Steve is a principal at Gray Plant Mooty and focuses in the areas of business bankruptcy and workouts, commercial finance, and corporate trust. His practice covers a wide range of matters, including the enforcement of creditors’ remedies in bankruptcy and state court proceedings, loan workouts and restructurings, receiverships, and business reorganizations. Steve regularly represents banks, indenture trustees, receivers, and other parties in bankruptcy, workout, receivership, and trust instruction proceedings. He has also represented corporations, partnerships, and individuals in the manufacturing, retail, fast food, and real estate sectors in successful reorganization proceedings under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code.
He is a frequent speaker at continuing legal education and other programs in the areas of bankruptcy, workout, and creditors’ rights.
Experience
- Represented largest secured creditor of major automobile dealer and affiliated car rental company in Chapter 11 and Chapter 7 bankruptcy cases of entity and dealer principal
- Represented court-appointed receiver for nine Minnesota entities in recovering assets and pursuing claims arising out of fraudulent real estate investment schemes
- Represented major manufacturer in enforcement of distribution agreement and recovery of secured and unsecured claims in liquidation of large New England distributor
- Represented indenture trustee in pursuing remedies in connection with a failed charter high school and in sale of school’s former facility
- Represented indenture trustee in securing appointment of receiver for HUD-subsidized housing project and in sale of project in receivership proceeding
- Represented indenture trustee in workout and refinancing transaction involving church-affiliated assisted living facility and in trust instruction proceedings authorizing trustee to implement transaction
- Represented Minnesota dairy cooperative and franchisor in enforcement of multi-million dollar statutory trust claims under Minnesota Wholesale Produce Dealers Act in Delaware Chapter 11 bankruptcy case of food service distributor
- Represented group of Minnesota banks in Chapter 11 bankruptcy case of New York equipment leasing company
Publications
- “Composition Agreements, Assignments for the Benefit of Creditors, Wage Assignments and Confessions of Judgment,” Chapter Four, Debtor-Creditor Handbook, Minnesota State Bar Association, Continuing Legal Education, 2006, 2008, 2010
Presentations
- “Piercing The Veil, Reverse Piercing and Other Theories for Disregarding the Entity,” Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, 2011 Bankruptcy Institute, Minneapolis, MN, September 2011
- “Bankruptcy Alternatives,” Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, 8th Annual Banking Law Institute, Minneapolis, MN, April 2011
- “Composition Agreements, Assignments for the Benefit of Creditors and Other Non-Bankruptcy Alternatives,” Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, Debtor-Creditor Program, Minneapolis, MN, April 2010
- “Receivership As a Collection Device,” Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, Advanced Debtor-Creditor Practice Program, Minneapolis, MN, July 2009
- “Alternatives: Pre-packs, State Court Receiverships and ABC’s,” Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, 2009 Bankruptcy Institute, Minneapolis, MN, October 2009
- “Top 10 Changes in the New Bankruptcy Law Affecting Business Bankruptcies and Workouts,” TMA Upper Midwest Troubled Loan Workout Program, Minneapolis, MN, June 2006
- “Composition Agreements, Assignments for the Benefit of Creditors and Other Non-Bankruptcy Alternatives,” Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, Debtor-Creditor Handbook Program, Minneapolis, MN, March 2006
- “Lease Pitfalls Under Section 365,” Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, 2003 Bankruptcy Institute, Minneapolis, MN, September 2003
Education
- Temple University School of Law, J.D., 1975
- Colgate University, B.A., 1972
Bar Admissions
- Minnesota Supreme Court
- U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
Professional Activities
- American Bar Association, Business Law section, Business Bankruptcy Committee, Trust Indentures and Indenture Trustees Committee
- American Bankruptcy Institute
- Turnaround Management Association
- Minnesota State Bar Association
- Hennepin County Bar Association