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Education

  • University of California at Los Angeles (B.A. summa cum laude 1971)
  • Harvard Law School (J.D. summa cum laude 1974)

Bar and Court Admissions

  • 1974, California
  • United States Supreme Court

Isaac M. Pachulski

Photo of Isaac M. Pachulski
Los Angeles
Tel: 310.277.6910

Mr. Pachulski is a nationally prominent bankruptcy attorney with over four decades of experience in reorganization proceedings and in dealing with a broad spectrum of bankruptcy-related issues. Throughout his legal career, Mr. Pachulski has specialized in corporate reorganization, insolvency, and bankruptcy law. He has represented debtors, significant creditors, official and unofficial committees, and creditor groups in cases around the country.  Many of Mr. Pachulski’s representations are nonpublic, involving advice to clients on a variety of bankruptcy-related issues. He has represented substantial creditors and creditor groups in major chapter 11 cases such as those of Westinghouse (substantial creditor); Toys R Us (substantial bondholder); Lehman Brothers (substantial creditor and bondholder); Tribune (substantial noteholder) Scotia Pacific ( holders of in excess of $200 million of secured notes); Calpine (appellate co-counsel to certain holders of convertible notes), Adelphia Communications (substantial noteholder and special conflicts counsel to ad hoc noteholder group) and Enron Corporation ( holders of in excess of $3 billion of senior unsecured debt). Recently, Mr. Pachulski represented the National Association of Bankruptcy Trustees in submitting an amicus brief to the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals focusing on the remedies available in a fraudulent conveyance action in support of the creditors' committee in Senior Transeastern Lenders v. Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors (In re Tousa, Inc.), No. 17-11545 (11th Cir. July 19, 2017).

Previously, Mr. Pachulski has represented debtors and, to a lesser extent, trustees. Among these representations: He acted as lead chapter 11 counsel for Mariner Post-Acute Network, Inc., Mariner Health Group, Inc., and 185 affiliated entities that collectively operated approximately 400 skilled nursing and long-term acute care facilities as of the chapter 11 filing, and who successfully confirmed a chapter 11 plan. Mr. Pachulski represented the trustee for a failed clearing broker in a proceeding under the Securities Investor Protection Act.

Mr. Pachulski is a member of the National Bankruptcy Conference (where he chaired the Chapter 11 Committee and served on the Executive Committee) and the International Insolvency Institute, as well as being a fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy. In 2009, he testified before Congress on behalf of the National Bankruptcy Conference in connection with issues affecting the reorganization of retailers. He has been named in Who's Who Legal (for Insolvency & Restructuring), the Best of the Best (Legal Media Group), 500 Leading Lawyers in America; Southern California Best Lawyers in America (2011 & 2012); Best Lawyers in America (every year since 1993); and Super Lawyers for Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights (Super Lawyers Magazine; every year since 2004). Mr. Pachulski holds an AV Preeminent Peer Rating, Martindale-Hubbell's highest recognition for ethical standards and legal ability. He was listed by Lawdragon as one of the 2020 "Lawdragon 500 Leading Global Restructuring & Insolvency Lawyers."

He received his J.D., summa cum laude, from Harvard University, earning the distinguished Fay Diploma for highest cumulative grade average. While at Harvard, he won the Sears Prize two years in a row and was a member of the Harvard Law Review. His BA was earned summa cum laude at University of California Los Angeles. He is admitted to practice in California and resident in our Los Angeles office.

Representations

Chapter 11 debtors: Mariner-Post Acute Network; Public Service Company of New Hampshire; Cherokee, Inc.; Restaurant Enterprises Group; Wilson Foods

Debtholders in chapter 11 cases: Enron; Owens Corning; Lehman Brothers; Tribune Company; Scotia Pacific; Delphi Corporation; Calpine; Adelphia Communications

Reported Cases

U.S. Bancorp Mortgage Corp. v. Bonner Mall Partnership, 513 U.S. 18 (1994)(counsel for amicus)

Chemical Bank v. First Trust of N.Y. (In re Southeast Banking Corp.), 156 F.3d 1114 (11th Cir. 1998)

United States v. Wyle (In re Pacific Far East Lines), 889 F.2d 24 (11th Cir. 1989)

First Fidelity Bank v Public Service Co. (In re Public Service Co.), 879 F.2d 987 (1st Cir. 1989)

Willamette Waterfront Ltd. v. Victoria Station Inc. (In re Victoria Station Inc.), 875 F.2d 1380 (9th Cir. 1989)

Danning v. Bozek (In re Bullion Reserve), 836 F.2d 1214 (9th Cir. 1988)

Landes Constr. Co. v Royal Bank of Canada, 833 F.2d 1365 (1987)

Sambo's Restaurants v. Wheeler (In re Sambo's Restaurants), 754 F.2d 811 (9th Cir. 1985)

Harris v. Emus Records Corp., 734 F.2d 1329 (9th Cir. 1984)

Salomon v Logan (In re International Envtl. Dynamics), 718 F.2d 322 (9th Cir. 1983)

Aoki v Shepherd Mach. Co. (In re J.A. Thompson & Son), 665 F.2d 941 (9th Cir. 1982)

Royal Bank of Canada v. Trone (In re Westgate Cal. Corp.), 634 F.2d 459 (9th Cir. 1980)

Casady v. Bucher (In re Royal Properties), 621 F.2d 984 (9th Cir. 1980)

C.F. Brookside Ltd. v. Skyview Mem. Lawn Cemetery (In re Affordable Hous. Dev. Corp.), 175 B.R. 324 (BAP 9th Cir. 1994)

Professional Affiliations

  • Member, National Bankruptcy Conference (former chair, Chapter 11 Committee)
  • Member, International Insolvency Institute
  • Fellow, American Bankruptcy College

Programs and Lectures

International Insolvency Institute; Financial Lawyers Conference; American Bankruptcy Institute; National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges; Turnaround Management Association

News

Publications

  • "Cramdown and Valuation Under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code," 58 N.C.L. Law Review 925 (1981)
  • "Levy v. Cohen: Another Pitfall for Creditors in Bankruptcy Proceedings," 53 Los Angeles Bar Journal 278 (1977)

Events

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