James N. Lawlor, Partner
Bankruptcy & Restructuring Group$ Corporate & Securities Group$ Litigation & Dispute Resolution Group
- Bankruptcy & Restructuring Group
- Corporate & Securities Group
- Litigation & Dispute Resolution Group
Jim specializes in commercial litigation, insolvency, and debtor-creditor relations. He advises corporate clients and represents them both in commercial disputes and in bankruptcy proceedings. He advises officers, directors, creditors, investors and buyers with respect to all aspects of operating, managing, refinancing, selling and reorganizing distressed entities. He has served as counsel to bankruptcy trustees and court-appointed receivers and has been a liquidation trustee. He has extensive litigation and appellate experience and regularly appears before State and Federal Courts of both New York and New Jersey. Jim has also lectured on bankruptcy matters before various business associations and bar groups. Jim joined WMD in 2002 as a partner, after having been an associate and partner with Gibbons, P.C.
SELECT MATTERS
- Served as lead bankruptcy counsel for Greate Bay Hotel & Casino, Inc., the owner of the Sands Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in its successful Chapter 11 filing.
- Served as trial and appellate counsel for Harvard Secured Creditors Trust and successfully obtained and collected a multi-million judgment against the IRS for improperly denied deductions.
- Represented BlackRock Capital Management as a defendant in fraudulent transfer litigation in the Enron Corporation Chapter 11 proceedings resulting in the voluntary dismissal of all claims asserted by Enron.
- Represented as special counsel Wachovia N.A., as agent for the secured creditors in the Young Broadcasting Chapter 11 proceedings in the Southern District of New York.
- Served as lead bankruptcy counsel for Kullman Industries, Inc. in its successful reorganization proceedings.
- Represented the Brazilian fresh and frozen beef exporter, Independencia S.A., in its Chapter 15 proceedings in the Southern District of New York.
- Served as bankruptcy counsel for Herman’s Sporting in its Chapter 11 proceedings.
- Served as bankruptcy counsel for NBO Stores, Inc. in its successful reorganization proceedings in the District of New Jersey.
- Served as local bankruptcy counsel for Aremissoft Corporation in its successful Chapter 11 proceedings in the District of New Jersey.
- Represented multiple defendants in defeating multi-million dollar fraud and fraudulent transfer claims.
EDUCATION
Jim is a 1992 magna cum laude graduate of Seton Hall University School of Law, where he was a Managing Editor for the Seton Hall Law Review. Jim received his B.A. cum laude in History from the University of Delaware in 1986.
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
Admitted to Practice: Jim is a member of the bars of the State of New York, the Southern District of New York and the State and Federal courts of New Jersey. He is also admitted to practice before the United States Courts of Appeal for the Second, Third and Ninth Circuits. In addition he has appeared in jurisdictions throughout the country, including courts in Delaware, Pennsylvania and Nevada.
Awards and Recognition
Named as a “Super Lawyer” in New Jersey Super Lawyers for 2011-2022.*
*Information regarding the selection process undertaken by Super Lawyers can be found here.