When faced with an insolvency, Greg Jones focuses on strategies that cut through challenging and contentious situations to achieve optimal results that enable debtors, lenders and creditors to move forward productively. Greg has honed his career-long focus on bankruptcy cases and out-of-court restructurings while representing lenders, creditors’ committees, debtors, assignees for the benefit of creditors, purchasers of assets in bankruptcy cases, lessors, and defendants in preference and fraudulent transfer lawsuits. He also regularly appears before bankruptcy courts and state courts in litigious chapter 11 matters and has succeeded in converting chapter 11 cases to chapter 7 to maximize awards for lending institutions.
Gregory has served as counsel to the debtors in the successful reorganizations of:
- Imperial Capital Bancorp, Inc. (U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Southern District, California)
- L.A. Gear, Inc. (U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Central District, California)
- Liberty House, Inc. (U.S.Bankruptcy Court, District of Hawaii)
- Orange County, in its chapter 9 proceeding (U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Central District, California, Santa Ana Division)
Gregory has also served as counsel for numerous secured lenders that have faced fraudulent bankruptcy filings in California and Nevada and was successful in obtaining relief from the automatic stay or dismissal in these cases. These lenders have included OneWest Bank, N.A.; CIT Bank, N.A.; JPMorgan Chase Bank; Nationstar Mortgage, LLC; Wells Fargo Bank; and LoanCare, LLC.
Greg has built his reputation on understanding his clients' business goals to inform his counsel on solutions that meet their needs. Clients credit his commitment to collaborative communication and planning to develop consensus on how to reach outcomes efficiently and effectively. His zealous representation of clients has persevered in numerous court matters in which Greg’s credible and intelligent arguments have earned the respect of bankruptcy judges and enabled his clients to recoup millions of dollars in judgments that would have otherwise been tied up in protracted proceedings.
Prior to joining Stradling, Greg built his practice within other renowned bankruptcy teams in which he worked alongside prominent law school academics who helped draft the Bankruptcy Code
Some highlights of Greg’s career include:
Greg obtained confirmation of a chapter 11 plan of reorganization for an independent motion picture/television production company in the Central District of California. In connection with the plan confirmation, Greg spent several years engaged in exhaustive negotiations with secured creditors and labor unions.
Greg obtained conversion of a chapter 11 case to a chapter 7 for a large lending institution, which enabled a trustee to sell luxury property in Nevada. After engaging in discovery, Greg argued, among other things, that the debtor had not commenced her bankruptcy in good faith because she misrepresented her place of residence, failed to disclose the existence of her construction law suit, and made numerous misrepresentations in her bankruptcy schedules. The bankruptcy court agreed with Greg’s requested conversion of the chapter 11 case which led to a sale of the real property and satisfaction of the lenders’ approximately $4.3 million claim, with attorneys’ fees.
Greg obtained conversion of a chapter 11 case to a chapter 7 case for a major lending institution in a case involving real estate in Malibu. The debtor had filed three bankruptcy cases prior to scheduled foreclosure dates, which stayed the sale of his Malibu property. After the debtor failed to file the necessary paperwork with the bankruptcy court for the third case, the case was seemingly closed until Greg obtained in rem relief from the automatic stay. That strategic move prevents the debtor from using bankruptcy with respect to the Malibu property and allows the bank to take action on its recovery of its $11 million judgment against the debtor.
Greg represented another lending institution against a litigious chapter 11 debtor in bankruptcy court in Woodland Hills. Greg assisted in obtaining dismissal of her adversary complaint against the bank and also obtained relief from the automatic stay, which will allow a chapter 7 trustee to sell her property to satisfy the bank’s multi-million claim. Greg also obtained an award of attorneys’ fees, and all bankruptcy court decisions were affirmed by the U.S. District Court and Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Greg represented a Santa Monica apparel company in obtaining confirmation of a plan of reorganization when faced with the aggressive tactics of bondholders and other unsecured creditors.
Greg represented an assignee for the benefit of creditors in an assignment involving a number of auto repair shops in California. He negotiated a settlement among secured creditors and employees who had filed a class action against the assignor in state court. As a result of this settlement and the sale of personal property, Greg was able to maximize the return to creditors of the failed auto shops.
Gregory has served as counsel to the debtors in the successful reorganizations of:
- Imperial Capital Bancorp, Inc. (U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Southern District, California)
- L.A. Gear, Inc. (U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Central District, California)
- Liberty House, Inc. (U.S.Bankruptcy Court, District of Hawaii)
- Orange County, in its chapter 9 proceeding (U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Central District, California, Santa Ana Division)
Gregory has also served as counsel for numerous secured lenders that have faced fraudulent bankruptcy filings in California and Nevada and was successful in obtaining relief from the automatic stay or dismissal in these cases. These lenders have included OneWest Bank, N.A.; CIT Bank, N.A.; JPMorgan Chase Bank; Nationstar Mortgage, LLC; Wells Fargo Bank; and LoanCare, LLC.
Greg has built his reputation on understanding his clients' business goals to inform his counsel on solutions that meet their needs. Clients credit his commitment to collaborative communication and planning to develop consensus on how to reach outcomes efficiently and effectively. His zealous representation of clients has persevered in numerous court matters in which Greg’s credible and intelligent arguments have earned the respect of bankruptcy judges and enabled his clients to recoup millions of dollars in judgments that would have otherwise been tied up in protracted proceedings.
Prior to joining Stradling, Greg built his practice within other renowned bankruptcy teams in which he worked alongside prominent law school academics who helped draft the Bankruptcy Code
Some highlights of Greg’s career include:
Greg obtained confirmation of a chapter 11 plan of reorganization for an independent motion picture/television production company in the Central District of California. In connection with the plan confirmation, Greg spent several years engaged in exhaustive negotiations with secured creditors and labor unions.
Greg obtained conversion of a chapter 11 case to a chapter 7 for a large lending institution, which enabled a trustee to sell luxury property in Nevada. After engaging in discovery, Greg argued, among other things, that the debtor had not commenced her bankruptcy in good faith because she misrepresented her place of residence, failed to disclose the existence of her construction law suit, and made numerous misrepresentations in her bankruptcy schedules. The bankruptcy court agreed with Greg’s requested conversion of the chapter 11 case which led to a sale of the real property and satisfaction of the lenders’ approximately $4.3 million claim, with attorneys’ fees.
Greg obtained conversion of a chapter 11 case to a chapter 7 case for a major lending institution in a case involving real estate in Malibu. The debtor had filed three bankruptcy cases prior to scheduled foreclosure dates, which stayed the sale of his Malibu property. After the debtor failed to file the necessary paperwork with the bankruptcy court for the third case, the case was seemingly closed until Greg obtained in rem relief from the automatic stay. That strategic move prevents the debtor from using bankruptcy with respect to the Malibu property and allows the bank to take action on its recovery of its $11 million judgment against the debtor.
Greg represented another lending institution against a litigious chapter 11 debtor in bankruptcy court in Woodland Hills. Greg assisted in obtaining dismissal of her adversary complaint against the bank and also obtained relief from the automatic stay, which will allow a chapter 7 trustee to sell her property to satisfy the bank’s multi-million claim. Greg also obtained an award of attorneys’ fees, and all bankruptcy court decisions were affirmed by the U.S. District Court and Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Greg represented a Santa Monica apparel company in obtaining confirmation of a plan of reorganization when faced with the aggressive tactics of bondholders and other unsecured creditors.
Greg represented an assignee for the benefit of creditors in an assignment involving a number of auto repair shops in California. He negotiated a settlement among secured creditors and employees who had filed a class action against the assignor in state court. As a result of this settlement and the sale of personal property, Greg was able to maximize the return to creditors of the failed auto shops.