Paul J. Battista specializes in all areas of complex commercial bankruptcy, restructuring and insolvency matters, including related bankruptcy litigation and transactional work.  Specifically, Mr. Battista routinely represents Chapter 11 debtors in possession, creditors' committees, DIP lenders, purchasers of assets and trustees in large and complex bankruptcy and insolvency proceedings.   He also has substantial experience in the representation of franchisors in numerous franchisee bankruptcies around the country.  Through his representations, Mr. Battista has developed significant bankruptcy and insolvency related experience in a variety of industries including real estate developments, quick service restaurants, retail, franchising, manufacturing, telecommunications, insurance, aviation and healthcare.  

He has extensive experience in litigating a wide variety of bankruptcy-related claims and issues at both the trial and appellate levels, including fraud and ponzi schemes, bankruptcy avoidance actions, breach of fiduciary duty and professional malpractice claims.  

As a complement to his bankruptcy and creditors' rights practice, Mr. Battista has significant experience in representing lenders and borrowers in all aspects of secured lending and asset securitizations.  His background includes the representation of one of the nation's largest investment banking houses in the secondary mortgage market.  

Mr. Battista is "AV" rated by Martindale-Hubbell and continues to be included in Woodward/White's The Best Lawyers in America in the area of bankruptcy, business reorganizations and creditors' rights.   He has been ranked as a band 1 Florida bankruptcy attorney in Chambers & Partners USA and as one of Florida's top lawyers by Florida Trend magazine, South Florida Legal Guide and Who's Who Legal: Florida 2008, which refers to Mr. Battista as a firmly established in the upper echelon of local experts. Chambers & Partners USA describes Mr. Battista as a very practical, insightful and meticulous adviser with infallible expertise in reorganizations. Additionally, Mr. Battista has been named as a Fellow in the American College of Bankruptcy.  

Mr. Battista is a member of the Florida, Rhode Island and Massachusetts Bars, the United States District Courts for the Southern and Middle District of Florida, United States Supreme Court and the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. He earned his Juris Doctor degree, magna cum laude, from Boston University School of Law in 1986 and he is a 1983 graduate of the University of Rhode Island , with a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting, magna cum laude.