David M. Bass, a member of the firm’s Bankruptcy & Corporate Restructuring Department, has nearly 30 years of experience in bankruptcy and debtor-creditor matters including related litigation.

His practice involves all aspects of restructurings of financially distressed businesses. David counsels chapter 11 debtors, unsecured creditors’ committees, secured and unsecured creditors, commercial landlords, purchasers of assets, shareholders, and other stakeholders and parties-in-interest in in-court and out-of-court proceedings.

Experience

David has played a prominent role in representing an array of clients in Chapter 11 cases and other restructuring matters.

Representative Matters

Chapter 11 Debtor Representations

• Modell’s Sporting Goods
• Sur La Table
• Crumbs Bake Shop
• MEE Apparel, leading wholesale and retail providers of youth apparel and streetwear under the “Ecko Unltd.” and “Unltd.” Brands
• Marcal Paper Mills
• Princeton Ski Shop
• Ronson Corporation
• J.G. Wentworth
• EnCap Golf Holdings
• Hit or Miss
• 710 Long Ridge Road Operating Co. II, LLC
• Prestige Window Fashions
• Icon Eyewear

David regularly represents defendants in adversary proceedings, including with respect to the avoidance of preferential and fraudulent transfers and also has significant experience investigating and pursuing fraudulent conveyance and other causes of action for the benefit of bankruptcy estates, including his representation, with other members of the firm, of the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors in the following cases:

• Patriot Coal Corporation
• Linens ‘N Things
• Brown Publishing

Other Significant Chapter 11 Engagements

• GBG USA (Purchaser of Aquatalia Assets)
• High Ridge Brands (Private Equity Sponsor)
• Restaurants Unlimited (Purchaser of Assets)
• Houlihan’s Restaurants (Purchaser of Assets)
• Big M, Inc. (Mandee’s, Annie Sez) (Founding Shareholders)
• Strauss Auto (Purchaser of Assets)
• Extended Stay (Mezzanine Lender Group)
• A&P (Union)

Representative Cases:

• In re Provider Meds, LLC (Tech Pharmacy Services, Inc. v. RPD Holdings, LLC), 2017 WL 213814 (Bankr. N.D. Tex. January 18, 2017), aff’d 2017 WL 3764630 (N.D. Tex. August 31, 2017), aff’d 907 F.3d 845 (5th Cir. 2018), cert. denied 139 S.Ct. 1347, 203 L.Ed.2d 570 (2019) (Intervening Defendant)
• Artech Print S.A.S. and C.I Techniprints S.A.S. v. Suchman LLC (In re MEE Apparel), 2016 WL 3535805 (D.N.J. June 28, 2016) (Debtor, MEE Apparel)
• In re Irish Bank Resolution Corporation Limited (In Special Liquidation), 559 B.R. 627 (Bankr. D. Del. 2016) (Foreign Representative of Irish Bank Resolution Corporation Limited)
• In re Big M, Inc., 2013 WL 1681489; 2013 Bankr. LEXIS 2027 (Bankr. D.N.J. April 17, 2013) (Shareholders of Big M, Inc. d/b/a Mandee)
• In re EnCap Golf Holdings, LLC, 2008 WL 3193786 (Bankr. D.N.J. August 04, 2008) (Debtor – Encap Holdings)
• In re One2One Communications, LLC, 2014 WL 3882467,
  2014 Bankr. LEXIS 3401 (Bankr. D.N.J. August 07, 2014)
• In re 710 Long Ridge Road Operating Company, II, LLC,
  2014 WL 1648725, 2014 Bankr. LEXIS 1914 (Bankr. D.N.J. April 24, 2014)
• In re 710 Long Ridge Road Operating Company, II, LLC,
  505 B.R. 163 (Bankr. D.N.J. 2014)
• In re 710 Long Ridge Road Operating Company, II, LLC,
  518 B.R. 810 (Bankr. D.N.J. 2014)
• NLRB v. 710 Long Ridge Rd. Operating Co. II, LLC,
  2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 29864; 198 L.R.R.M. 2679 (D.N.J. March 6, 2014)
• In re 710 Long Ridge Road Operating Co., II, LLC,
  2013 WL 796721, 195 L.R.R.M. (BNA), 233 (Bankr. D.N.J. March 4, 2013)
• PHP Liquidating LLC v. Pricewaterhousecoopers LLP (In re PHP Healthcare Corp.), 2002 Bankr. LEXIS 449; 49 Collier Bankr. Cas. 2d (MB) 132; 39 Bankr. Ct. Dec. 138 (Bankr. D. Del. May 7, 2002) (Liquidating Trustee – PHP, Debtor)
• In re Trump Entertainment Resorts, Unite Here Local 54,
  810 F.3d 161 (3d Cir. 2016) (Amicus Appellees)

Networks & Affiliations

David has lectured and authored materials on various bankruptcy-related topics for the Institute for New Jersey Institute of Continuing Legal Education (ICLE), the New Jersey State Bar Association and other organizations, including regularly serving as a panelist and moderator for the Annual William H. Gindin Bankruptcy Bench-Bar Conference.

Honors & Awards

Recognized each year since 2013 by Chambers USA, America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, which has noted that David is a “great attorney” “with considerable experience in representing companies in restructurings, as well as advising commercial landlords and shareholders on bankruptcy matters.” Chambers also remarks that David “comes recommended for his bankruptcy experience, handling both creditor and debtor-side representations,” with sources highlighting “his expertise across various financing matters,” and his “extraordinary performance from an extremely attentive and unbelievably accessible attorney.” Most recently, as reflected in 2022 Chambers USA, market sources observed to Chambers that “David is very client service-oriented” that “He’s a strong lawyer with intellectual rigor.” He has also been band ranked by Chambers USA for Bankruptcy & Restructuring in New Jersey for the past 10 consecutive years.

David also represented the purchaser of assets in the RUI Holdings (Restaurants Unlimited) Chapter 11 case, which was recognized as the Restaurant & Hospitality Restructuring of the Year at the 12^th Annual Turnaround Atlas Awards hosted by Global M&A Network in 2021 and the the SEC. 363 Sale of the Year ($25MM to $50MM) at the 14^th Annual Turnaround Awards hosted by The M&A Advisor in 2020.

See Award Methodology.