Sharon L. Levine is a member in the Lowenstein Sandler Bankruptcy, Financial Reorganization & Creditors’ Rights Group and has been involved in some of the nation’s largest bankruptcy cases. Ms. Levine’s practice focuses exclusively on bankruptcy, restructuring, debtor-creditor law and bankruptcy litigation. Ms. Levine is featured in the 2008-2011 editions of Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, in the 2012 edition of The Best Lawyers in America, and in the 2005-2011 issues of Super Lawyers in the Bankruptcy and Workout section of the publication.
Ms. Levine’s recent representative matters include serving as counsel to the official unsecured creditors’ committees in cases such as Blitz U.S.A., Inc., Chef Solutions, Hussey Copper, Manistique Papers, Inc., Harry & David Holdings, Inc., American Safety Razor, Pinnacle Films, Inc., Consolidated Horticulture Group, Lear Corporation, Hayes Lemmerz, ION Media, Leiner Health Products, Inc., Star Tribune, Pliant Corporation, Foamex International, Papas Telecom, Stant Parent Corporation and Marcal Paper; as special bankruptcy counsel to the American Federation of Musicians and Employers Pension Fund in the Philadelphia and certain other orchestra cases, as special litigation counsel to the official unsecured creditors’ committee in Fedders North America, Inc.; as counsel to substantial individual creditor interests in the MF Global, Lyondell Chemical, Movida, Worldcom, Sterling Chemical, Solutia and Loral Chapter 11 cases; and as debtors’ counsel for Meridian Behavioral Health, LLC, IFL Corp., Summit Global Logistics, Inc. and Creative Group, Inc.
Ms. Levine spends substantial time in bankruptcy court trying contested and litigated matters and, in the past few years, has appeared in the following venues: the Southern and Northern Districts of New York, the District of Delaware, the District of Hawaii, the Central District of California, the Northern District of Illinois, the Eastern District of Michigan, the Eastern District of Virginia, the Southern and Northern Districts of Florida, the Southern District of Texas, the District of New Jersey, the Western District of North Carolina, and others. Her bankruptcy practice includes representation of purchasers, debtors, creditors’ committees, unsecured creditors, individual creditors, secured creditors and equity holders. She frequently provides bankruptcy advice on “out of court” corporate reorganizations, corporate and structured finance matters, and acquiring assets out of bankruptcy or in circumstances where one of the parties may be insolvent.
Ms. Levine also served as bankruptcy counsel to the Transport Workers Union of America, AFL-CIO in the Chapter 11 cases filed by AMR, American Airlines and American Eagle and to the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) and represented the IAM in the Chapter 11 cases of TWA, US Airways (I and II), United, Hawaiian Airways, Aloha Airlines (I and II) and Northwest. She is uniquely sensitive to the importance of job preservation and to achieving an equitable result for all constituencies in a reorganization case.
Ms. Levine is a frequent lecturer on various bankruptcy topics–including issues of protection of creditors’ rights in bankruptcy, automotive and chemical restructuring, discharge and fraud, media bankruptcy issues, bankruptcy lease issues, telecommunication bankruptcy issues, airline restructurings, preference issues, protection of creditors’ rights in bankruptcy, and pre-bankruptcy planning. Ms. Levine serves as the Educational Chair of the Trade Credit Committee of the American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI) and as a member of the TMA, the New Jersey State Bar Association, Debtor/Creditor Section, the American Bar Association, Business Law Section and on the Board of Trustees for the State Theatre Regional Art Center in New Jersey.
RELATED PRACTICES
Bankruptcy, Financial Reorganization & Creditors’ Rights
EDUCATION
Case Western Reserve University School of Law (J.D., 1983), Associate Editor, Case Western Reserve University Law Review
Franklin & Marshall College (B.A., 1980)
BAR ADMISSIONS
New Jersey
COURT ADMINSIONS
1983, U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey
1988, U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit
AFFIIATIONS
New Jersey State Bar Association – Debtor/Creditor Section
American Bar Association – Business Law Section
Essex County Bar Association – Debtor/Creditor Section
Federal Bar Association – New Jersey Chapter
Women in Federal Practice, NJ – Vice President (Past President)
American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI) – Trade Committee Education Chair
State Theatre Regional Art Center at New Brunswick – Board of Trustees