New Bankruptcy/Commercial Finance
Boutique Opens
in SF
San Francisco (May 7, 2003) Ellen A. Friedman, Cecily A. Dumas and Jane K. Springwater announced today that they have formed the law firm of Friedman Dumas & Springwater LLP in San Francisco to serve clients in the areas of bankruptcy, creditors' rights and remedies, and secured transactions.
Ms. Friedman, Ms. Dumas, and Ms. Springwater were formerly partners with the firm of Murphy Sheneman Julian & Rogers, which merged with Chicago's Winston & Strawn earlier this year.
Ms. Dumas, who was Managing Partner of Murphy Sheneman's San Francisco office prior to the merger, commented: "Ellen, Jane and I are very excited to be starting our own firm in a time when bankruptcy and restructuring expertise is at a premium. There are tremendous opportunities in the technology and finance community for lawyers who can help clients maximize the value of their assets in this challenging economic climate."
Ms. Friedman commented on what led to the formation of the new firm: "The three of us were very positive about the merger with Winston & Strawn and we have the utmost respect and affection for Pat Murphy and our former colleagues at Murphy Sheneman. However, we found ourselves faced with a serious client conflict as the merger was going forward and had to choose between losing that major client or moving to another firm. We thought the time was right to strike out on our own."
Major clients of the new firm include Hewlett-Packard, Cisco Systems, and Fireman's Fund. The lawyers at Friedman Dumas & Springwater LLP have extensive experience representing clients in all areas of bankruptcy, corporate reorganization and restructuring, and creditors' rights law. In addition, the firm has special expertise in secured lending and other commercial financing transactions. The firm also has a strong business and commercial litigation practice, which includes Robert Fleischman, formerly Vice President and Associate General Counsel of Fireman's Fund.
Anne M. Kennelly, corporate counsel at Hewlett-Packard Company, who has worked with firm lawyers on a number of matters, commented on the new firm: "Ellen, Cecily and Jane are excellent lawyers and we consider them a valuable part of HP's legal team."
Ms. Springwater concluded: "We're up and running with six lawyers and expect to be hiring several experienced associates just as soon as the dust settles on our new space. Our firm is already handling significant insolvency and transactional matters for some of the largest companies and financial institutions in the country, and we expect the practice to continue to grow over the next few months. Starting a new firm has its challenges, but the experience has been incredibly energizing for all of us."
Friedman Dumas & Springwater LLP is a San Francisco firm serving leading companies in the technology and financial services industries in the areas of bankruptcy, creditors' rights and remedies, and secured transactions. For more information call 415-834-3800 or email to info@friedumspring.com.
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Ellen A. Friedman is a nationally recognized
expert on California's newly Revised Article 9 and the author
of Secured Transactions in California Commercial Practice (CEB
2001). Ms. Friedman has done numerous secured and unsecured
creditor representations for large high-tech companies and has
served on many creditors' committees, including committees in
the Inacom, CHS, and MicroAge bankruptcies. She has participated
in financial restructurings ranging from small internet start-ups
to large hardware manufacturers. She has handled a wide range
of commercial transactions, including sales of private label
credit card portfolios, inventory finance transactions, equipment
lease transactions, and sales of intellectual property. She
has served on the State Bar of California Uniform Commercial
Code Committee and helped redraft the Commentary on Restatement
of Suretyship. She is on the Board of the Legal Aid Society
of San Francisco. Ms. Friedman received her A.B. magna cum laude
in 1982 from Princeton University and her J.D. in 1985 from
Vanderbilt University School of Law. She is a member of the
State Bar of California and the State Bar of New York.
Cecily A. Dumas represents secured and unsecured
creditors in restructurings and corporate reorganization cases.
Ms. Dumas, who was the managing partner of the San Francisco
office of Murphy Sheneman before the firm's merger with Winston
& Strawn, was the 2002 Chair of the Commercial Law and Bankruptcy
Section of the Bar Association of San Francisco. She has represented
secured creditors, lessors, vendor-financiers and acquirers
in Chapter 11 cases. She served as counsel to the Creditors'
Committee in the Intelectron Incorporated Chapter 11 case. She
has represented large technology companies in national bankruptcy
cases and in numerous restructurings, reorganizations, and asset
liquidations. Ms. Dumas is the author of numerous articles on
bankruptcy topics and will serve as Co-Chair of the 19th Annual
Bankruptcy and Restructuring Conference of the AIRA to be held
in San Francisco in June 2003. She received her A.B. from the
University of California at Berkeley with honors in 1980 and
her J.D. from Golden Gate University School of Law in San Francisco
in 1983. She is a member of the State Bar of California.
Jane K. Springwater's practice focuses on
commercial financing transactions with an emphasis on accounts
receivable lending. She has special expertise in out-of-court
workouts and Chapter 11 financings. Ms. Springwater also has
significant experience in major venture lending and leasing
transactions and has represented secured lenders in public and
private foreclosure sales and purchases of companies in bankruptcy.
Ms. Springwater has served as the Educational Liaison for the
Commercial Finance Association of Northern California since
1999. She also served on the Uniform Commercial Code Committee
of the State Bar of California from 1992 to 1994. In addition
to her legal work, Ms. Springwater served as President of the
Bureau of Jewish Education of San Francisco, the Peninsula,
Marin and Sonoma Counties from 1998 to 2000. She received a
B.F.A. with honors from Washington University in St. Louis in
1976 and a J.D. from Washington University in 1981. Ms. Springwater
is a member of the State Bar of California.
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