Attorneys

Joel I. Sher is chairman of the Firm and heads its bankruptcy and financial restructuring practice. He concentrates in bankruptcy litigation, corporate reorganization, and creditors’ rights. He represents debtors, financial institutions, creditors, and creditors’ committees in Chapter 11 bankruptcy cases and counsels clients in complex out-of-court workouts. He also is an experienced commercial litigator and has represented clients in federal and state courts throughout the United States.

Mr. Sher has extensive experience in bankruptcy and workouts in a multitude of industries, including real estate development, construction and management, financial services, healthcare, specialty retailing, governmental contracting, telecommunications, manufacturing, and distribution. Mr. Sher has been involved in numerous complex and litigious bankruptcy cases throughout his career. These cases include his representation of the Combined Properties, a Washington D.C. based real estate portfolio, in its successful Chapter 11 bankruptcy cases which resulted from disputes among the Haft family. Mr. Sher has also served as counsel to the Chapter 7 Trustees in the cases of Merry-Go-Round Enterprises, Inc., a 1400-store national retail chain, and Just For Feet, Inc., a 300-store national retail chain.

Mr. Sher has served as counsel to the creditors’ committees in various cases including: Frank’s Nursery and Crafts, Inc., a U.S. retail nursery and garden store chain; Sunterra Corporation, one of the world’s largest timeshare companies; Railworks Corporation, a national supplier to and servicer of the railroad industry; PhyAmerica Physician Group, Inc., a national physician practice management company; and Creditrust Corporation, a collector and manager of defaulted consumer receivables.

During his career, Mr. Sher has acted as counsel for a large number of businesses in their reorganizations and bankruptcy cases. He has acted as plan administrator and liquidating agent with respect to the management and disposition of an array of privately owned real estate and business interests in the United States, Australia, Spain, and the Netherlands. He has also been appointed as operating trustee/liquidating agent for a variety of businesses, including a national bottling company, numerous retail establishments, and real estate enterprises. Recently, Mr. Sher was appointed a Chapter 11 Trustee for an operating entity with revenues in excess of $50 million providing services throughout the United State to various governmental agencies.

News & Publications

Joel I. Sher named in "Super Lawyers" list of the top 50 attorneys in the state of Maryland. The list was published in the January 2008 issue of Baltmore Magazine and in Maryland Super Lawyers Magazine.

"Maryland Subprime Lender Files for Chapter 11." (November 27, 2007) The Baltimore Sun quotes Joel I. Sher, debtor's counsel to Fieldstone Mortgage Company. Coverage also appeared in The Deal's Bankruptcy Insider, The Washington Post, and The Daily Record. 

"Judge fine-tunes order regarding consultant’s assets." The Daily Record, November 6, 2007. A report on the criminal case against consultant Alan B. Fabian quotes Joel I. Sher, attorney to the trustee of Fabian's bankrupt company Strategic Partners International, Inc.

"$150 Million Settlement Doesn't Stop Physician Exec." February 21, 2006. The Daily Business Review of Broward County, Florida, reports on the settlement in the PhyAmerica Chapter 11 case, in which Joel I. Sher represented the unsecured creditors committee.

"Doctor Settles Claims for $150 Million." February 9, 2006. The Miami Herald reports on the settlement in the PhyAmerica Chapter 11 case.

"The Bankruptcy Abuse and Consumer Protection Act and Chapter 11." By Joel I. Sher and Paul Mark Sandler, for The Daily Record, November 4, 2005.

"The Bankruptcy Abuse and Consumer Protection Act's Impact on Consumer Debtors." By Joel I. Sher and Paul Mark Sandler, for The Daily Record, October 28, 2005.

In the August 2005 issue of Baltimore SmartCEO Magazine, Joel I. Sher is named among 40 other attorneys in a feature highlighting Maryland's "Legal Elite."

"Brush Up On Your Bankruptcy", a series of articles on bankruptcy basics by Joel I. Sher and Paul Mark Sandler, for The Daily Record:

• Part I: Common misconceptions about bankruptcy.
• Part II: Bankruptcy and discharges.
• Part III: When claims may not be discharged.
• Part IV: Bankruptcy exemptions.

"Judge Says Doctor Violated Court Order," The Miami Herald, January 24, 2004: An article on the bankruptcy proceedings of PhyAmerica, a nationwide physician management company, quotes Joel I. Sher, counsel for the unsecured creditors committee.