Gregg M. Ficks

Partner

Gregg Ficks practices bankruptcy law and commercial litigation. He is the leader of Coblentz, Patch, Duffy & Bass' Bankruptcy and Creditors' Rights Practice Group, and has a nationwide bankruptcy practice. His litigation practice encompasses a wide range of commercial matters with an emphasis on creditors' rights, landlord representation, fraudulent transfer litigation, and contract and business disputes. He regularly represents companies of all sizes, from large publicly-traded companies to privately-held companies, start-ups, and sole proprietorships. His clients conduct business in a wide range of industries, including real estate, advertising and media, commercial lending, airline, and tech.

Bankruptcy/Insolvency Matters

Mr. Ficks has substantial experience representing secured and unsecured creditors, commercial landlords, equity holders, aircraft lessors, trustees, and creditors' committees in bankruptcy, work-out, receivership, and other insolvency matters. He regularly represents clients in all aspects of bankruptcy cases, including contested matters related to plan confirmation, executory contracts and leases, intellectual property, asset sales, relief from stay, and the use of cash collateral. Mr. Ficks also represents clients in all types of bankruptcy court litigation, including preference, fraudulent transfer, and non-dischargeability lawsuits.

Commercial Litigation

Mr. Ficks' commercial litigation practice spans a broad range of commercial disputes. He regularly represents clients in business and contract, fraudulent transfer, debtor-creditor, and landlord-tenant litigation, and has prosecuted and defended several commercial and fraud trials through successful verdict.

Professional Activities

Mr. Ficks served as Judicial Law Clerk to the Honorable Edward D. Jellen of the United States Bankruptcy Court for Northern District of California from 1990-1992. He was Chair of the Bench-Bar Liaison Committee for the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of California from 2009-2010. He is a member of the Bay Area Bankruptcy Forum, and a former member of the Forum's Board of Directors. He served two terms as Chair of the Alameda County Bar Association's Bankruptcy and Commercial Law Section, and also served on the ACBA's Board of Directors. Mr. Ficks was a charter member of the Earl Warren Chapter of the American Inns of Court, an educational and mentoring organization for local judges and attorneys. He is involved with several Bay Area non-profit organizations.

Publications

Mr. Ficks has written the following articles:

Landlords, Are You Claiming Your Attorney Fees in Bankruptcy Cases?, California Real Estate Journal, July 16, 2007.
Cutting to the Chase: Dismissing Chapter 11 Cases for Lack of Good Faith at the Outset of the Cases, Pratt's Journal of Bankruptcy Law, December 2005.
Bankruptcy Law Alters Rules For Business, Not Just Consumers, East Bay Business Times, November 25, 2005.
Retro Rejection, Actions Speak Louder Than Words When Landlords Come Before The Bankruptcy Court, Commercial Investment Real Estate - The Magazine of the CCIM Institute, May/June 2005.

Mr. Ficks has provided content and/or interviews for the following articles:

Kathleen Pender, The Case for Chapt. 11 Bankruptcy for Carmakers, San Francisco Chronicle, November 20, 2008.
Kathleen Pender, Bankruptcy Law Curbs Executive Handouts, San Francisco Chronicle, October 16, 2005.
Andrew F. Hamm, Business Bankruptcies Face Higher Bar, Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal, October 28, 2005.
Leslie Mladinich, Wariness Over Bankruptcy Changes, East Bay Business Times, March 23, 2001.

Speaking Engagements

Mr. Ficks' speaking engagements include:

"Operations Best Practices – Rent and Debt Collection," 2010 Management and Leasing Best Practices Roundtable, 2010
"Commercial Bankruptcy Provisions of the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act," San Francisco Bank Attorneys Association, 2006
"Recent Developments in Bankruptcy Litigation," Bar Association of San Francisco, 2005
Several speeches and panel discussions, Alameda County Bar Association