Lawrence G. McMichael

Lawrence G. McMichael is a seasoned commercial trial lawyer with more than 34 years of trial experience in state and federal courts. He has tried numerous major jury and non-jury cases. He has also argued numerous appeals ranging from Sixth Amendment issues in a criminal case to credit bidding rights in a bankruptcy case. In the last few years, he has appeared four times in the U. S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, including one en banc argument.

Representative Experience

• Lead Counsel for The Philadelphia Orchestra Association and the Academy of Music of Philadelphia, Inc. in Chapter 11 proceedings in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
• Lead Counsel for the Philadelphia Newspapers LLC in a Chapter 11 proceeding in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. 
• Lead Counsel for a Malaysia satellite company in a Delaware Bankruptcy Court 363 sale of a satellite that ultimately sold for a purchase price in excess of $100,000,000. 
• Lead counsel for the members of the Rigas Family in connection with the collapse and bankruptcy of Adelphia Communications Corp., including negotiating a criminal forfeiture settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice and has successfully defended the criminal tax charges against them in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. 
• Lead Counsel for the República Oriental Del Uruguay (The Republic of Uruguay) in litigation involving transactions between Uruguay and three international banks in the Southern District of New York and argued an appeal on the behalf of The Republic of Uruguay in the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. 
• Represented Sanjay Kumar, the former Chairman and CEO of Computer Associates, Inc. (now CA, Inc.) in connection with restitution matters and other issues concerning his criminal prosecution. 
• Represented a major hotel developer in a case involving more than $100,000,000 that was tried for more than one year in the Bankruptcy Court in Philadelphia and resulted in a 145-page opinion in favor of the developer. 
• Debtor’s counsel for a major anthracite coal producer in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. 
• Represented a New York broker-dealer in a four week jury trial in Philadelphia involving short selling practices. Case resulted in a defense verdict in favor of client.
  

Professional & Community Activities

• Fellow, American College of Bankruptcy 
• Member, Union League of Philadelphia 
• Member, Supreme Court Historical Society 
• Member, Eastern District of Pennsylvania Historical Society 
• Member, Philadelphia Bar Association 
• Member, American Bankruptcy Institute 
• Member, St. Thomas More Society of Philadelphia 
• Homeless Advocacy Project
  

Speeches & Presentations

• Presented “Bankruptcy Appeals: Credit Bidding Under A Plan: RadLax”, American Bar Association, Business Law Section, Las Vegas, NV (March 2012) 
• Presented “What’s Hot In Complex Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Practice: Credit Bidding And Strategies Post-In Re Philadelphia Newspapers, LLC”, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, Philadelphia, PA (March 2012) 
• Presented “Operating The Entity At The Intersection of Bankruptcy And Forfeiture: “Distribution And Priority In The Bankruptcy And Forfeiture Context: Advanced Topics”, American Bar Association, Business Law Section, San Francisco, CA (November 2011)
• Presented “Keep It Interesting: Novel Issues Right Here In Philadelphia In The Inquirer Case”, on November 9, 2009 at the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Bankruptcy Conference Fall Program

Professional Recognition

• Chambers USA, Lead Attorney in Bankruptcy/Restructuring, “Star Individuals” (2012)
• Best Lawyers, Specialty in Bankruptcy and Creditor Rights Law (2012); Philadelphia "Lawyer of the Year" for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law" (2013)
• Pennsylvania Super Lawyer (2004-2012)
• Philadelphia Business Journal, “Leaders in Law” (2009)
  

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