Education
J.D., 1986, University of Michigan Law School
B.A., 1982
James Madison College, Michigan State University
Professional Experience
Silverman & Morris, P.L.L.C.
Member, April 2003‑present
Shefferly, Silverman & Morris
1990‑2003
Schlussel, Lifton, Simon, Rands, Galvin & Jackier
1986‑1990
American Chamber of Commerce in Belgium
Internship, 1982
Martindale Hubbell “AV” rating
Super Lawyers 2008 – present (Bankruptcy & Creditor/ Debtor Rights)
Practice Areas
Commercial, consumer and municipal bankruptcy; representation of bankruptcy trustees; leasing and real estate; commercial litigation; workouts; bankruptcy litigation; commercial law; creditors’ rights; international transactions
Court Admissions
Michigan; Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan
United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
Professional Activities
State Bar of Michigan, Debtor/Creditor Rights Committee
State Bar of Michigan, Business Law Section Council, 2009 to 2015
Oakland County Bar Association, Debtor-Creditor Committee, chairman 2020-2021.
Publications and Presentations
“State v. Federal Exemptions”, ABI/CBA Detroit Veterans Day Steven W. Rhodes Consumer Bankruptcy Conference, November, 2019.
“MUFTA Becomes MUVTA: Recent Changes to the Michigan Voidable Transactions Law” Michigan Business Law Journal, spring, 2018.
“In Need of Repair: Secret Personal Property Liens in Michigan” Michigan Business Law Journal, fall 2015.
“Unique and Perplexing Issues in Individual Chapter 11 Cases”, ABI Central States Conference, June, 2013 (featured in The Best of ABI: The Year in Consumer Bankruptcy).
“House Bill 5427 Proposes Exemption Reform”, The Litigation Newsletter (State Bar or Michigan Litigation Section), spring 2012.
“The History and Future of Michigan Debtor Exemptions” Michigan Business Law Journal, summer 2010.
Co-author, “Representing Small Business Debtors in Bankruptcy” Handling Consumer and Small Business Bankruptcies in Michigan, I.C.L.E., 2009 – 2020.
“The Discharge of ‘Trustee’ Debts: Defining the Term ‘Fiduciary Capacity” under Bankruptcy Code section 523(a)(4)” Michigan Business Law Journal, spring 2008.
“Judgment Liens Against Real Property: H.B. 4941Proposes Major Changes” Michigan Real Property Review, summer 2000.
Articles editor, Michigan Business Law Journal, spring 2008; lecturer on bankruptcy law at various additional seminars; expert witness in bankruptcy and commercial law matters.
Published Decisions (partial list)
Dery v. United States, 106 B.R. 474 (Bankr. E.D. Mich. 1989)
In re Moses, 132 B.R. 837 (Bankr. E.D. Mich. 1990); 779 F.Supp. 857 (E.D. Mich. 1991)
In re Big Rapids Mall Associates, 98 F.3d 926 (6th Cir. 1996)
In re Barman, 237 B.R. 342; (Bankr. E.D. Mich. 1999); 244 B.R. 896 (Bankr. E.D. Mich. 2000)
In re Made in Detroit, 299 B.R. 170 (Bankr. E.D. Mich. 2003), 414 F.3d 576 (6th Cir. 2005)
In re Sassak, 426 B.R. 680 (E.D. Mich. 2010)
In re City of Detroit, 504 B.R. 97 (Bankr. E.D. Mich. 2013)
In re Baker, 514 B.R. 860 (E.D. Mich. 2014)
Languages: French