I have been a corporate restructuring attorney for over 30 years and have experience in all aspects of financial restructuring, insolvency law and processes. Immediately prior to forming Weintraub Zolkin Talerico & Liu LLP, I was a founding partner of the bankruptcy and business litigation boutique of Zolkin Talerico LLP. Prior to that, I was an attorney at the Wall Street law firm of Milbank LLP, where I represented debtors, equity owners, financial institutions, first and second lien lenders, hedge and bond funds, trade creditors, chapter 11 trustees and debt and asset purchasers in complex restructurings, workouts and foreclosures across a variety of industry sectors. I provide my clients with in-court and out-of-court legal strategies and approaches designed to lead to value maximization. My expertise spans various legal and business documents, including secured and unsecured debt documents, indentures, servicing agreements, purchase and sale agreements confidentiality documents and other commercial and business contracts. I negotiate and draft restructuring term sheets, plans of reorganization, cash collateral and debtor in possession financing agreements and orders, bidding procedures for assets sales, sale agreements and other pleadings and documents required in chapter 11 bankruptcy cases. I have represented clients in bankruptcy cases and out-of-court restructurings that have taken place throughout the United States, including California, New York, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Texas, Louisiana, Nevada, Arizona, Washington and Oregon.

I am a graduate of the University of California, Riverside where I received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science. In 1985 I received my Juris Doctor Degree, Cum Laude, from Western State University. Prior to becoming an attorney, I served as an intern in the United States Senate and was employed for seven years by California Federal Savings & Loan Association, where I worked as Assistant Vice President and Branch Manager of Cal Fed offices in San Bernardino and Pasadena. I have a deep and extensive trial and litigation background. I served as a Deputy District Attorney in Orange County for over two years before joining the firm of McKinley & Capeloto in Pasadena in 1988, where I was a partner from 1994 until 2001. In 2002, I joined Weintraub Law Corporation as Senior Counsel. The firm became known as Weintraub Zolkin Talerico & Liu LLP in 2023. I am proud to say that I am recognized as one of the leading consumer and small business bankruptcy attorneys in California and am a State Bar Certified Legal Specialist in bankruptcy law. I have taught bankruptcy law to attorneys at seminars conducted by the San Fernando Valley Bar Association, Los Angeles County Bar Association, Federal Bar Association and Central District Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys Association. My hands-on approach to each of my cases and dedication to the highest level of client satisfaction has helped hundreds of clients emerge from bankruptcy with the goal of discharge and “fresh start” accomplished. Many of Weintraub Zolkin Talerico & Liu LLP’s clients have successfully completed Chapter 7 bankruptcy cases and received their discharge even after other attorneys told them they did not qualify for Chapter 7 relief. In addition to representing debtors and creditors in a variety of matters, I have years of experience representing financial institutions and mortgage lenders in state courts and bankruptcy courts throughout California, specializing in areas of concern to credit unions. As a member of Provisors, an alliance of senior-level professionals from the fields of law, accounting, banking, finance, insurance, and consulting, I am able to refer my clients to trustworthy, accountable, seasoned professionals in virtually any field. A member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association and the Central District Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys Association, I bring to Weintraub Zolkin Talerico & Liu LLP a hands-on background in the banking industry and extensive trial and bankruptcy court experience. I handle and supervise state court and bankruptcy litigation as well as foreclosure and receivership matters.

As an attorney with 20 years of litigation experience, I’ve handled all facets of state and federal large-scale business litigation matters including written discovery, depositions, law and motion practice, pre-trial, and trial work with a focus on general business disputes, torts, and real property disputes. I’ve also represented lenders, investors, and financial institutions in real estate and finance transactions, with a focus on real estate loan documentation, maximizing collection on defaulted loans, commercial acquisitions, dispositions, and leasing. In addition, I provide legal, business, and public policy advice and solutions in the areas of complex litigation, real estate, consumer fraud, and business tort claims to assist in efficiently and effectively achieving our clients’ objectives. Prior to joining Weintraub Zolkin Talerico & Liu LLP, I was an attorney with McKenna, Long & Aldridge (now Dentons) and Ropers, Majeski, Kohn & Bentley where I managed complex business litigation matters, including product liability, premises liability, intellectual property, construction defect and class action litigation. I previously served as a judicial extern for the Honorable John F. Walter, Judicial Extern (United States District Court, Central District), the Honorable Robert M. Takasugi (United States District Court, Central District), and the Honorable Owen Lee Kwong (Los Angeles Superior Court, Stanley Mosk).

As a Bankruptcy Lawyer and Business Litigator for over 30 years, I have helped countless businesses and individuals successfully work through and resolve their financial challenges. What may look to you like a disaster, I have handled multiple times. It’s a question of whether your attorney has the right toolbox and knows the right tool to solve your problem. Due to my broad experience, I have all of the necessary tools at my disposal and will share them with you. I represent debtors and creditors in all chapters of the United States Bankruptcy Code, however, I focus on keeping clients out of bankruptcy where possible. My strong suit is settling litigation and creditor claims. I have resolved millions of dollars in debt for clients at enormous savings by avoiding or resolving litigation. I have significant experience resolving businesses in wage and hour and other labor cases. Resolving such claims and saving clients hundreds of thousands of dollars. My primary area of focus is working with small and mid-sized businesses to resolve their debt and other financial issues and help them continue and move forward. I have significant experience in Chapter 11 reorganization and Subchapter V Bankruptcy cases, out-of-court debt restructures, debt settlement, and assignments for the benefit of creditors. I also handle financial problems for individuals. This includes representation in personal bankruptcy cases, out-of-court debt negotiation, and asset protection. As a full-service insolvency attorney, I am also versed in creditors’ rights and represent secured and unsecured creditors in bankruptcy court and the state courts. My experience representing both creditors and debtors makes me an excellent choice as I can anticipate how the other side thinks and what moves they are likely to make. I pride myself when representing creditors in getting them what they are owed. I pride myself when representing debtors in saving the business or the client’s assets and paying as little as possible. I am known as an extremely creative problem solver and an attorney who can handle tough cases on both sides of the line. I earned my Bachelor’s of Arts degree in 1982 from the University of California, Los Angeles. In 1987, I received my Juris Doctor from the University of California, where I served as the Chair of the Hale Moot Court Honors Program. I began my career in 1987 at the premiere boutique bankruptcy law firm Levene & Eisenberg. I then became a senior associate in the Banking and Finance Department of nationally recognized firm Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton, and thereafter served as in-house counsel for City National Bank. I established my own firm in 1992 and formed Weintraub Law Corporation in 2001, now known as Weintraub Zolkin Talerico & Liu LLP. I am a member of the Los Angeles County and the Beverly Hills Bar Associations and the Individual and Consumer Bankruptcy Sub-Committee of the LA County Bar Section on Commercial Law and Bankruptcy. As a longstanding member of Provisors, an alliance of senior-level professionals from the fields of law, accounting, banking, finance, insurance, and consulting, I am able to refer my clients to trustworthy, accountable, seasoned professionals in virtually any field.