James N. Lawlor, Partner

Bankruptcy & Restructuring Group Corporate & Securities Group Litigation & Dispute Resolution Group

Jim specializes in commercial litigation, insolvency, and debtor-creditor relations. He advises corporate clients and represents them both in commercial disputes and in bankruptcy proceedings. He advises officers, directors, creditors, investors and buyers with respect to all aspects of operating, managing, refinancing, selling and reorganizing distressed entities. He has served as counsel to bankruptcy trustees and court-appointed receivers and has been a liquidation trustee. He has extensive litigation and appellate experience and regularly appears before State and Federal Courts of both New York and New Jersey. Jim has also lectured on bankruptcy matters before various business associations and bar groups. Jim joined WMD in 2002 as a partner, after having been an associate and partner with Gibbons, P.C.

EDUCATION

Seton Hall University School of Law, Newark, New Jersey
- J.D. - 1992
- Honors: magna cum laude
- Law Review, Seton Hall Law Review, Member, 1990, 1992
- Law Review, Seton Hall Law Review, Managing Editor, 1991, 1992
University of Delaware, Newark, DE
- B.A. - 1986
- Honors: cum laude
- Honors: Phi Alpha Theta
- Major: History

PRACTICE AREAS

Commercial Litigation & Arbitration
Bankruptcy & Restructuring
Corporate & Transactional

SELECT MATTERS

Served as lead bankruptcy counsel for Greate Bay Hotel & Casino, Inc., the owner of the Sands Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in its successful Chapter 11 filing.
Served as trial and appellate counsel for Harvard Secured Creditors Trust and successfully obtained and collected a multi-million judgment against the IRS for improperly denied deductions.
Represented BlackRock Capital Management as a defendant in fraudulent transfer litigation in the Enron Corporation Chapter 11 proceedings resulting in the voluntary dismissal of all claims asserted by Enron.
Represented as special counsel Wachovia N.A., as agent for the secured creditors in the Young Broadcasting Chapter 11 proceedings in the Southern District of New York.
Served as lead bankruptcy counsel for Kullman Industries, Inc. in its successful reorganization proceedings.
Represented the Brazilian fresh and frozen beef exporter, Independencia S.A., in its Chapter 15 proceedings in the Southern District of New York.
Served as bankruptcy counsel for Herman’s Sporting in its Chapter 11 proceedings.
Served as bankruptcy counsel for NBO Stores, Inc. in its successful reorganization proceedings in the District of New Jersey.
Served as local bankruptcy counsel for Aremissoft Corporation in its successful Chapter 11 proceedings in the District of New Jersey.
Represented multiple defendants in defeating multi-million dollar fraud and fraudulent transfer claims.

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

Admitted to Practice: Jim is a member of the bars of the State of New York, the Southern District of New York and the State and Federal courts of New Jersey. He is also admitted to practice before the United States Courts of Appeal for the Second, Third and Ninth Circuits. In addition he has appeared in jurisdictions throughout the country, including courts in Delaware, Pennsylvania and Nevada.

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

Essex County Bar Association, Debtor/Creditor and Young Lawyer Sections, Member
New Jersey State Bar Association, Member
New York State Bar Association, Member
American Bar Association, Member

BAR ADMISSIONS

New Jersey, 1992
New York, 1993
U.S. District Court District of New Jersey, 1992
U.S. District Court Southern District of New York, 1999
U.S. Court of Appeals 3rd Circuit, 1998
U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit, 1998
U.S. Court of Appeals 2nd Circuit

Awards and Recognition

Named as a “Super Lawyer” in New Jersey Super Lawyers for 2011-2022.*

*Information regarding the selection process undertaken by Super Lawyers can be found here.

PUBLISHED WORKS

"Toxic Tug-of-War: Environmental Cleanup Costs, Bankruptcy and the Administrative Expense Priority - Is it a Collision of Conflicting Policies or Just Plain Confusion?", (Comment), 21 Seton Hall Law Review 832, 1991