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AREAS OF EMPHASIS
Bankruptcy, Insolvency, and Commercial Litigation
In over sixteen years of practice, Pete Roberts has represented and advised debtors, trustees, financial institutions, trade creditors, landlords, equipment lessors, and creditors’ committees in a variety of insolvency contexts and in virtually all aspects of bankruptcy. Mr. Roberts has served clients in various industries, including construction, health care, lending, manufacturing, real estate, retailing, wholesaling, collectibles, jewelry, furniture, trucking, and biotechnology. His experience includes the development of workout strategies for debtors and creditors, the formulation and consummation of plans of reorganization, the sale of assets in distressed situations, the litigation of contested matters in state and federal courts, and appellate practice before the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court.
Illustrating his recent experience, Mr. Roberts represented Bachrach Clothing, Inc., a national clothing retailer, in its chapter 11 bankruptcy and the going concern auction sale of its assets; and he also represented a publicly traded jewelry retailer in an out-of-court workout of trade debt exceeding $40 million. Mr. Roberts also represented ABC-NACO Inc., a publicly traded Chicago-based railroad parts manufacturer, in the chapter 11 auction sale of its assets and the subsequent wind down of its affairs; and he also represented Florsheim Group Inc., a national shoe retailer with 165 locations, in its chapter 11 case and related disputes with landlords and attorneys general over subsequent store closing sales. He also recently represented the chapter 7 trustee of Globe Building Materials, Inc. in the negotiation of stalking horse bids for, and the subsequent auction sales and dispositions of, two manufacturing facilities and related real estate, equipment, and miscellaneous assets. He also successfully defended a publicly traded biotechnology company in a multi-week commercial arbitration, and obtained an award denying claims totaling $20 million for breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, and deceptive business practices. Mr. Roberts was also part of the appellate team representing Capital Factors, Inc. in the affirmance of its successful challenge to the payment of critical vendors in the Kmart bankruptcy.
Mr. Roberts also obtained summary judgment in favor of a consumer debtor on a pro bono basis in a dispute with a state university over the dischargeability of certain debts, and he successfully defended the judgment on a pro bono basis in subsequent appeals to the U.S. District Court and the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. The Seventh Circuit’s decision is reported as In re Chambers, 348 F.3d 650 (7th Cir. 2003).
EDUCATION
Boston College (A.B., cum laude, 1987)
Duke University School of Law (J.D., 1990)
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Turnaround Management Association
American Bankruptcy Institute
The Lawyers Club of Chicago
BAR ADMISSIONS
Admitted to bar, 1991, Massachusetts and U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts; 1996, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois; 1997, Illinois; 2000, U.S. District Court, District of Colorado; 2002, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit; 2004, U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Tax Court, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan.
PUBLICATIONS & PRESENTATIONS
View Mr. Roberts' publications & presentations |
