Attorney Robyn B. Sokol has an extensive background in business reorganization, creditor’s rights and bankruptcy. She has served as lead or co counsel in scores of trials, evidentiary hearings and motions in bankruptcy and other courts throughout the United States.
Attorney Sokol represents businesses in a myriad of industries including manufacturing, marketing and promotion, retail, entertainment, finance, golf courses, home building, real estate development, hospitality, insurance, real estate, shipping, and healthcare.
Her background also encompasses related transactional business, commercial, and bankruptcy litigation. Ms. Sokol’s transactional work includes negotiating, drafting, analyzing and reviewing loan documents, real and personal property leases, purchase agreements and licensing agreements.
As part of her comprehensive bankruptcy and creditor’s rights practice, Ms. Sokol represents Chapter 7 and 11 debtors and counsels clients on the reorganization of mid-sized corporations and individual debtors. Also among her clients are re financial institutions, corporations, creditors committees, and Chapter 7 and 11 trustees in related Federal Court and State Court litigation.
A graduate of Boston University School of Law, Ms. Sokol was a partner at the LA law firm of Robinson, Diamant & Wolkowitz prior to joining Ezra Brutzkus Gubner LLP.
Practice Emphasis
- Bankruptcy and Insolvency
- Creditor's Rights and Commercial Collection
- Corporate and Business Transactional Law
- Business and Commercial Litigation and Dispute Resolution
Qualifications/Memberships
- State Bar of California
- U.S. District Court, Northern, Central, Eastern and Southern Districts of California
- Los Angeles County Bar Association
- Los Angeles Bankruptcy Forum
- Financial Lawyers Conference
- American Bankruptcy Institute
- 2004 Voter Protection Legal Team
- Judicial Law Clerk in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Central District of California for the Honorable Robin Riblet; and Judicial Law Clerk (floating position) for Judges Ahart, Lax, Lasarow, March and Zurzolo
Education
- Boston University School of Law, J.D., 1991; Defenders Clinical Program, Probate Journal - Case and Note Editor, Esdaile Moot Court Competition - Advisor and Judge
- University of Colorado, Boulder, B.S., Finance and Real Estate, cum laude,1986; Beta Gamma Sigma - highest scholastic business school honor, Golden Key National Honor Society
Representative matters:
Ms. Sokol’s practice highlights include responsibility for the successful reorganization of:
- Roger Morris Inn at the Park – A 465-room hotel, operating as a Ramada, located directly across the street from the main entrance of Disneyland.
- The Boston Stores – Twenty-one store mini-department store chain.
- Del Piso Brick and Tile – Large tile and brick retailer.
She has successfully defended preference actions filed against various entities including a national insurance company, publication house and shipping company. Among her additional representative matters are:
Debtor Representation experience including the successful reorganization of:
- International Society of Krishna Consciousness – Twelve related religious organizations which sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy relief to protect its real estate assets and address pending mass tort litigation.
- BeBop – Manufacturer of a line of clothing for juniors.
- B.U.M. International, Inc. – Retail chain with 41 stores and licensor of trade names and trademarks.
- Warren G – Individual reorganization of hip-hop celebrity.
- Acromil Corporation – Manufacturer of specialty parts for aircraft.
- Ocean Trails Golf Club – Representation of debtor in possession principally engaged in the development of a luxury 18-hole golf course, clubhouse and 75 residential view lot project in Palos Verdes Peninsula, California.
- Cal Transpeed Auto
Creditor Representation
- Represented Sea-Land Services, Inc., Strottman International, Inc., Blair Sign, Inc. and Sign Resource, Inc. in complex preference litigation and claims disputes.
- Resolution of disputed lease assumption issues in Chapter 11 cases for various landlords including the City of Miami.
- Represented McKesson HBOC, Inc., a secured creditor in a Chapter 11 case which was later converted to a Chapter 7 case.
- On behalf of Castle & Cook, a real estate developer, advised and counseled on the resolution of a lease assumption matter and administrative claim issues in the PG&E bankruptcy case.
- Resolved and litigated various tax issues in the context of bankruptcy cases for the County of Los Angeles.
Bankruptcy Estates
- Legal counsel during purchase and protection of various real property assets for real estate developer that were either purchased out of bankruptcy estates or were the subject of litigation involving bankruptcy estates.
- Achieved significant returns to estates on behalf of bankruptcy estate trustees through the pursuit of scores of preference and fraudulent transfer actions.
- Located buyers, arranged for liquidators, negotiated terms of purchase and facilitated bankruptcy approval of sale as part of assistance provided to bankruptcy trustees selling estate assets.
Unsecured Creditors Committee Representation
- V-Tech, Inc. – Confirmed plan of reorganization that provided 100% satisfaction of unsecured claims plus interest
- Sanga International
- Louise's Trattoria – Assisted in the representation of the unsecured creditors committee in an entity operating a number of Italian restaurants.
- Fields Aircraft, Inc. – Case resulted in the confirmation of a consensual plan of reorganization which Sokol formulated in conjunction with the debtor in possession’s counsel.