Christopher M. Hemrick, a partner of the firm, is a versatile practitioner who strives at all times to provide his clients with pragmatic and common-sense legal counseling. Chris concentrates his practice on all aspects of financial services, risk management and insolvency law, including complex commercial and federal litigation, bankruptcy and creditors’ rights. Chris represents creditors, debtors, chapter 11 trustees, liquidating trustees, asset purchasers, and other interested parties throughout all aspects of Chapter 11 and Chapter 7 bankruptcy cases. He has represented all types of business entities, financial institutions, and individuals in a wide range of state and federal court litigation matters ranging from breach of contract, lender liability and asset recovery, to UCC matters, bankruptcy avoidance actions and other bankruptcy litigation and contested matters. He also advises and represents clients in connection with the preparation of complex commercial and financial instruments, commercial loan and credit transactions and the purchase and sale of commercial real estate and other assets.
Among other areas, Chris has developed significant experience representing banks and other secured lenders, hedge funds and debt investors in connection with distressed situations and the disposition of non-performing commercial loans, including collateral recovery. He has both front and back-end special assets experience, representing clients in commercial loan workouts, assignments, forbearance and intercreditor agreements, as well as rent receiverships and the prosecution of commercial foreclosure proceedings through the point of final judgment and Sheriff’s sale. He has equal experience pursuing recovery of amounts due under the debt-instrument and guaranties on behalf of his clients. An advocate of litigation planning and risk avoidance, Chris also counsels his clients on a variety of compliance-related issues.
Rated by New Jersey Super Lawyers as a Rising Star, Chris has also published and lectured on insolvency-related topics. He received his J.D., cum laude, from St. John’s University School of Law, where he attended on a full academic scholarship, and served as an Editor of the St. John’s Law Review. He is actively involved in the Turnaround Management Association, and served on the Executive Committee of the New Jersey Chapter’s Board of Directors.
Chris resides in Chatham, New Jersey with his wife and twin boys.
- Serves as national bankruptcy counsel to a publicly-traded financial institution;
- Represents Chapter 11 Trustee in the bankruptcy of a nationwide chain of outpatient surgery centers based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;
- Represents global provider of e-commerce solutions in the jointly administered Chapter 11 bankruptcy cases of Sears Holdings Corporation et al. in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York;
- Represents Chapter 11 Trustee in the bankruptcy of a Federally Qualified Health Center in New Jersey;
- Represents Chapter 11 Trustee in the bankruptcy of a $39M senior and assisted living facility located in northern California;
- Serves as national counsel to a subsidiary of a publicly traded financial holding company in connection with federal Fair Credit Reporting Act litigation and related compliance issues;
- Represents and advises banks, hedge funds and other real estate investors and developers in connection with portfolios of non-performing commercial loans and related foreclosure and debt-instrument litigation;
- Represented importer of commodity and specialty foods in connection with multi-million dollar federal lawsuit involving RICO, fraud and fraudulent transfer claims;
- Represented MediaMiser Ltd. subsidiary in bankruptcy acquisition of Bulldog Reporter intellectual property from Sirius Information, Inc.;
- Part of a team of attorneys that prosecuted a multi-million dollar bankruptcy avoidance action on behalf of a liquidating trustee;
- Represented manufacturer of printing products in connection with Quebecor World cross-border bankruptcy and insolvency proceedings;
- Represented one of the largest global providers of satellite services in multi-million dollar commercial breach of contract action;
- Represented one of the largest international manufacturers of automotive electronic components in General Motors, Lear, and Visteon bankruptcies;
- Represented private not-for-profit university in the prosecution of breach of contract and charitable pledge litigation resulting in favorable multi-million dollar settlement;
- Represented leading importer of commodity and specialty foods serving the retail, food service, and industrial trades in multiple commercial breach of contract actions;
- Represented international manufacturer and supplier of pharmaceuticals in connection with lawsuit involving the sale of goods under New Jersey’s Uniform Commercial Code;
- Part of a team of attorneys that successfully represented a major insurance company in federal RICO class-action lawsuit;
- Represented former hedge fund employee in defamation and intellectual property litigation;
- Regularly defends corporate creditors in preference proceedings and other bankruptcy litigation and contested matters.
- New Jersey Super Lawyers Rising Stars (2014-2018)
(This award is not approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey. Selection methodology is available.)
- Director and Executive Committee Member, New Jersey Turnaround Management Association
- Past Co-Chair, NextGen Committee, New Jersey Turnaround Management Association
- Member, Brennan-Vanderbilt Inn of Court
- Moderator, “How Social Media Can Help You Network Your Way to a Great Job!,” New Jersey Turnaround Management Association, Stillman School of Business at Seton Hall University (April 2016)
- Panelist, “Bankruptcy Update for Lenders: Recent Issues With Preserving and Defending Your Mortgage or Security Interest in a Borrower’s Bankruptcy,” American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) 2014 National Conference on Banks & Savings Institutions, Washington, D.C. (September 2014)
- Presenter, “Representing the Secured Lender: A Practitioner’s Guide to Commercial Foreclosures in New Jersey” Continuing Legal Education Seminar (March 2014)
- “A Foreclosure Victory for Banks or Borrowers? The N.J. Supreme Court Decision in Guillaume,” New Jersey Law Journal (May 2012)