Susan K. Seflin

Susan K. Seflin is an experienced bankruptcy attorney who guides and represents a wide range of businesses through the chapter 11 reorganization process. Ms. Seflin has represented over eighty chapter 11 debtors (excluding related entities) and has a proven track record of successfully confirming chapter 11 plans of reorganization. Ms. Seflin focuses her practice primarily on chapter 11 reorganizations and related matters such as 363 sales, insider litigation and trustee representation. Ms. Seflin is also a Chapter 11 Subchapter V Trustee for the Central District of California. Ms. Seflin has been named a Southern California “Super Lawyer” by Southern California Super Lawyer Magazine from 2016 – 2024, and she has been recognized in “The Best Lawyers in America” since 2018.

Education

• Pepperdine University, School of Law (J.D., 2000)
• Pepperdine University, School of Business and Management (M.B.A. magna cum laude, 1999)
• University of California, Berkeley (B.A., 1996)

Admissions

• State Bar of California
• U.S. District Court for the Central, Northern, Southern and Eastern Districts of California
• Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
• California Chapter 11 Subchapter V Trustee

• Represented post-confirmation chapter 11 liquidating trustee of sixty-five related debtor entities where the chapter 11 plan estimated a distribution of 8-14.7% to general unsecured creditors. Extensively litigated against various claim holders including the IRS and assisted the liquidating trustee in the liquidation of substantial assets.  The final distribution to general unsecured creditors was 97%.
• Successfully confirmed joint chapter 11 plan of reorganization in bankruptcy cases of parent company and seven related entities with eighty-one locations in six states where parent company was public company. Successfully fought motion to appoint a chapter 11 trustee filed by the U.S. Trustee which was supported by the Committee and second largest secured creditor.
• Represented Taiwan’s largest barbeque grill manufacturer in the acquisition of substantially all of the assets from the chapter 11 bankruptcy case of In re Barbeques Galore, Inc. for an aggregate purchase price of $15 million in cash consideration. Successfully negotiated, documented, and closed the sale in record time, which included an assumption of over 45 leases.
• Successfully confirmed chapter 11 plan of reorganization in bankruptcy case of manufacturing company where secured creditor was undersecured, swept $3 million from the debtor’s bank accounts prepetition, and vigorously contested cash collateral use (and all other first day emergency motions), and where plan of reorganization was contested by state and federal environmental agencies as debtor operated business pre and post petition on two superfund sites.  Extensively briefed confirmation memorandums on interplay between environmental law and rights of environmental agencies to administrative claims, and argued at multiple continued confirmation hearings.
• Represented single asset real estate entity in vigorously contested chapter 11 case where secured creditor objected to cash collateral use and plan confirmation, sought relief from stay, conversion of the case, and an administrative claim for default interest and penalties. Crammed down secured creditor, confirmed chapter 11 plan of reorganization and successfully fought secured creditor’s attempts to include default interest and penalties in its claim.
• Four years after individual chapter 11 debtor’s plan was confirmed and case was closed, filed a motion to reopen bankruptcy case and obtained order enforcing discharge injunction, declaratory relief and sanctions against debtor’s former spouse for pursuing litigation against debtor which had been resolved in chapter 11 case.
• Represented chapter 11 debtor where case was vigorously contested by debtor’s pre-petition management. Filed first day emergency motion seeking to remove pre-petition management from control and possession of debtor’s assets and business and court granted debtor’s motion and issued temporary restraining order. Filed additional complaint and emergency motion seeking to hold pre‐petition management in contempt for violating TRO, and obtained contempt order as well as sanctions.  Successfully confirmed plan.

• American Bar Association
• Association of Insolvency & Restructuring Advisors
• American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI) – Member
• Los Angeles Bankruptcy Forum – Member
• INSOL International – Member
• International Women’s Insolvency and Restructuring Confederation
• Pro bono work for low income individuals, Public Counsel of Los Angeles (2003-2006)
• Advisor, Member, and Board of Directors, Moving Ventures, Inc. (2007-2013)
• National Association of Bankruptcy Trustees (NABT) – Member

• “Best Lawyers in America” (2018-Present)
• Thomson Reuters Southern California “Super Lawyers” (2016-Present)
• Thomson Reuters Southern California “Super Lawyers – Rising Stars” (2006, 2012-2014)

• Webinar Panelist, “Small Business Debtor Provisions in Chapter 11 – What is working and what is not?” Presented by the ABA Business Bankruptcy Committee (Jan. 2018)
• Seminar Speaker, “Small Business Debtor Provisions in Chapter 11 – What is working and what is not?” ABA Business Bankruptcy Committee (NCBJ, Oct. 2017)
• Seminar Program Chair, “Sovereign Debt Crisis in the ‘Eurozone,’ ‘Venue’ Issues and Forum-Shopping, and Proposed Venue Changes Before the House of Representatives,” ABI (Nov. 2011)
• Seminar Moderator, “International Insolvency and Restructuring Issues,” ABI (Aug. 2010)