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Bill Finkelstein

Partner
+1.214.939.5757
Fax +1.214.939.5849

Mr. Finkelstein provides general business and strategic counsel to clients in a broad range of industries, including manufacturing, metals recycling, jewelry, retail, medical-dental equipment, and real estate.  He also represents businesses, investors and financial institutions in workout transactions, restructurings, bankruptcies, and litigation.  His significant practical experience includes counseling clients on commercial transactions, acquisitions and minimizing insolvency risks in structuring business transactions, representing clients in acquisitions of businesses and assets from troubled companies, and representing official committees in bankruptcy cases. Mr. Finkelstein has also represented lenders, exporters and importers and technology-based firms in a wide variety of commercial litigation and insolvency matters.

Areas of Emphasis 

  • Business & Strategic Counsel to Business
  • Business Reorganization and Bankruptcy
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Asset Acquisitions

Professional Background

Following graduation with honors from law school in 1974, Mr. Finkelstein clerked for the Honorable Thomas M. Reavly, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Texas, and for thirty-three years was a member of the firm Hughes & Luce, LLP which merged with K&L Gates in 2008.

Achievements

  • Best Lawyers in Dallas, D Magazine, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2012
  • Texas SuperLawyer, Law & Politics Magazine and Texas Monthly, 2003 -2011
  • Best Lawyers – Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/ Insolvency and Reorganizational Law, 2012

Professional/Civic Activities

  • Israel Bonds, Dallas Board
  • Jewish Federation Greater Dallas
    • Annual Campaign, Co-Chair 2007-2009
    • Board of Directors 2006-2007
  • American Bar Association
    • Business Law and Business Bankruptcy Sections
  • American Bankruptcy Institute
  • Association of Commercial Finance Attorneys
  • Master, John C. Ford Inn of Court
  • Mason (including Scottish Rite & Shrine)
  • Mt Zion United Jewish Cemetery, President
  • UJA Young Leadership Cabinet, 1986-90

Speaking Engagements

  • Speaker, Mergers and Acquisitions Roundtable, "Going from Corporate America to Purchasing Your Own Business", The Wharton Alumni Club of DFW, March 2010.
  • Speaker, Auto Lender’s Roundtable, “Ramifications of Auto Dealer Bankruptcies,” January 2009.
  • Speaker, “Achieving Success in the International Marketplace”, October 2008.
  • Speaker, Executory Contracts, Business Bankruptcy, 2008 ABA Section of Business Law Spring Meeting , April, 2008.
  • Representation of  purchasers in a $100 million acquisition and contemporaneous master lease of 91 convenience stores, including related branding, marketing and master fuel supply agreements
  • Counsel to successful bidders in bankruptcy auctions to acquire the rights to conduct store closing sales at over 200 Bombay® store locations and to purchase IP rights
  • Counsel to successful bidders in auction in Bankruptcy Court in Oklahoma to acquire the rights to conduct store closing sales at over 50 Harold's® store locations and distribution center.
  • Out-of-court restructuring on behalf of Ericsson Credit A.B., as senior secured financier, in $800 million financing and capital restructuring of Diveo Broadband Networks, Inc. and its subsidiaries in Argentina, Brazil, Columbia, Mexico, Panama, Peru, and Uruguay
  • Counsel to Worldspan, L.P. in connection with post-petition provision of services and sale of interests in and assumption and assignment of agreements with Worldspan to subsidiary of American Airlines in In re: TWA, Inc. (D. Del.); and in connection with executory contracts with, and in investments in, online travel companies in In re: Bye Bye Now (M.D. Fla)
  • Counsel to Ericsson Inc., as senior secured creditor and debtor in possessionlender, in In re: Airadigm Communications, Inc. (N.D. Wisc.) and as senior secured creditor in In re: National Global Telecommunications, Inc. (D. Del.)
  • Assisted technology providers and outsourcers in major Chapter 11 reorganizations and restructuring matters.  These matters have involved a variety of cutting edge issues, including information technology, executory contracts, equitable subordination, and sale of assets.  These cases include In re: U.S.Airways, Inc. (E.D. Va), In re: Adelphia Communications Corp. (S.D.N.Y.), In re: National Steel Corp. (N.D.Ill.), In re: SpectraVision, Inc. (D. Del.), In re: Eastern Airlines, Inc. (S.D.N.Y.), In re: System One Holdings, Inc. (Continental Airlines subsidiary) (D. Del.), In re: ANC (D.Del.), In re: Enron (S.D.N.Y.), In re: First City Bancorporation (N.D. Tex.), and In re: First City Bank Houston (F.D.I.C. Receivership)
  • Representation of commercial banks, asset based lenders, equipment lessors and credit insurance companies in numerous debtor-in-possession financings and bankruptcy and workout matters, such as De Lage Landen, Fleet Credit Corporation, Rabobank Nederland, N.A., BancBoston Retail Finance, Inc., Transamerica Consumer Receivables Finance, Inc., NorthPark National Bank, GBFC, Inc., The First National Bank of Boston, G.E. Capital Corp., Westinghouse Credit Corporation, Compania Mexicana de Seguros de Credito, S.A.
  • Representation of numerous real estate lenders in workouts, litigation and bankruptcies, including counsel to Bank One in connection with litigation and negotiations of agreements for deeds in lieu of foreclosure and settlements with guarantors involving $70 million in secured facilities, and counsel to Reilly Mortgage in connection with state court receiverships for properties securing loans exceeding $75 million
  • Acquisition of operating assets on behalf of buyers in In re: Amre, Inc. (N.D. Tex.), In re: LayerOne, Inc. (N.D. Tex.), In re: PCS, Inc. (N.D. Tex.), In re: Athletic Training Equipment Corp. (D. Nev.), In re: INSpire Insurance (N.D. Tex.); In re: Genesis Airport Support, Inc. (N.D. Tex.); In re: Grandy’s Inc. (C.D. Calif.)
  • Counsel to Official Committee of Equity Security Holdersin In re: Gadzoks, Inc. (N.D. Tex.); Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors in In re: ERLY Industries, Inc. (S.D. Tex.) and counsel to limited partnership created under plan to prosecute claims in behalf of creditors; Ad Hoc Committee of Creditors of JBA Management, Inc., the jewelry subsidiary of Ames in In re: Ames Department Stores, Inc. (S.D.N.Y.); Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors in In re: Harbor Financial Group, Inc. (N.D. Tex.); Official Physicians' Committee in In re: Physicians Resource Group, Inc. (N.D. Tex.); Official Committee of Trade Creditors in In re: Zale Corporation (N.D. Tex.) in connection with consignment claims, trade financing and inventory issues
  • Litigation and bankruptcy counsel to owner of trademarks and other intellectual property rights in In re: Carlos Falchi (S.D.N.Y.)
  • Counsel to developer interests in connection with real estate, zoning and highway development issues in In re: Hunt (N.D. Tex.), including representation of developer  in Chapter 9 municipal reorganization in In re: Town of Westlake (N.D.Tex.)
  • Counsel to numerous Mexican food, garment and machinery and parts exporters; and Belgian and Israeli diamond exporters in connection with sales in U.S.A.
  • Representation of bidding parties in "store closing auctions and lease designation rights" auctions in In re: Brook Mays (N.D. Texas); In re: Americana Foods (N.D. Texas); In re: Sofa Express, Inc. (M.D. Tenn.)
  • Co-representation of subordinated debt holders in contested valuation hearings in In re: Mirant (N.D. Tex.)