constitutional Rights Foundation, 38th Annual
California Mock Trial Competition (2018)
Speaker, Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference, Bankruptcy
Judges Education Program, "Equal Access to Bankruptcy Justice" (2018)
Speaker, Beverly Hills Bar Association, Bankruptcy Law
Section, "Use and Abuse of Experts and Expert Testimony in Federal
Court" (2018)
Speaker, American Bar Association, Center for Professional
Responsibility, National Specialization Roundtable, "The Future of Legal
Specialization: Professional Association or Mark of Merit?" (2018)
Speaker, Conference of Chief Bankruptcy Judges, "How to
Raise a Lawyer: Gender Bias; Bullying; and The Formal Rules of Civility"
(2018)
Speaker, Los Angeles Bankruptcy Forum, "A Conversation
with Attorney Christine Steiner: War Stories from the Smithsonian, the Getty,
and the Broad -- and How Artists’ Rights and Ownership Claims Can impact on
Consignments and the Attachment, Perfection, Priority, and Foreclosure of
Security Interests in Works of Art" (2018)
Speaker, American Board of Certification/American Bankruptcy
Institute, "Professionalism! Competence! Certification! Best Practices!
Bankruptcy Judges Sound Off on the Best (and Worst) Behavior of our Bankruptcy
Brothers and Sisters" (2018)
Speaker, Los Angeles County Bar Association, "Bridging
the Gap 2018: From Books to Billables" (2018)
Speaker, San Fernando Valley Bar Association, Bankruptcy Law
Section, “Weight of the Evidence: Bankruptcy Litigation on a Shoestring Budget”
(2018)
Speaker, South Pasadena High School, Bildungsroman,
"The Bankruptcy Court System" (2018)
Speaker, Pacifica High School, "The 14th Amendment and
Equal Protection" (2018)
Speaker, Narbonne High School, "The 14th Amendment,
Equal Protection, and a Lawyer's Life" (2018)
Speaker, Federal Bar Association, 14th Annual Bankruptcy
Ethics Symposium, “A Mixed Bag of Ethical Issues Related to Client Retention,
Client Management, and Termination of the Attorney‐client Relationship"
(2017)
Speaker, Los Angeles County Bar Association, Commercial and
Bankruptcy Law Section, "Hon. Ernest M. Robles: Pet Peeves and Best
Practices in his Bankruptcy Courtroom" (2017)
Speaker, Beverly Hills Bar Association, Bankruptcy Law
Section, "The Uncomfortable Intersection of Fair Debt Collection Practices
Act, California's Rosenthal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, and Bankruptcy
Law" (2017)
Speaker, San Fernando Valley Bar Association, Bankruptcy Law
Section, "Litigating Fraud Cases under 11 U.S.C. §523(a)(2)(A)"
(2017)
Speaker, Central California Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys
Association, "Bankruptcy Mediation in Consumer Cases" (2017)
Speaker, American Bankruptcy Institute, Winter Leadership
Conference, "Nuts and Bolts of Evidentiary Hearings" (2016)
Speaker, American Bankruptcy Institute, Winter Leadership
Conference, "Marketing Your Bankruptcy Practice Today: SEO Optimization;
Social Media; or the Phone Book" (2016)
Speaker, Federal Bar Association, 13th Annual Bankruptcy
Ethics Symposium, "The Emergence of Robot Lawyers: California State Bar
No. 93548 vs. Legal Zoom, the Cloud, and You Tube" (2016)
Speaker, United States Bankruptcy Court, Central District of
California, annual mediation program lunch, "Three Things They Didn't
Teach you in Mediation School" (2016)
Speaker, Bar Association of San Francisco, "Federal
Rules of Evidence" (2016)
Speaker, Orange County Bar Association, Commercial Law and
Bankruptcy Section, "Common Evidentiary Mistakes in Bankruptcy Court"
(2016)
Speaker, American Bar Association, Center for Professional
Responsibility, National Specialization Roundtable, "Legal Certification
Examinations -- Efficient and Effective Examination Creation and
Preservation" (2016)
Speaker, American Bar Association Standing Committee on
Legal Specialization, Annual National Roundtable on Lawyer Specialty
Certification, "Legal Specialization Workshop: Certification Hypotheticals
(Saturday Morning Players)" (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016)
Speaker, California Bankruptcy Forum, Insolvency Conference,
"The Chapter 7 Trustee Received the Gold Mine and the Debtor got the
Shaft: Exemptions and Such" (2016)
Speaker, American Bankruptcy Institute, Bankruptcy
Battleground West, Judicial "Hot buttons in the Bankruptcy Shark Tank:
Discharge of Student Loans" (2016)
Speaker, Los Angeles Bankruptcy Forum, "Inside the
Judge's Studio with the Hon. Alex Kozinski" (2016)
Speaker, Beverly Hills Bar Association, Bankruptcy Law
Section, "Admit What (Evidence) You do not Know: Common Evidentiary
Mistakes in Bankruptcy Court" (2016)
Speaker, Mississippi Bankruptcy Conference, "Hot Topics
in Chapter 11 (Structured Dismissals, Gifting, and More)" (2015)
Speaker, Federal Bar Association, 12th Annual Bankruptcy
Ethics Symposium, "Leveraging Technology in the Small Law Office: Tips and
Ethical Missteps" (2015)
Los Angeles County Bar Association, Trial Practitioner
Section, Inn of Court, "How to Overcome Objections and Get Your Evidence
In" (2015)
State Bar of California, Young Lawyers Association, “How to
Prepare for a Career as a Legal Specialist” (2015)
Speaker, Central California Bankruptcy Association, Central
California Bankruptcy Institute, "Defending Nondischargeability
Litigation" (2015)
Speaker, Central California Bankruptcy Association, Central
California Bankruptcy Institute, "15 Minutes with a Bankruptcy
Humorist" (2015)
Commercial Law League of America, "Where the Rubber
Hits the Road on Enforcement of Judgments" (2015)
Speaker, California Bankruptcy Forum, "Exemptability of
Retirement Plans" (2015)
Speaker, California Bankruptcy Forum, "Hardship Discharge
of Student Loans in Bankruptcy" (2015)
Speaker, American Board of Certification,
"Certification Review Course -- American Board of Certification: Chapters
1 through 5; Consumer Bankruptcy Overview; and Hot Topics in Business
Bankruptcy" (2015)
Speaker, Beverly Hills Bar Association, Bankruptcy Law
Section, "The Middle Game in Adversary Proceedings: Federal Rule of Civil
Procedure 26 and Crafting the Pre‐Trial Order" (2015)
Speaker, Loyola Law School (Prof. Joel Weinberg --
Bankruptcy Law Seminar), "Fraudulent Transfers and Setoffs" (2015),
"Preferences" (2013), Automatic Stay" (2006, 2009, 2011), and
"Claims, Bankruptcy Discharge, and Dischargeability" (2010)
Speaker, San Fernando Valley Bar Association,
"Dischargeability of Claims" (2015)
American Board of Certification: Director (2009-present);
Standards Committee (2009); State Bar Liaison Committee (2010); Chair, State
Bar Liaison Committee (2011-2014); Faculty Committee (2014-2018); Secretary
(2015); Treasurer (2016); President-elect (2017); President (2018); Chair
(2019)
United States District Court, Central District of
California: Lawyer Representative, Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference
(2018-2022)
United States Bankruptcy Court, Central District of
California: Bench/Bar Judicial Variance Committee (1994-1997); Guest, Judgeship
Survey Team, Administrative Office of United States Courts (2011); Legal
Specialist Speakers Series (2011); Information Technology Committee
(2012-present)
State Bar of California, Committee of Bar Examiners: Member
(2011-2014); Subcommittee on Operations & Management: Member (2011-2013),
Chair (2013-2014); Subcommittee on Examinations: Member (2011), Chair
(2012-2013); Subcommittee on Moral Character (2011-2012, 2013-2014);
Subcommittee on Educational Standards (2011)
State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization:
Commissioner (2001-2004); Chair, Subcommittee on Publicity/Public Awareness
(2001-2004); Chair, Subcommittee on Rules (2004-2005); Vice-Chair (2004-2005);
Chair (2005-2006); Member, California State Bar Affinity Administrator
Evaluation Working Group (2006); Advisor (2006-2007); Council of Past Chairs
(2007-2010)
Personal and Small Business Bankruptcy Law Advisory
Commission, State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization:
Commissioner (1997-2001); Vice-Chair (1999-2000); and Chair (2000-2001)
Los Angeles Bankruptcy Forum: Secretary (1997-1998); Program Chair (1998-1999); Vice-President
(1999-2000); President (2000-2001); Director (1994-2001); ex officio Director
(2001-present); Webmaster, labankruptcyforum.org (1998-2013); Webmaster,
bankruptcydog.com (2007-present)
California Bankruptcy Forum: CBF Director (1998-2001,
2008-2009); Co-chairman (Education), CBF Insolvency Conference (2001);
Co-Conference Chair, CBF Insolvency Conference (2004); Sponsor, Bankruptcy
Poetry Competition, CBF Insolvency Conference (2011-2012); Co-chairman,
Consumer Bankruptcy Program, CBF Insolvency Conference (2013); Sponsor,
Bankruptcy Joke Contest, CBF Insolvency Conference (2013); Sponsor, Bankruptcy
Photography Contest, CBF Insolvency Conference (2014, 2015, 2016); Sponsor,
Bankruptcy Cartoon Caption Contest, CBF Insolvency Conference (2017); Sponsor,
Bankruptcy Flash Fiction Contest, CBF Insolvency Conference (2018); Sponsor,
Modern Maxims of Insolvency Contest, CBF Insolvency Conference (2019)
Financial Lawyers Conference: Board of Governors
(2003-2006); recording engineer for selected dinner programs (2006-2007)
CEB Continuing Education of the Bar: Member, CEB Business
and Intellectual Property Law Advisory Committee (2004-2008)
American Bar Association, Standing Committee on
Specialization: Accreditation Review Panel (2012)
Federal Bar Association: planning committee, bankruptcy
ethics seminar (2011-2021)
Los Angeles County Bar Association, Commercial Law and
Bankruptcy Section: Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Proposed Official Revisions to Local
Bankruptcy Rules (1997-1998)
Los Angeles County Bar Association: Commercial and
Bankruptcy Law Section
American Bankruptcy Institute: Member (1990-present);
Coordinating editor, ABI Journal (2014-present)
Staff, National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges (2021)
Producer, "A Short Film About the Hon. Robert N.
Kwan" (2021)
Producer, "Meet Joe Bernfeld: A Short Film About One of
the Founders of the Los Angeles Bankruptcy Forum" (2021)
Staff, National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges (host and
producer of 2019 NCBJ videos)
Guest, "Columnists Disclose History and Outlook for
Chapter 8" (American Bankruptcy Institute podcast, 2018)
Staff, National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges (moderator
of 2018 NCBJ streaming presentation; host and producer of 2018 NCBJ videos)
Guest, radio talk show, "Your Legal Rights," KALW
91.7 FM (NPR affiliate), San Francisco (1999, 2001-2006, 2011, 2015)
Recurring guest, radio talk show, "Bob McCormick's
Money 101" on KNX 1070 AM, Los Angeles (2008-2012) and KFWB 980 AM, Los
Angeles (2011-2014)
Distinguished: An excellent rating for a lawyer with some experience. This rating indicates the attorney is widely
respected by their peers for high professional achievement and ethical standards.
Notable: This rating indicates that the lawyer has been recognized by a large number of their peers for strong ethical standards.
