Jeffrey M. Reisner

Jeffrey M. Reisner, a partner and former member of the firm's Executive Committee, is the head of the Bankruptcy, Reorganization and Creditors' Rights practice group at Irell & Manella LLP. He specializes in representing companies and high net-worth individuals in connection with the reorganization of their financial affairs, and as creditors of others in financial distress. Mr. Reisner also represents creditors’ committees, acquirers of assets, investors and creditors in bankruptcy cases and out of court restructurings throughout the United States.

Mr. Reisner's insolvency-related practice includes negotiation and implementation of bankruptcy plans of reorganization on behalf of debtors, creditors, and creditors’ committees. In addition, he has assisted many clients with successful workouts of their financial affairs and collection of debts outside of the formal bankruptcy process.

Mr. Reisner’s work with financially distressed companies and individuals has spanned many industries, including defense contractors, automotive and trucking, restaurants and hospitality, convalescent and health care, technology, building supply, sporting goods, textiles, distribution, manufacturing, mortgages, payroll, aerospace, medical testing and devices, entertainment, communications technology, sporting goods and real estate. Mr. Reisner’s practice also includes the acquisition of assets from, and realization of investment goals in connection with, troubled companies in these and other industries.

Mr. Reisner is a 1985 graduate of Cornell University, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial and Labor Relations. He was a member of New York University’s Joint Degree Program and received his Juris Doctor and Master of Business Administration (Finance) degrees in 1989. While attending Cornell University and New York University, Mr. Reisner was awarded the Clem Miller Scholarship and the Frank S. Columbus Scholarship and was elected to membership in Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society.

Honors & Awards

• A Fellow of the elite American College of Bankruptcy Lawyers.
• Appointed to the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants' Bankruptcy Task Force.
• Named Best Lawyers' 2013 Orange County Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law "Lawyer of the Year," an honor bestowed upon only a single lawyer in each practice area in each community.
• Selected for inclusion in the 2010-2013 editions of The Best Lawyers in America.
• Selected for inclusion in the 2004-2013 editions of "Southern California Super Lawyers" in Los Angeles Magazine.
• Recognized as a leading bankruptcy/restructuring lawyer by Chambers & Partners in its Chambers USA Leading Lawyers for Business Guide every year since 2006. Chambers describes Mr. Reisner as being "very thoughtful and a good strategist, while having a real ability to think quickly and work with tireless determination on behalf of his client.”  Mr. Reisner has also been praised by Chambers for his "ability to get to the heart of the matter quickly, and identify clearly defined strategic and tactical paths."
• Recognized for his successful representation of William Lyon Homes in a special report by Turnarounds & Workouts highlighting "2012 Successful Restructurings."
• Selected as one of Corporate Counsel's 2010 Top Lawyers for bankruptcy and creditor-debtor rights law. 
• Recognized by Orange Coast Magazine as a "Top Lawyer of America" in 2006.
• Listed in numerous "Who's Who" publications.
• "AV" rated by Martindale-Hubbell, which is the highest rating awarded by that firm.

Mr. Reisner’s professional experience is not limited to the practice of law.  He founded and managed two successful businesses and served as a turnaround manager of another prior to joining Irell & Manella.

Representative Matters

Recent public matters in which Mr. Reisner has been involved include American Suzuki Motor Corporation (Committee counsel); William Lyon Homes (Debtor's counsel); Digital Domain (acquirer counsel); Accuride Inc. (Committee counsel); Logex (Company counsel); White Birch Paper (counsel for major equity holder); Edwards Theatres Circuit, Inc. (Committee counsel); First Alliance Mortgage Company (Debtor’s counsel); Del Taco, Inc. (Debtor’s counsel); Brea-Olinda Ventures (counsel for Liquidating Agent); Regal Cinemas (counsel for Creditor); Metricom, Inc. (counsel for shareholder); Cinemastar Luxury Theatres (counsel for equity holders); Universal Broadband (Committee counsel); Net-tel Corporation (creditor’s counsel); Tecstar Power Systems (Debtor's counsel); Pacific Islandia dba Sheraton Anaheim Hotel (Committee counsel); Windsor Woodmont dba Black Hawk Casino by Hyatt (Debtor's counsel); Centis, Inc. (Committee & Trustee counsel); IntelliSec, Inc. (Debtor's counsel); Mariners Post-Acute Care Network (creditor’s counsel); Leap Wireless International, Inc. (Committee counsel); Spectrum Restaurant Group (Committee counsel); Chevy's Restaurants (Committee & Trustee counsel); Spalding (counsel for investment banker); Pillowtex (counsel for investment banker); SeraCare (counsel for secured creditors); Werner Holdings (counsel for senior bondholder); Rapid Payroll (Debtor's counsel); Imperial Credit Industries (counsel for Chapter 7 Trustee); Alert Cellular (Committee counsel); Delta Entertainment (Committee counsel); Prandium (Debtor's counsel); Sydran (Committee counsel); Lake Las Vegas (counsel for secured creditor); Century City Doctors Hospital (Reorganization Counsel); Reynan & Bardis (counsel for Committee Member); Metromedia Steakhouses, L.P. (Debtors counsel); Galleria USA (counsel for secured creditor); Tactronics Group International (Company counsel); EMAK International (Debtors’ counsel); Real Mex Restaurants (counsel for the Independent Directors).

Professional Activities

Mr. Reisner is an active member of the Financial Lawyers’ Conference, the Los Angeles County Bar Association (Commercial Law and Bankruptcy Section), the Orange County Bar Association, the Los Angeles Bankruptcy Forum, and the Orange County Bankruptcy Forum. He is also a member of the United Way's Real Estate Community Builders. Mr. Reisner served for six years as a member of the Board of Directors of the Southern California Chapter of the Turnaround Managers’ Association and is past president of the Southern California Chapter of the New York University Stern School of Business Alumni Association. He is a founding member of the Next Generation Bankruptcy Lawyers’ Association and a member of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity. Mr. Reisner also recently served on the Board of Advisors for the American Bankruptcy Institute’s 2002 - 2009 "Bankruptcy Battleground West" programs and is a 2010 Program Co-Chair.  Mr.  Reisner also was program Co-Chair of the 2009 California Bankruptcy Forum annual meeting and a member of the Insolvency Law Committee of the California State Bar Business Law Section.

In addition to frequent appearances as a speaker at private events, Mr. Reisner actively participates in bar and other sponsored public programs.  Mr. Reisner's most recent speaking engagements include being on a panel titled "Strategies and Liquidity Alternatives in a Challenging Economic Environment" at the Forum for Corporate Directors, a presentation to the Orange County Bar Association entitled "Bankruptcy Basics Battling Business Busts" in April 2011, moderating a panel on "Real Estate Insolvencies" at the National Meeting of the American Bankruptcy Institute in May 2010, a presentation to the Young Presidents Organization entitled "Basic Insolvency," a presentation to the partners of Deloitte entitled "Profiting from the Bankruptcy Laws," The American Bankruptcy Institute's 2009 program entitled "Bolt the Door Before You Lose Your Rights," CLE International's 2008 program entitled "Subprime Lending Litigation: The Crisis Heard Throughout the World;" and Law Seminars International's 2008 program entitled  "Impact of Bankruptcy on Distressed Real Estate."  He was also a Keynote Speaker at the 2008 Capital Markets Meeting covering "Capital Markets and Expected Trends," "Valuations and Cap Rate Trends" and "Strategies for the Acquisition of Distressed Assets." Mr. Reisner was a speaker at the Beverly Hills Bar Association's 2007 program entitled "Need Something to Do? Workable Alternatives to Bankruptcy;" American Bankruptcy Institute's 2007 Bankruptcy Battleground West program "Gearing up for Real Estate Insolvencies;" Los Angeles Private Equity Exchange's 2006 Program entitled, "How to Profit From the Bankruptcy Law;" the Association of Insolvency Restructuring Advisor's 2006 program entitled "The Effects of the BAPCA Amendments on Retail Insolvencies;" the Turnaround Managers' Association's January 2002 program entitled "Lights Out:  Restructuring Issues in the Theatre Industry" and The Strategic Research Trust's January 2002 program entitled "Corporate Restructuring and High Yield Debt:  Crisis at Maturity," and California Education of the Bar's 2003 programs "The Impact of Bankruptcy on Real Property Law." In 2003, Mr. Reisner presented a seminar to the American Bar Association's Business Division on trademark and bankruptcy law in California. 

Publications

Mr. Reisner authored or contributed to the following publications:

• "Taking Advantage Of The Insolvency Process," by Jeffrey M. Reisner and Kerri Lyman, Law360, September 7, 2010. 

• “Bank Holding Company vs. FDIC - The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Gives Life to Fraudulent Transfer Cause of Action Against the FDIC and Reduces Priority of Claim,” by Jeffrey M. Reisner and Tavi C. Flanagan, California Bankruptcy Journal, Vol. 30 Cal. Bankr. J. No. 3 (2010).

• "Limits on FDIC Power Over Holding Companies May Speed Bank Takeovers," commentary by Jeffrey M. Reisner, FinCri Advisor, August 9, 2009.
• "Bank Failures and the Rights of the FDIC Against Bank Holding Companies--A Performance Guaranty Is No Longer a Guaranty," by Jeffrey M. Reisner and Tavi C. Flanagan, Bank & Lender Liability Litigation Reporter Vol. 15, Issue 05, July 20, 2009.
• "Bank Failures, Rights Of FDIC Against Holding Cos.," Guest Column by Jeffrey M. Reisner and Tavi C. Flanagan, Bankruptcy Law 360: Litigation, Restructuring & People News, May 29, 2009.
• "Consumer Protection and Electronic Sales," Multimedia and Web Strategist, 1997.
• "California Extends Consumer Protection to Internet-Related Sales," The Internet Newsletter, 1997.
• Contributor, "Advanced Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Practice," 1996.
• "No Benefit Needed:  Full Rent Due for Post-Petition Occupancy," The Bankruptcy Strategist, 1994.

Bar & Court Admissions

• 1989, California
• 1990, District of Columbia
• 1990, U.S. District Court, Central District of California; U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
• 1991, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
• 1992, U.S. District Court, Southern and Eastern Districts of California