Steve Warren

Partner

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Steve Warren specializes in corporate finance, reorganizations, restructurings, and financial/bankruptcy litigation. His practice includes workouts, restructurings and bankruptcies, as counsel to both creditors and corporate debtors. Steve also represents clients in structuring complex financial transactions.

Additionally, Steve defends officers and directors in insolvency-related litigation, in which he often works in conjunction with members of our Litigation Department. His D&O representations include successful resolutions in the ATM Acquisitions litigation in Delaware Chancery Court, First Executive-Executive Life Insurance securities and policy holder litigation and the Imperial Savings-RTC litigation. He also advises clients concerning bankruptcy risks in corporate transactions.

Honors & Awards

  • Recognized by Best Lawyers® for Bankruptcy & Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency & Reorganization Law in Los Angeles, CA (2022-2024); Steve has been listed in Best Lawyers® since 2006.
  • Recommended in Restructuring & Insolvency by Who’s Who Legal (2018-2019)
  • Chambers USA (2011-2017, 2023)
  • Legal 500 US (2017, 2019, 2022)
  • Named a “Super Lawyer” in a survey conducted by Law & Politics Media Inc. and published in Los Angeles magazine
  • Named a “Super Lawyer” in Super Lawyers - Corporate Counsel Edition

Admissions

Bar Admissions

  • California

Court Admissions

  • US District Court, Central, Northern, Eastern, and Southern Districts of California
  • US District Court, District of Arizona
  • US Court of Appeals for the Ninth and Third Circuits
  • US Supreme Court

Education

  • Stanford Law School, J.D., 1988: with distinction; Order of the Coif; ranked second in class; Urban A. Sondheimer Scholastic Award
  • Stanford University, B.A., Economics and Political Science, 1983: with distinction; Phi Beta Kappa

Professional Activities

Clerkship

  • The Honorable Harry L. Hupp, US District Court, Central District of California

Member

  • American Bankruptcy Institute (“ABI”) (elected “Best of ABI” speaker); Financial Lawyers Conference; Los Angeles County Bar Association, Commercial Law and Bankruptcy Section

Author

  • “Distressed Healthcare: Significant Considerations For Buyers, Sellers, Lenders, And Borrowers,” American Health Lawyers Association Annual Conference 2009, Washington, D.C.
  • “A Creditors’ Bargain Perspective of FDIC Insolvencies,” Financial Services Yearbook, Volume 1
  • “With Friends Like These: Protecting Participants in Integrated Delivery Systems from Bankruptcy and Insolvency Risks,” 1995 Health Law Handbook
  • “Feasting in a Flak Jacket: Bankruptcy Risks and Opportunities for Solvent Health Care Organizations,” 1998 Health Law Handbook
  • Served as counsel to Kern Cal Oil for its US$145,000,000 in secured loans to All American Oil and Gas, including successful pursuit of rights in its Chapter 11 bankruptcy case, which resulted in Kern Cal acquiring the assets of the debtors
  • Acts as national bankruptcy counsel for Fannie Mae, including in the Ditech bankruptcy case concerning approximately US$52 billion in mortgage debt
  • Represented Lenado Capital Partners in approximately US$275,000,000 in claims in the Movie Gallery bankruptcy case (including senior secured revolver claims, senior secured term debt and second lien debt)
  • Served as counsel for Clearlake Capital in the successful acquisition of Ashley Stewart through a section 363 sale, named as Turnaround Deal of the Year by the M&A Advisor
  • Acted as debtor’s counsel to Hancock Fabrics, Inc.
  • Represented Warner Brothers in the MGM bankruptcy case   
  • Represented Crescent Capital in the successful work-out and resolution of its loans to Tourneau, Inc.
  • Served as debtor's counsel to Gottschalks, Inc. in its bankruptcy case
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