Alan H. Martin

Alan Martin is a partner in the Finance and Bankruptcy Practice Group and Co-leader of the firm’s Bankruptcy Litigation Team.  He specializes in commercial finance law, corporate restructuring, asset acquisition and disposition, bankruptcy, workouts, enforcement of creditors rights and remedies, and related commercial litigation.

Areas of Practice

Alan's expertise includes extensive work in bankruptcy and state courts, as well as structured finance documentation in domestic and international matters. He also represents insurers, special servicers, creditors committees, secured and unsecured creditors, trustees, landlords, federal receivers, equipment lessors and debtors, along with various parties in municipal restructurings. Alan's experience includes knowledge of the commercial real estate, healthcare, food and beverage, retail, manufacturing, hospitality, insurance and recreation industries. 

Experience

Representative Matters

• Represented the Catholic Diocese of Orange in the successful, contested acquisition of the Crystal Cathedral site and 30 acre campus from the Chapter 11 estate of the Crystal Cathedral Ministries.
• Represented creditors committee and subcommittee in Chapter 9 municipal insolvency proceedings of the County of Orange, California.
• Represented agent bank on loan workout, bankruptcy, enforcement of creditor's rights, lien litigation, guarantor proceedings and related REO sales concerning several large syndicated commercial loans to a national residential developer.
• Represented agent bank on a large, syndicated loan concerning a partially completed ski resort hotel complex in Northern California. The representation entailed creditor's rights enforcement as to numerous obligors in bankruptcy proceedings, related state court receivership proceedings and extensive lien litigation.

• Represented insurers regarding both trade credit and varied related insurance issues in retailers’ Chapter 11 proceedings.

• Represented agent bank on loan workout, extensive land use issues, enforcement of creditor's rights, and lien and guarantor litigation concerning a series of syndicated and participated loans made to a large national official shopping mall developer in Southern California.
• Represented federal receiver in SEC receivership proceedings concerning an illegal investment program which victimized over 1,000 investors nationwide. Representation entailed, among other things, disposition of extensive resort-related real estate holdings in several states, pursuit of litigation against various company officials and development of a distribution plan to the investors.
• Represented health care lenders concerning loan workouts, receiverships and creditor's rights enforcement of rights and remedies concerning a series of clinic, hospital and senior care locations.
• Represented creditors committee in the Chapter 11 proceedings of large home improvement retailer House2Home, which entailed disposition of extensive inventory and commercial real estate holdings and related issues throughout the Western United States.
• Represented existing lender in successful, heavily contested "new value" equity acquisition of Chapter 11 reorganized multi-family real estate debtors. The debtors owned several large apartment complexes in four states and the court-approved acquisition by the secured lender-related entity occurred over the objection of the old equity holders.
• Represented international food and beverage broker/creditor in the federal court receivership of Asian seafood importer. 
• Represented equipment lessor in Chapter 11 proceedings of office supply store chain, including successful trial result concerning "true lease" treatment of the agreements concerning the extensive equipment involved.

Honors

Best Lawyers, Orange County Litigation - Bankruptcy Lawyer of the Year, 2014-2015 and 2017-2018, 2020-2025

Legal 500, Corporate Restructuring, 2007, 2012-2017

Best Lawyers in America, Bankruptcy and Creditor-Debtor Rights Law, 2007-2025

2012 "Best in Sales" SPIRE Award, Commercial Real Estate Women, Orange County Chapter, February 2013 for the Catholic Diocese of Orange's acquisition of the Crystal Cathedral Campus

Recommended Lawyer - Tax: Not-for-profit, Legal 500, 2022

Articles

• Co-Author of California Mechanics Liens and Related Construction Remedies (4th ed Cal CEB 2012)
• "What Do The 2005 Bankruptcy Amendments Mean For The Healthcare Industry?" June 22, 2005

Finance & Bankruptcy Law Blog Posts

• "Dealing with the Financial Impact of the Coronavirus," March 6, 2020
• "Chapter 9 - California and Federal Bankruptcy Law/Relative Bargaining Positions," June 29, 2012
• "What Do the Bankruptcy Amendments Mean for the Healthcare Industry?", June 11, 2005
• "So Your Customer Filed for Bankruptcy Protection: What to Expect Under the New Bankruptcy Act", May 19, 2005

Speaking Engagements

• He is frequent speaker on various banking, commercial law, bankruptcy and healthcare topics.

Events

Memberships

Chairman of the Board, Regional Center of Orange County, 2013-2019

Board of Directors, Regional Center of Orange County, 2006-2012; 2013-2020

Board of Directors, Special Olympics of Southern California, 2020-Present

Member and Chair, Orange County Regional Leadership Council - Special Olympics

Member, Pujols Family Foundation - Southern California Advisory Board

Member, Orange County Bankruptcy Forum

Member, Los Angeles Bankruptcy Forum

Member, Orange County Bar Association

Member, American Bar Association

Member, American Bankruptcy Institute

Screening Committee, Ninth Circuit Bankruptcy Judgeships for the Central District of California, 1991-1993, 2000

Former member, Board of Directors, California Bankruptcy Forum, 1997-2000

Former President, Orange County Bankruptcy Forum, 1997-1998

Former President, Orange County Chapter of the University of Virginia Alumni Association, 1989-1995

Digital Media