I enjoy helping clients understand all aspects of the bankruptcy and restructuring system, how bankruptcy can work for them, and the relief it can provide.
How I represent clients at Schwabe
My practice is focused on complex bankruptcy and restructuring matters, representing debtors, secured creditors, trustees, and creditors’ committees in both federal bankruptcy proceedings and state court receiverships. I have served as lead counsel in numerous Chapter 11 cases across Washington and Montana and have appeared on behalf of clients in several jurisdictions, including Alaska and Delaware. I handle the many aspects of case strategy and administration, from initial client intake and preparation of schedules to motion practice, legal research, and negotiations with creditors.
In addition to my client-facing work, I bring deep experience from within the bankruptcy system. I previously managed the U.S. Trustee’s Seattle field office and spent almost a decade serving in chambers with a Ninth Circuit bankruptcy judge. This combined perspective allows me to approach each matter with a practical, strategic understanding of both the legal and procedural landscape.
Experience
- Served as lead attorney on complex restructuring matters in both federal bankruptcy proceedings and state court receiverships across multiple jurisdictions.
- Represented debtors as lead counsel in numerous Chapter 11 filings in Washington and Montana, while also appearing on behalf of secured creditors and Official Committees of Unsecured Creditors in high-profile bankruptcy cases.
- Represented Chapter 7 trustees in Western Washington and Alaska.
- Managed and oversaw the administration of the U.S. Trustee regional field office, supervising bankruptcy cases and collaborating with courts and clerks’ offices, and establishing policies for enforcement on significant legal matters.
- Developed and implemented litigation strategies in complex bankruptcy cases, conducting all phases of litigation including discovery, briefing, examinations, and oral argument.
- Supervised and trained teams of trial attorneys, auditors, and paralegals, while also overseeing and mentoring panels of Chapter 7, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, and Subchapter V trustees.
- Supported a federal bankruptcy judge, managing chambers operations and conducting in-depth legal analysis across Chapter 7, 11, and 13 cases.
Education
- Marquette University Law School, Juris Doctor degree (2000)
- University of Washington, Bachelor of Arts degree, Economics and Art History (1997)
Admissions
- U.S. District Court - District of Eastern Washington
- U.S. District - Western District of Washington
- Alaska State Courts
- Oregon State Courts
- Washington State Courts
- U.S. Court of Appeals - Ninth Circuit
- U.S. District Court - District of Alaska
Memberships
- Western District of Washington to Ninth Circuit, Lawyer Representative (2023-2025)
- ABA Business Bankruptcy Section, Trustee and Examiner Committee Co-Chair (2023-present)
- WomBATS (Women Bankruptcy Attorneys of W.D. Washington), Member (2011-present)
- King County Bar Association, Bankruptcy Law Section, Member (2019-present)
- Washington State Bar Association, Debtor-Creditor Section, Member (2019-present)
- Turnaround Management Association, Northwest Chapter, Member (2024-present)
- American Bankruptcy Institute, Member (2024-present)
Additional Events
- “Fee Bifurcations in Chapter 7 Cases,” Chief Bankruptcy Judges of the Ninth Circuit Spring Meeting, March 2024
- “Evidence in Bankruptcy,” D. Washington Bankruptcy Court Bench Bar Meetings, January 2024
- “Healthcare Business in Bankruptcy,” King County Bar Association Bankruptcy Section Meeting, October 2023
- “One Day Chapter 11 Cases, and other Pre-Pack Issues,” ABA Business Law Section, Business Bankruptcy sub-section Spring Meeting, April 2023
- “Washington State LLC Dissociation Provisions & Bankruptcy,” King County Bar Association, Bankruptcy Section Meeting, February 2022
- “Disclosures for Employment Applications,” King County Bar Association, Bankruptcy Section Meeting, May 2020
- “The Small Business Reorganization Act of 2019: An Overview of Chapter 11’s New Subchapter V,” Alaska State Bankruptcy Bar, January 2020
- “2019 Bankruptcy Reform – Small Business Reorganization Act,” D. Washington Bankruptcy Court Bench Bar Meetings, January 2020
- “Notice and Service Requirements for Uncontested Orders,” W.D. Washington Bankruptcy Court Bench Bar Meetings, December 2012
Services
Outside Interests
Getting outdoors, running and hiking, traveling with my daughters, and complaining about Seattle sports & weather.
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