Michael Leifman

Michael Leifman represents companies in creditor’s rights and bankruptcy matters, commercial foreclosures, litigation, asset sales and acquisitions, and out-of-court workouts.

Perennially recognized as a Thompson Reuters’ Super Lawyers Rising Star, Michael’s holistic approach leads businesses across a wide variety of industries to make informed, financially sound decisions to protect their interests and maximize revenue in complex matters. His practice also includes contract and real estate disputes, loan modifications, collateral repossession claims, receivable collections, and matters arising under the Bankruptcy Code and UCC.

Michael represents clients across all stages of litigation, including pre-suit resolution efforts, court proceedings, mediation, arbitration, and post-judgment enforcement efforts, with particular depth in bankruptcy and real estate. In bankruptcy matters, his work for creditors includes negotiating cash collateral orders and Section 363 sale transactions, and litigating matters involving stay relief, dismissal motions, adequate protection claims, and adversary proceedings. He also advises Chapter 7 Trustees and court-appointed receivers on preserving and monetizing distressed assets. Michael has substantial real estate litigation experience, representing traditional and nontraditional lenders, debt buyers, mortgagors and court-appointed receivers in foreclosures, as well as landlords/lessors, developers and tenants in leasing and construction disputes.

Michael’s experience spans a wide variety of industries, including the banking, lending, finance, real estate, software, retail, food and beverage, automotive and manufacturing, transportation, hospitality, and staffing sectors. Michael represents multiple lenders in connection with loans made pursuant to the programs offered by the United States Small Business Administration (SBA), with a keen understanding of how to abide by the SBA’s guidelines and preserve lenders’ SBA guarantees.

Experience

• Represents the Chapter 7 Trustee in the bankruptcy of Central Grocers, once the seventh largest food cooperative in the country.
• Secured court appointments of receivers over agri chemical distribution, construction and fabrication services companies
• Obtained court approval of numerous commercial real estate foreclosure sales and millions of dollars of judgments in favor of lenders in connection with promissory notes and guaranties.
• Awarded summary judgment on fraudulent transfers made in attempt to evade lender’s enforcement of multimillion-dollar debt. See Dogwood State Bank v. Ford, No. D-1-GN-23-007924, 2024 WL 4111337 (Tex.Dist. July 02, 2024)
• Attained preliminary injunction restricting the use of 60+ commercial vehicles pledged as collateral for loan. See Citizens Asset Fin., Inc. v. Stafford Transp. of Louisiana, Inc., No. 1:21-CV-2336-MHC, 2021 WL 6428045 (N.D. Ga. Oct. 22, 2021)
• Achieved pre-trial dismissal of substantial fraud-based lender liability claims.