Scott A. Underwood

Scott A. Underwood has experience in bankruptcy, distressed business situations and business workouts, with a focus on chapter 11 bankruptcies and related litigation. He has represented clients in bankruptcy cases, insolvency-related litigation, director and officer liability litigation, assignments for the benefit of creditors, receiverships and out of court workouts and restructurings.

In that capacity, Scott has represented distressed businesses, chapter 11 debtors, secured and unsecured creditors, bankruptcy trustees, creditors’ committees, liquidating trustee and parties acquiring assets from bankruptcy cases. Scott is Chair of the firm’s Bankruptcy & Creditors’ Rights Practice Group.

Within the Florida bankruptcy system, Scott has more experience with chapter 15 international insolvencies than many practitioners, having actively litigated substantial issues concerning comity, fairness of foreign systems to United States’ creditors, and other key elements of chapter 15 relief available to foreign representatives. He has litigated these issues before both the bankruptcy court and district court.

Beyond core chapter 11 matters, Scott represents clients in various high stakes litigation matters. He has been involved in substantial products liability litigation against enterprise resource planning software systems, director and officer liability litigation, bond holder litigation, seizures of yachts and other commercial disputes.

Scott has substantial experience with assignments for the benefit of creditors, having represented assignees, assignors and creditors in such proceedings throughout Florida.

Prior to Fowler White Boggs P.A.’s merger with Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, Scott led the firm’s statewide Business Litigation Practice Group, where he managed attorneys and paralegals from the firm’s five offices. He was also the leader of the firm’s Bankruptcy and Financial Restructuring Practice.

He is a member of, among other organizations, (i) the American Bankruptcy Institute – where he sits on the leadership committee of the Real Estate section as the Special Projects Chair, (ii) the Bankruptcy Bar Association for the Southern District of Florida and (iii) the Business Law Section of the Florida Bar, where he heads a subcommittee to study insurance company receivership reforms. He is also a member of Buchanan’s Associates Committee, which plays a key role in developing associates and senior attorneys in the firm.

Scott is a frequent speaker on bankruptcy topics, including debtor in possession financing, representing Chapter 11 debtors, involuntary bankruptcy strategies and Chapter 15 international insolvencies. Scott was a contributing writer to Inside the Minds: Chapter 11 Bankruptcy and Restructuring Strategies, 2014 ed., having drafted a chapter concerning strategic analysis of and planning for chapter 11 filings.

In addition to legal recognition, Scott has been recognized within his local community. In 2013, Scott was recognized as one of the leading “Up and Comers” under 40 years old in the Tampa Bay area’s business and civic community.