Michael Ahrens

Michael H. Ahrens is Of Counsel in the Finance and Bankruptcy Practice Group in the firm’s San Francisco office. Mr. Ahrens represents clients throughout the country in all types of insolvency proceedings, including confirmation of plans, rejection and assumption of leases and other executory contracts, and bankruptcy litigation.

Mr. Ahrens represents secured creditors, debtors, creditors’ committees, trustees and receivers. In addition, Mr. Ahrens has represented business clients in the purchase and sale of assets of troubled companies. Finally, he has substantial experience with loan workout problems of troubled companies, representing both financial institutions and borrowers.

Education:

• J.D., University of San Francisco, 1969
• B.A., University of San Francisco, 1967

Experience:

• Represent Official Creditors Committee of William “Boots” Del Biaggio in selling major interest in the National Hockey League team, Nashville Predators
• Represented Official Shareholders Committee of Tvia, a publicly held company, in its successful chapter 11 reorganization plan
• Represented Official Creditors Committee of JT Thorpe in its successful chapter 11 confirmation, obtaining over $250 million for creditors
• Represent Official Creditors Committee of Western MacArthur in successful confirmation of Plan of Reorganization which provides for over $2 Billion for creditors
• Represent GWF Power, a member of the Official Creditors Committee in the Chapter 11 bankruptcy case of Pacific Gas & Electric
• Represent Zomax Incorporated s prospective purchaser of assets in Chapter 11 of Software Logistics Corporation
• Represent certain members of the official unsecured creditors committee in the Chapter 11 bankruptcy case of Metricom, Inc.
• Represent Vector Aerospace Corporation in the purchase of assets out of Chapter 11 by Vector of a repair maintenance and overhaul facility for aviation components
• Represented Vista Properties, Chapter 11 debtor, in the confirmation of a plan of reorganization involving 24-story office building on Park Avenue, New York
• Represented Louisville Gas & Electric Co. as a major creditor and creditors’ committee chair in the Chapter 11 of Kenetech Windpower, Inc.
• Represented the major shareholder and plan proponent in the Chapter 11 case of Trailways Bus Lines filed in the Northern District of Texas.  After an extended confirmation trial, the plan was successfully confirmed
• Represented Federal Express in successfully bringing an involuntary Chapter 11 case and obtaining the appointment of a trustee in a Hamilton-Taft case filed in the Northern District of California, a case involving the diversion of millions of dollars of funds
• Represented two banks which were the substantial creditors of George I. Benny in his Chapter 11 case filed in the United States Bankruptcy Court, Northern District of California
• Represented banks and financial institutions in a loan workout with numerous debtors short of bankruptcies, preparing revision agreements where the debt was secured by various assets, including shopping centers, office buildings, airplanes, helicopters and hotels

Memberships:

• Member, Committee of Lawyer Representatives to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals for the Northern District, 1997-2000
• Member, Bankruptcy Advisory Committee (appointed 1984) United States District Court, Northern District of California
• Director, California Bankruptcy Forum, 1992-1993
• Member of the Committee of Lawyer Representatives of the Bankruptcy Court, Northern District of California, 1990-1993
• Member, American Bar Association
• Member, American Bankruptcy Institute
• Member, California Bankruptcy Forum