Law Offices of Michael Jay Berger

More than 45,000 U.S. properties were in some stage of foreclosure from July through September, according to property data firm Attom. https://bit.ly/3CiVmEm

When you’re undergoing Chapter 13 bankruptcy and are working toward fulfilling your payment plan, making on-time payments is critical. https://bit.ly/3pIm4CK

Declaring Bankruptcy is never an easy decision, but for many people, it's the right decision. https://bit.ly/2YTZc80

For those who find themselves facing dangerous levels of stress due to mounting medical bills, credit card or other debt they no longer have the financial resources to pay for, bankruptcy protection might be the solution. https://yhoo.it/3jnxE2m

Once you’ve made the difficult decision to file for bankruptcy, the next step is figuring out which type most suits youChapter 7 or Chapter 13. In many cases, factors such as your income, assets and debts will determine which filing you can pursue. But in other instances, your financial goalslike wanting to remain in your family homewill ultimately decide your bankruptcy path.

Getting your student debt discharged through bankruptcy can be a long shot. But there are some experts who stress that while it’s a challenge with the current law, borrowers should know it is still possible. https://bit.ly/3es8Vbv

Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy are the most commonly filed types of bankruptcy, likely because they’re available to individuals. https://bit.ly/2PMflYu

Lots of trees and free parking at my new, dog friendly Calabasas Branch office! 22231 Mulholland Highway, Suite 213, where Mulholland Drive intersects with Mulholland Highway.

I am excited to announce that we now have 11 offices throughout California to serve our bankruptcy clients! We are the California leader in filing Chapter 11 cases, including new Subchapter V cases, and the leader in confirming Chapter 11 plans! Boo-Yah! www.bankruptcypower.com

There are two types of bankruptcy available to most people: Chapter 7 and Chapter 13. In both cases, the majority of your unpaid debts will be discharged, though some types of debt are difficult or impossible to eliminate through bankruptcy. https://bit.ly/305NMLL

What happens to your retirement funds in bankruptcy before you retire? Here are five common questions about retirement in bankruptcy. https://bit.ly/2VsuQGp

Whatever the reasons for your bankruptcy, it’s important to emphasize that the past is behind you, and demonstrate the steps you’re taking to rebuild your credit and build a stronger future. And that sort of fresh start is precisely what bankruptcy promises. https://cnb.cx/3hpjoUj

Chapter 7 bankruptcy is a way for Americans down on their financial luck to sell off assets and have specific debts discharged by a bankruptcy court. http://bit.ly/37TAt2G

On December 18, 2020, my Associate Attorney Samuel Boyamian and I confirmed a plan of reorganization in a Chapter 11 case entitled In re Marco General Construction, Inc., Case No.: 2:19-bk-14758-BB. The catalyst for the filing of this case was a $416,506.49 default judgment against the debtor from a workers’ compensation insurance audit. When the client contacted me for the first time, its bank account had already been levied on and it was completely out of money. I filed C...hapter 11 for the client, thereby triggering the automatic stay. When the debtor’s bank refused to promptly release the debtor’s funds to the debtor and creditor’s counsel refused to cooperate with us, I filed and won a Motion for Turnover of Property of the Debtor. The Court ordered the bank to release its levy on the debtor’s account and return 100% of the levied funds to the debtor. I sought and obtained relief from stay from the Bankruptcy Court to file a Motion to Set Aside Default and Default Judgment in the State Court case. Then Sam and I prepared, filed and won a Motion to Set Aside the Default and Default Judgment. A secondary factor in the filing of the Chapter 11 case was a Florida lawsuit against the debtor for $100,000+ based on the debtor’s liability for a hard money loan that was secured by all of debtor’s receivables. Sam worked out Plan Treatment Stipulations with 2 of the debtor’s secured, hard money lenders, Kalamata Capital Group and 1 West Capital, LLC. This created an impaired class that consented to our plan of reorganization, giving us what we needed to confirm our plan. Then, by getting a vote from American Express in favor of our proposed plan, we won approval from the general unsecured class of creditors too! The confirmed plan includes these plan treatment stipulations, and pays unsecured creditors 5% of their claims over 5 years. We took a company that was being strangled by a default judgment and hard money loans and gave it new life. See more

After a bankruptcy filing, it’s important for seniors to focus on the fundamentals of financial stability. http://bit.ly/2PLJ4OQ

I am very excited about my newest hire: Veteran Bankruptcy Attorney Mark T. Domeyer! Mark joined my firm in December of 2020. Mark brings a wealth of real-world experience to the team. He has a Master of Science Degree in Judicial Administration and was the chief deputy clerk of the Bankruptcy Court in the District of Columbia while he attended law school. He established and managed a bankruptcy practice serving three states for the nation’s largest loan servicer. He has ...broad business law experience, having held roles as in-house general counsel for a commercial leasing firm and a Beverage Distributor. Mark has big firm experience, having represented debtors, trustees and creditors’ committees in major chapter 11 cases. He represented the Eastern Airlines Examiner, the Trustee of the Delaware & Hudson Railway in confirming a chapter 11 reorganization and the Trustee appointed to liquidate the assets of an entity prosecuted for running a Ponzi scheme. Mark has managed entire bankruptcy and foreclosure practices for other law firms and has extensive first-chair trial, appellate and law and motion experience. Mark was admitted to the State Bar of California on June 20, 1988. Mark was a temporary judge for the Los Angeles Superior Court and currently serves on the Mediation Panel and the Small Business Reorganization Committee for the Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California. See more

Generally, people choose Chapter 13 when their monthly debt payments are too much to handle but they have a job and want to keep certain assets. If you’ve maxed out your credit cards, you can’t afford to pay for basics like groceries and you’re constantly avoiding phone calls from debt collectors, you might consider this route. https://bit.ly/3qL6F2D

My name is Michael Jay Berger. I am a Certified Specialist in Bankruptcy Law with 38 years of bankruptcy experience. For more information about me and my firm, see my website www.bankruptcypower.com. For more information about me, I am seeking an experienced bankruptcy attorney to help me, my 3 associate attorneys and our support staff with our growing bankruptcy and state court litigation practice. Requirements are: 1. Substantial experience preparing Chapter 11 bankruptcy p...etitions, schedules, 7 day packages, monthly operating reports, proofs of service, and other Chapter 11 bankruptcy documents. Able to prepare applications to employ counsel, applications to employ real estate brokers, fee applications, status reports, motions, oppositions and proposed orders. If you are super smart and already admitted to the State Bar of California, I may give you a break on this substantial experience requirement. 2. Ability to recognize, analyze and solve problems. 3. Ability to talk with clients and potential clients on the phone and in person. Ability to communicate effectively with Court Clerks. 4. Ability to do excellent legal research, including legal research on lexis/nexis and on PACER. 5. Knows how to file documents using ECF. 6. Familiarity with Best Case Bankruptcy Software or other similar software. 7. Excellent persuasive writer and talker. 8. Very good computer skills. 9. Good personality. Positive Attitude. Team player. Great with clients and great interacting with our attorneys and support staff. 10. Caring person. 11. Good health and high energy. 12. Organized. 13. Detail oriented. This is a MUST. 14. Responsible and reliable. 15. Must be smart, like everyone else who works for me. You will be joining a winning team that takes pride in its work and takes pride in helping our clients. Great working environment in the heart of Beverly Hills, one block from Rodeo Drive. This is a beautiful area to work in with great shops and restaurants.. Flexible Hours. 100% Employer paid Anthem Blue Cross Medical Insurance, Dental Insurance, and Vision Plan after 90 days. 2 weeks paid vacation to start. Fun firm events, like our Holiday parties @ Providence, the The Montage Hotel and Spago. A cool boss who understands work/life balance and coworkers who practice it. Free parking. We are building a firm that does excellent quality work, helps people, and is fun to work for. Full time. Looking for new employee to start ASAP. E-mail your resume to me [email protected] or fax it to me @ 310 271-9805 Please, do not write to me and tell me, "I think that I am the perfect candidate for the job. I do not have any bankruptcy experience but . . . . " For this job, meaningful Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Experience is a MUST. Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster. Please, no phone calls about this job!

On December 9, 2020, my Senior Associate Attorney Sofya Davtyan and I confirmed a plan of reorganization in a Chapter 11 case entitled In re C2 Plumbing, Inc, Case No.: 2:19-bk-23459-VZ. The catalyst for the filing of the case was a plumbing job gone wrong for a hotel. This led to the filing of a lawsuit against the debtor by the general contractor on the job and the insurance company that paid out on a million dollar plus claim. A secondary factor in the filing of the Chap...ter 11 case was the debtor’s liability for approximately $200,000 in prepetition payroll taxes. Debtor’s state court litigation counsel was unable to resolve the state court litigation case. I resolved it through Chapter 11 without the debtor paying any money whatsoever to the Plaintiffs! The bankruptcy filing stayed the litigation. I worked out a deal with Plaintiff’s counsel whereby my client stipulated to relief from stay on the condition that Plaintiffs limit any recovery to insurance proceeds only. In doing so, I made a lethal threat to the company disappear. The debtor’s priority tax obligations will be paid out over 5 years. The payment of these priority taxes enabled the debtor to settle its remaining $91,911.97 in unsecured debt claims over 5 years at a more than 50% discount. Overall, another excellent result for our client! See more

On October 28, 2020, Sofya Davtyan and I confirmed a plan of reorganization and obtained the order of discharge in a Chapter 11 case entitled In re Unified Protective Services, Inc, Case No.: 2:19-bk-16482-NB. The plan allows the Debtor to settle its general unsecured debt totaling $9,420,330.89 by paying 1 cent on the dollar (1% over 5 years!) while paying the priority taxes that it owes over 5 years from the petition date. The Debtor filed this Chapter 11 bankruptcy due t...o 14 pending state court lawsuits filed against it, including wage and hour class action lawsuits, personal injury lawsuits, and racial harassment and discrimination claims. By hiring us and filing Chapter 11 bankruptcy, Unified avoided lengthy and expensive state court litigation, resolved all of the claims against it and continued the operation of its business without any interruption. This is an astonishingly great result for our client! We did all this over the strong objections of class action counsel for the labor law Plaintiffs. If you are thinking about filing Chapter 11, call and let us show you the way!

It’s still possible to get a credit card after bankruptcy, but you’ll only be eligible for secured cards or cards designed for those with poor or no credit. Your best bet is to apply for a card as soon as you can after your bankruptcy is discharged, or completed, so you can start rebuilding your credit right away. https://bit.ly/3msy7ji

The #bankruptcy means test determines who can file for debt forgiveness through Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

Different types of bankruptcy can lead to different outcomes, and the unique types of bankruptcy are also geared toward different types of consumers. https://bit.ly/2VoJX1P

Although a bankruptcy filing remains on your credit report for up to a decade, the situation is not quite as bad as it seems. The effect on your credit will diminish over time until it drops off your report completely. https://yhoo.it/35Ee2zp

Filing for bankruptcy is one way to stop wage garnishment. An attorney can advise on whether bankruptcy is the right choice based on your specific circumstances. http://bit.ly/36qLOac

If your financial situation has you feeling like there is no light at the end of the tunnel, you may be considering filing for bankruptcy. http://bit.ly/32J7nkt

For the more than 68 million U.S. adults with debt in collections, knowing their legal rights is crucial. https://bit.ly/2IWICMV

Please welcome the newest addition to our team, Attorney Debra Reed. Check out her impressive bio: Debra Reed joined my law firm in September 2020. Debra has both an MBA and a JD. Debra was admitted to the California State Bar in 2010, the New York State Bar in 2010, and the New Jersey State Bar in 2010. Prior to becoming an attorney, Debra worked as an equity trader at the New York Stock Exchange for four years and then worked for five years at Citi in credit and investment...s. In addition, she was a Management Consultant at PWC in the Financial Services Technology practice. While managing the fiduciary investment business at Wells Fargo for the San Francisco region, Debra decided to attend law school to augment her knowledge in the area of fiduciary law. While in law school, Debra worked in the legal department of Cisco Systems, and at the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office. After law school, Debra worked in Corporate Law at Google Corporation and Disney Corporation. Debra is a graduate of Choate Rosemary Hall. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in History and Political Science from Boston College, her Masters of Business Administration from Baruch College/City University of New York/Zicklin School of Business, and her law degree from Santa Clara University School of Law, in Santa Clara, CA. See more

Bankruptcy gives over 700,000 debtors a fresh start every year. Bills for credit cards and medical expenses can be wiped away by a few strokes of a judge’s pen, and debts that don’t vanish are reduced. But student loan debts don’t go away as easily. https://nyti.ms/35pwblg

Recovery from bankruptcy is a step-by-step and often gradual process, and is best achieved by personally committing to good, healthy, financial practices. https://yhoo.it/32sGEZi

If you have the intelligence and the experience that I need, this is a great opportunity to join my winning team!

Bankruptcy is often a topic that makes people feel ashamed, insecure, anxious or guilty. The truth is, like any other financial transaction, it’s just business. https://bloom.bg/3pjqJIH

Many people could benefit from bankruptcy relief but don't file because of fear, myths or misplaced optimism. https://bit.ly/2SdEklE

If you’re dealing with old debt, make sure you’re taking the right steps to avoid starting over. https://bit.ly/33SFjNr

The number of people filing for bankruptcy could set records next year. And, while bankruptcy reform artificially spurred the 2005 record of nearly 2.1 million cases filed, this peak will be all about the reality of a Covid-19-blasted economy. https://bit.ly/3hYggxi

Two-thirds of those who file for bankruptcy cite medical issues as a factor, according to a study last year in the American Journal of Public Health. https://bit.ly/35Q9JCM

Certified Specialist in Bankruptcy Law Sofya Davtyan enjoying lunch with me, Sam and Debra today at Avra. We have a great team!

Bankruptcy is a legal process that lets people or entities who can't pay their debts obtain some type of relief by having those debts either reorganized or eliminated. https://bit.ly/32KgG64

Good news for my clients and potential new clients!