Leslie R. Horowitz
Practice Areas
Les Horowitz joined Clark & Trevithick in May 1994 with a wide range of experience involving debtor/creditor rights in both the state and federal courts, insolvency, including bankruptcy, assignment for the benefit of creditors and receiverships, prejudgment remedies and the enforcement of judgments. He has represented clients from a variety of industries, both small and large corporations.
Les has co-authored several articles relating to bankruptcy and commercial law. He is an update author for the CEB treatise entitled Debt Collection Practice in California. He has also lectured to other lawyers on the subjects of evidence, insolvency, provisional remedies, the enforcement of judgments and assignments for the benefit of creditors.
Les has been very active with professional organizations. Since 1990, he has been a member of the Federal Bar Association. He has served as secretary, vice-president, president-elect and president of the Los Angeles Chapter of the Federal Bar Association. From 1992 to 1999 he served as the Chairperson of the Bankruptcy Section of the Federal Bar Association, was an Advisor to the Executive Committee of the Federal Bar Association from 1997 to 1998. Les was Chairman of the Strategic Long Range Planning Committee of the Federal Bar Association from 1999-2001 and Vice President for the Ninth Circuit. Les is past Chair of The Executive Committee of the Remedies Section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association and currently serves as a board member. Les was on the Board of Directors of the Lawyers’ Club of Los Angeles County from 1987 to 1994 and served as treasurer, secretary, vice-president, president-elect and president. He was a member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association Board of Trustees for the 1993-1994 term. Les served as Lawyer Representative to the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference from 1996 to 2000. Les serves as a member of the National Council of the Federal Bar Association. He is a member of the American Bankruptcy Institute, Financial Lawyers Conference and California Bankruptcy Forum.
Les served on the Board of Temple Judea, Tarzana, and serves on the board of directors of other non-profit organizations, including the Board of Directors of the Federal Bar Building Corporation. He has been named a Southern California Super Lawyer from 2014 – 2017.
Les has an broad background and has counseled and represented clients in a variety of commercial and bankruptcy matters. The following is a brief list of the matters that he has handled.
- Successfully represented clients in pre-judgment remedies, including writs of attachments, writs of possession, and varying post-judgment remedies
- Successfully represented agricultural producer, under the Federal Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA), in bankruptcy case in dispute with secured lender. The case was resolved in mediation
- Represent son of a woman, who is incompetent, in successfully seeking the appointment of a conservator for the mother against the wishes of his sister
- Counsels trustees in the administration of a family trust of the beneficiary of the trust who is incompetent
- Counsels trustee in the administration of a family trust with issues involving beneficiaries who are also creditors of the trust
- Successfully advised insolvent client who was the tenant in a large commercial space and resolved matter without litigation
- Represented debtor in corporate Chapter 11 asbestos bankruptcy case. Assisted in confirmation of plan of reorganization
- Successfully represented Chapter 11 Trustee in large real property fraud case
- Represented foreign client in domesticating Federal Court judgment and enforcing the judgment with post-judgment collection proceedings reducing the amount of the debt
- Successfully represented corporate client who purchased assets through an Article 9 foreclosure sale
- Successfully defended client in preference in a bankruptcy case and avoided Creditors’ Committee’s demand for repayment without the filing of an lawsuit
- Counsel assignor restaurant in an Assignment for the Benefit of Creditors and all the related issues involving creditors and landlord issues
- Successfully represented insolvent manufacturer in out of court workout with secured lender and unsecured creditors and sale of assets to buyer
- Represent Banks as secured lenders in Chapter 11 cases
- Successfully obtained relief from the automatic stay in several Chapter 7 bankruptcy cases for banks and finance companies as secured lender
- Counseled former county government employee who pleaded guilty of taking bribes and successfully negotiated settlement with county and preserved various exemptions
- Represented corporate client which successfully purchased assets from Chapter 7 Trustee
- Represent and counsel privately held international company in the tech manufacturing field for various insolvency issues including protection of secured loans, purchase of assets and making secured loans
- Counsel corporate client involving insolvency issues regarding toxic waste problems
- Represented assignor in Assignment for Benefit of Creditors of manufacturing company
- Successfully represented bank client in bankruptcy court involving the judgment debtor examination lien created by code of civil procedure, wherein the Court ruled that the client had a lien for one year after service of the judgment debtor examination. Assisted in the drafting of the appellate brief in which the 9th Circuit upheld the ruling
- JD, Southwestern University School of Law, 1980
- AB, Occidental College, Political Science, 1976
- Member, Federal Bar Association, since 1990
- Secretary, Vice President, President-Elect, President, Los Angeles Chapter of the Federal Bar Association
- Chairperson, Bankruptcy Section, Federal Bar Association, 1997-1998
- Chairman, Strategic Long Range Planning Committee of the Federal Bar Association, 1999-2001
- Vice President, Ninth Circuit, 1999-2001
- Chair, Executive Committee of the Remedies Section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association
- Board Member, Executive Committee of the Remedies Section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association
- Member, Board of Directors, Lawyers’ Club of Los Angeles County, 1987-1994
- Member, Los Angeles County Bar Association Board of Trustees, 1993-1994
- Lawyer Representative, Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference, 1996-2000
- Member, American Bankruptcy Institute
- Member, Financial Lawyers Conference
- Member, California Bankruptcy Forum
- Member, Board of Directors, Federal Bar Building Corporation
- Member, National Council of the Federal Bar Association
- Editor, Chapter 6, 2008, Prejudgment Remedies – Writs of Attachment, Debt Collection Practice in California, 2nd Edition Continuing Education of the Bar
- Author, Legal Issues: Assignment for the Benefit of Creditors, 2003
- Author, Advising Distressed Businesses on an Alternative to Bankruptcy, Los Angeles Lawyer, 2001
- Author, The Late-filed Claim: When is an Act of God Not Excusable Neglect, American Bankruptcy Institute Journal, 2000
- Author, Assignments for the Benefit of Creditors: An Alternative to Bankruptcy in the 90’s, Los Angeles Lawyer, 1993
Accolades
- Listed, Southern California Super Lawyer, 2014-2015
- Listed, Southern California Super Lawyer, 2015-2016
Speaking Engagements
- Lecturer, Remedies For Lawyers Who Find Themselves in Bankruptcy Court (Litigation and Enforcement of Selected Strategies), Los Angeles County Bar Association, February 25, 2014 and September 30, 2014
- Lecturer, Other Lawyers, Subjects of Evidence, Insolvency, Provisional Remedies, Enforcement of Judgments and Assignments for the Benefit of Creditors