In Mr. Shemano’s practice, he represents chapter 11 debtors, creditors’ committees, trustees, secured creditors and general unsecured creditors in all aspects of corporate bankruptcy.  He has in-depth experience handling bankruptcy and restructuring matters related to real estate, entertainment and manufacturing.

Among his recent matters are guiding Club Ventures/DavidBarton Gym through its reorganization and emergence from chapter 11 protection, and leading the Section 363 sale of rights to “The Terminator” movie franchise in connection with Halcyon Holding Group’s chapter 11 matter.  Currently, he represents one of the largest owners of El Pollo Loco franchises in Southern California in its chapter 11 restructuring.

Mr. Shemano frequently lectures before the Practising Law Institute, American Bankruptcy Institute conferences and other audiences.  He serves as the president of the Financial Lawyers Conference and sits on the board of directors of the Los Angeles Bankruptcy Forum and the board of governors of the Beverly Hills Bar Association.  He is a member of the Commercial and Bankruptcy Section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association.

A graduate of Hastings College of the Law, Mr. Shemano has been named a “Super Lawyer” by Law & Politics and Los Angeles Magazine. Prior to joining Peitzman Weg LLP, Mr Shemano worked on bankruptcy and restructuring matters with the law firms of Winston and Strawn LLP, Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, and Danning Gill Diamond & Kollitz LLP.

  • "The Loop Case and Its Potential Impact on Cramdowns in Chapter 11 Cases," 5 REAL 426, 06/12/2012 edition, Bloomberg BNA Real Estate Law & Industry Report
  • "Cramdowns in Real Estate Bankruptcies and Protecting the Guarantors," program materials presented to the Real Estate and Bankruptcy Sections of the Beverly Hills Bar Association (August 2011)
  • "Prepackaged Bankruptcies: The MGM Lesson for Unsecured Creditors," Vol. 5, No. 15 edition of Bloomberg Law Reports--Bankruptcy Law (2011)
  • "The Reorganizing and Unraveling of Real Estate Enterprises - Legal Issues Arising In The Namco Case," program materials presented to the ABI Bankruptcy Battleground West (March 2011).
  • "Objections To Bankruptcy Sales," program materials presented to the Business Bankruptcy Committee of the American Bar Association (April 2010) and ABI Rocky Mountain Bankruptcy Conference (January 2011)
  • "Bankruptcy Sales For Business Practitioners," program materials presented to the Business and Bankruptcy Sections of the Beverly Hills Bar Association (March 2010)
  • "Fiduciary Duties Of Members Of Creditors’ Committees," program materials presented to the 16th Annual Southwest Bankruptcy Conference (September 2008)
  • "The War on Corporate Fiduciaries: Have the Fiduciaries Won?," program materials presented to the ABI Bankruptcy Battleground West (March 2007) (Shemano, co-author)
  • "How the Automatic Stay Can Disrupt, if Not Destroy, Your Litigation Strategy," program materials presented to the Bankruptcy Section of the Beverly Hills Bar Association (May 2006) (Shemano, co-author)
  • "New Trustee Duties In Health Care Cases," program materials presented at the ABI Bankruptcy Battleground West (March 2006) (Shemano, co-author)
  • "Introduction To And Overview of United States Cross Border Insolvency Issues," program materials presented to the International Law Section of the State Bar of California (September 2005) (Shemano, co-author)
  • "The Ambiguous Good Faith Requirement For Corporations To File Chapter 11 Petitions And Confirm Chapter 11 Plans," program materials presented to the California Bankruptcy Forum (May  2004)
  • "Bankruptcy Proofing Your Agreements: Fact or Fiction?," program materials presented to the Bankruptcy Section of the Beverly Hills Bar Association (September 2003) (Shemano, co-author)
  • "Challenges To Insider Loans To Insolvent Companies: A Comparison Of Recharacterization And Equitable Subordination," program materials presented to the Financial Lawyers Conference (February 2003)
  • "The Use of the Earmarking Defense By Unsecured Creditors to Shield the Receipt of Otherwise Preferential Transfers," Los Angeles County Bar Association Commercial Law and Bankruptcy Section Newsletter (Summer 2001)
  • "How To Bankruptcy Proof A Settlement Agreement," program materials presented to the Insolvency Law Committee of the Business Law Section of the State Bar of California (April 2001) (Shemano, co-author)

  • Financial Lawyers Conference
    President (2012-present)
    Member, Board of Governors (2003-2005, 2008-present)
  • Los Angeles Bankruptcy Forum
    Member, Board of Governors (2009-present)
  • Los Angeles County Bar Association
    Member, Bankruptcy Law Committee (2001-present)
  • Beverly Hills Bar Association
    Board of Governors (2009-2010), Executive Committee of the Bankruptcy Section, Chair (2007-8), Member (2003-present)
  • State Bar of California
    Member, Insolvency Law Committee (2002-2005)

Attorneys

Education

  • J.D., Hastings College of the Law
    (1991, cum laude, Order of the Coif, Thurston Society)
  • B.A., University of California, Santa Barbara (1987, cum laude)

Bar Admissions

  • New York
  • California

Honors

  • Listed in The Best Lawyers in America
  • Recognized As Bankruptcy/Restructuring Leader by Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business
  • Rated AV® Preeminent™ by Martindale-Hubbell

“The dynamics at play in bankruptcies and reorganizations constantly shift. The person you oppose one minute may become your ally the next minute.  Managing the multiple layers of relationships plays a decisive role in a successful outcome.”

--David B. Shemano

David Shemano has "had a lot of hands-on experience" representing creditors, debtors and trustees and is "very much a pragmatist in understanding how the nuts and bolts of a Chapter 11 case works."

--Chambers USA 2012