Joel Shafferman

Introduction

Joel Shafferman is Counsel to the Firm. Mr. Shafferman concentrates his practice in the areas of Bankruptcy Law, Creditors’ Rights, and Federal Court litigation.

Mr. Shafferman served as a Law Clerk to a United States Bankruptcy Judge in the Eastern District of New York, Brooklyn Division, for a two-year term after which he went into private practice.

Mr. Shafferman has an extensive experience in representing debtors in Chapter 11 and Chapter 7 cases, as well as landlords in enforcing their rights in Bankruptcy cases. As part of his creditors’ rights practice, Mr. Shafferman has broad experience in representing landlords in large and small chapter 11 retail cases such as Rite Aid Corporation, Sears, Roebuck and Co., CEC Entertainment Inc. (parent corporation of Chuck E Cheese), 24 Hour Fitness Worldwide, Inc., Yoga Smoga, Inc., and Auralee Productions, Inc. fka Halloween Scene. 

Mr. Shafferman regularly represents secured lenders, and unsecured creditors in enforcing their rights against business and individual debtors in chapter 7 and 11 cases, as well as defending claims brought by bankruptcy trustees and creditors’ committees in adversary proceedings seeking to recover preferences and fraudulent conveyances. Mr. Shafferman has represented creditor committees, successfully obtaining recoveries for creditors in reorganization cases. Mr. Shafferman’s representation encompasses a broad range of businesses ranging from single asset real estate entities, retail stores, restaurants, country clubs, and dotcoms. 

Recently Mr. Shafferman, along with co-counsel, successfully represented Gem Financial Service, Inc. in obtaining an award, in excess of $1,000,000, against the City of New York in a jury trial held in the United States District Court in the Eastern District of New York.

Mr. Shafferman is the author of numerous articles in publications on insolvency-related issues. Mr. Shafferman was an Assistant Adjunct Professor of Law at Benjamin N. Cardozo Law School in New York City.