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Berger Singerman’s Municipal and Public Entity Restructuring practice area consists of attorneys with deep experience in the operation of governmental entities and in restructuring entities of all kinds. Successfully restructuring the debt of a municipal entity requires skilled legal assistance that not only understands debt restructuring, on both a consensual basis and on a court supervised basis, but also understands how operations can be restructured so as to contribute to an effective resolution of debt obligations.
When it comes to restructuring an entity, Berger Singerman is widely recognized as the market leader. For many years, the Firm has been the first choice for debtors in complex cases. The vast majority of those restructurings have been consensual matters where our clients have not been a matter of public record. However, entities come to us, in part because of our reputation in bankruptcy court, if and when such becomes needed.
The pre-eminence of our Municipal & Public Entity Restructuring practice is evidenced by the fact that the prestigious law firm and lawyer ranking service of Chambers and Partners has recognized Berger Singerman as a first tier firm each year since the inception of their rankings five years ago. In their latest evaluation, Chambers reported:
“Clients can expect ‘the highest level of service’ from this team of ‘creative and hard-working superstars who zealously fight in their client’s corner.’ The group’s dedicated work ethic wins glowing reviews from clients, who report: ‘They make themselves available morning, noon and night. You couldn’t ask for more.’ Although robust across the bankruptcy spectrum, the firm has won the accolade of ‘the most talented debtor practice in the state’ and this is reflected in the number of filings the team has made. The lawyers also handle cases for trustees, creditors’ committees and lenders.”
Berger Singerman attorneys have a wide depth of experience in the workings of government, on both a state and local level. Beyond the depth of knowledge that our attorneys have in municipal administrative procedures, we are fortunate to have colleagues who have had hands-on executive responsibility in managing governmental units ranging from very large to relatively modest. Attorneys in the Municipal and Public Entity Restructuring Team practice area have held the following executive positions:
- Frank Scruggs served as Secretary of Labor for the State of Florida where he was responsible for an annual budget of $1.5 billion.
- Sam Poole served as Executive Director of the South Florida Water District where he was responsible for an annual budget of $500 million.
- Howard Berlin served as Mayor of Bal Harbour where he was responsible for an annual budget of $10 million.
- Melanie Hines served as Florida Statewide Prosecutor where she was responsible for an annual budget of $6 million.
Our attorneys have the knowledge of how restructuring a municipal entity involve an entire realm of public policy issues not generally present in the restructuring of a commercial enterprise. Our team keeps abreast of the emerging processes by which municipal financial emergencies are being handled in Tallahassee by the Florida Department of Education (for school districts) and the Florida Auditor General (for all other municipal entities).
One of the strengths of our Municipal & Public Entity Restructuring practice area is our working relationships with leading bond counsel and leading restructuring consulting firms, both of who often play important roles in resolving complex municipal restructurings.
