Practice Description
Practice includes: (1) financial reorganization, commercial transactions and complex litigation; (2) neutral representation as trustee, examiner and special master; and (3) alternative dispute resolution, including arbitration and mediation. Experience includes 18 years as a United States Bankruptcy Judge and 10 years in judicial administration and dispute resolution.
Recent Representative Matters
- United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Northern District of Texas, 1987-2005, cases included: First RepublicBank Corp.; Zale Jewelry Corp.; National Gypsum Company, Inc.; Asbestos Claims Management Corp.; Southmark Corp.; General Wireless, Inc.; Jayhawk Acceptance Corp.; LJM2 Co-Investment, L.P.; Vartec Telecom, Inc.; Excel Communications, Inc.; Avado Brands, Inc. (Don Pablos Restaurants); Neostar, Inc. (Babbages).
- Mediation cases (appointed as mediator by order of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit): Mcorp, Inc.; Cajun Electric Power Cooperative, Inc.
Activities and Affiliations
- Honorable John C. Ford American Inns of Court.
- Dallas Bar Association.
- State Bar of Texas.
Education and Experience
- Tulane University, New Orleans, LA. (B.A., with honors in political science, 1971. Phi Beta Kappa.)
- University of Wisconsin- Madison School of Law, Madison, WI. (J.D., 1974. Editor, Wisconsin Law Review)
- Judicial Resources Committee of the Judicial Conference of the United States, 1991-1997.
- Court Compensation Study Committee of the Judicial Resources Committee, 2005.
- Wisconsin Judicial Council, Reporter, Appellate Rules Committee.
- With Judges and Clerk of Court, drafted and implemented initial internal operating procedures, Wisconsin Court of Appeals, 1978.
- Shareholder, Stutzman, Bromberg, Esserman & Plifka, 2005-present.
Prior Experience
- United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Northern District of Texas, 1987-2005; Chief Judge, 2002-2005.
- Director, Staff Attorneys Office, United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, New Orleans, LA., 1984-1987.
- Chief Staff Attorney, Court of Appeals of Wisconsin, Madison, WI., 1978-1984.
- Commissioner, Supreme Court of Wisconsin, Madison, WI., 1977-1978.
- Private practice of law, Madison, WI., 1974-1978.