Donald H.
Steckroth

The Honorable Donald H. Steckroth provides arbitration and mediation services to attorneys and their clients as they navigate complex bankruptcy proceedings.

Experience

Judge Steckroth leverages fifteen years of experience in his arbitration and mediation practice. He is committed to guiding clients through bankruptcy and restructuring matters and ensuring favorable outcomes for all stakeholders. Regularly appointed by the court and sought after by first-rate counsel, the judge has a reputation for structuring processes that are prompt, fair and impartial.

Previously, a United States Bankruptcy Judge for the District of New Jersey, the Judge has presided over many of the largest bankruptcy filings in New Jersey and covering a broad range of industries, including healthcare, retail, real estate, and telecom. Notable chapter 11 proceedings include those for Hudson Healthcare, 710 Long Ridge Road, Barnert Hospital, Mandee’s, Annie Sex, Afaze, Manyfoods, Zayat Stables, NJ Affordable Homes Corp. and Tarragon Corporate.

Prior to his appointment to the Bench, Judge Steckroth was in private practice for twenty-eight years, where he was a partner specializing in bankruptcy law and creditors’ rights.

Representative Matters

Since returning to private practice, Judge Steckroth has been actively involved in complex financial matters including:

• Retention by the State of New Jersey to serve as mediator in the financial crisis in Atlantic City which involves assisting the City’s Emergency Manager and the operating casinos in resolving outstanding tax revenue issues.
• Court appointment in the Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York to mediate an adversary proceeding involving counsel fees dispute among several groups of class action counsel and the allocation of 70+ million dollars held in trust pending resolution.
• Appointed by the Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey as Mediator in the LTL Management, LLC Chapter 11 case involving Johnson and Johnson and Ovarian and Mesothelioma mass tort claimants, as well as Ad Hoc Committee States’ Attorney Generals.
• Successfully mediated an attorney malpractice action arising out of a prior bankruptcy proceeding.
• Appointment as mediator for a pending adversary proceeding and contested plan confirmation in the healthcare industry.
• Named Examiner by U.S. Trustee in the Chapter 11 Proceeding in Zucker, Goldberg & Ackerman, L.L.C. (Case No. 15-24585) to investigate and report any and all claims against insiders and related third parties as well as any matters determined to be appropriate by the Examiner. The Examiner’s Report was filed November 8, 2016, and continued as mediator with Debtor and Creditors in structuring joint plan of reorganization.
• Successfully mediated $4.5 million fraudulent conveyance and breach of contract action filed by assignee in assignment for the benefit of creditors proceeding.
• Successfully mediated Chapter 11 Debtor’s claim objection to $4.5 million dollar IRS claim in Chapter 11 Proceeding.
• Successfully mediated a $2.2 million dollar insurance claim in a contested Chapter 11 Adversary Proceeding.
• Appointed as Mediator in the Southern District of New York Chapter 11 (Windstream Holdings, Inc.) to resolve (successfully) executory contracts and plan objections.
• Mediated directors and officers dispute involving breach of fiduciary duty, corporate waste and fraudulent transfer.

Networks & Affiliations

Judge Steckroth is a frequent speaker on current bankruptcy and restructuring issues and has been actively involved with organization such as:

• American Bankruptcy Institute
• American Bar Association
• Association of Insolvency and Restructuring Advisors
• Bankruptcy Inn of Court
• National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges (NCBJ), including serving on the Board of Governors as Third Circuit governor and the Benefits and Finance Committees
• New Jersey Bar Association Bankruptcy Law Section
• New Jersey Institute of Continuing Legal Education
• New York Institute of Credit
• Seton Hall Law School
• Turnaround Management Association

Prior to joining the bench, he was appointed by the New Jersey Supreme Court to serve on the New Jersey Bar Examiners Committee on Character for twelve years and chaired the Committee’s oversight of all out-of-state applicants to the New Jersey Bar.