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Overview

Jim represents secured and unsecured creditors, debtors, liquidators, receivers and unsecured creditors’ committees in all aspects of corporate and insurance insolvency and workout proceedings. His practice also encompasses working with domestic and international clients on transactional matters in the commercial business and finance arena.

Jim has successfully handled complex bankruptcies and reorganizations for private and public companies in the steel, manufacturing and retail industries. His work includes serving as debtors’ counsel in the successful reorganization of the Wheeling Pittsburgh Steel Corporation, a company that restructured hundreds of millions of dollars of debt in Chapter 11. 

Jim also facilitated the 363 sales of Republic Storage Systems Company and Concord Steel Inc.; his guidance enabled them to achieve their goal of selling their businesses, while preserving critical assets and jobs.

A nationally respected bankruptcy adviser, Jim has been recognized since 2004 in Chambers USA in Bankruptcy/Restructuring in Ohio, most recently in 2024 as a Senior Statesperson. Chambers USA researchers noted, "Clients of James Lawniczak benefit from over four decades of experience in high-stakes corporate bankruptcies, including notable strength in restructuring plans, workouts, refinancings, and transactional work. He is held in particularly high esteem for his experience in the retail and industrial sectors." Clients interviewed by Chambers USA researchers said, "Jim is very responsive and explains things well. He is a really smart person and an academic; he is good at complex work. Jim is a knowledgeable bankruptcy lawyer. He has a strong intellect and is definitely a subject matter expert."

Jim is a contributing author to the 16th Edition of Collier on Bankruptcy – the leading national treatise on bankruptcy law, as well as the companion Collier Bankruptcy Practice Guide.

Jim also has written, and updates annually, the authoritative, comprehensive, single-volume treatise, Collier Lending Institutions and the Bankruptcy Code (2d. ed.), published by LexisNexis. It covers all aspects of loan origination, workouts, and bankruptcy from the perspective of lending institutions. The Collier series has long been recognized as the leading legal authority in the U.S. on bankruptcy and related topics impacting entities in the U.S. and globally.

Jim has authored bankruptcy and related chapters of Lexis’s Asset Based Financing, Business Organizations with Tax Planning (including chapter 154 on alter ego claims), and Franchising treatises. He has written extensively in and is the Editor-in-Chief of LexisNexis's multi-volume Debtor-Creditor Law treatise, including many of its commercial law chapters including the new 2023 chapter on the 2022 Amendments to the Uniform Commercial Code, adding Article 12 on controllable electronic records.. 

Jim was a featured online contributor to the “LexisNexis Expert Commentaries” series, providing insight on significant, high-profile bankruptcy cases, and he has been a featured panelist in Financier Worldwide. He also has published multiple articles in professional and legal journals, and he frequently lectures on bankruptcy and commercial finance issues at professional seminars and conferences.

He is a former trustee and program committee chairman of the Northern Ohio Chapter of the Turnaround Management Association.

Jim is a member of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, having served as a trustee from 2005-2009. He is a member of its Bankruptcy and Commercial Law Section (chairperson 2003-2004) and served as chair of its Lawyer-Client Fee Dispute Resolution Committee (2011-2012). He also served as chair (2009-2010) of the Association’s 3R Committee, which directs an award-winning educational program for high school students. He served (2007-2016) as legal adviser to Shaw High School’s mock trial team, which repeatedly advanced to the state tournament in those years.

He was a long-time trustee (treasurer 2004-2007) of the Fairmount Center for the Arts.

Jim was a partner with the Chicago firm of Mayer, Brown & Platt in its bankruptcy and restructuring group prior to joining Calfee as a partner in 1988.

Honors & Recognitions

  • Chambers USA, Bankruptcy/Restructuring, Senior Statesperson, Ohio (2004-2024)
  • The Best Lawyers in America®, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Litigation - Bankruptcy (2005-2021)
  • Ohio Super Lawyers (2007, 2009-2020)
  • Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association Volunteer of the Year (2007)

Education

J.D., magna cum laude, University of Michigan Law School, Order of the Coif, 1977

B.A., magna cum laude, University of Michigan, 1974

Experience

Experience

  • Calfee developed a strategy and playbook for responding to customer distress and potential insolvency for a publicly traded, Fortune 1000, global manufacturing client’s in-house counsel to develop materials to assist in-house credit personnel in responding to non-performing customers. The client regularly engages Calfee to assist in responding to these anticipated customer insolvency issues as they arise across the country.
  • Calfee serves as general corporate counsel to a privately owned company in the domestic and international retail and food service industries, including providing general representation as a creditor or contract party in bankruptcy cases and other insolvency matters throughout the country when necessary (e.g., defending preference cases, executory contract and claims issues). In the past year, we assisted the client in pursuing claims in a Chapter 11 case, including the assertion of a secured offset claim and responding to liquidating the trustee’s attempt to withhold distributions. This is a national engagement with respect to bankruptcy and insolvency matters throughout the United States.

Professional & Community

Professional & Community

  • Turnaround Management Association – Northern Ohio Chapter, Former Trustee and Program Committee Chair
  • Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, Member and Former Trustee (2005-2009)
  • Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association's Bankruptcy and Commercial Law Section, Member and Former Chair (2003-2004)
  • Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association's Lawyer-Client Fee Dispute Resolution Committee, Former Chair (2011-2012)
  • Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association's 3Rs Committee, which directs an award-winning educational program for high school students, Former Chair (2009-2010)
  • Shaw High School’s mock trial team, which repeatedly advanced to the state tournament, Legal Advisor (2007-2016)
  • Fairmount Center for the Arts, Past Trustee and Treasurer

News & Events

News

PDF

Clerkships

  • Law Clerk for Judge Robert E. DeMascio, U.S. District Court, Detroit, Michigan, during which time Judge DeMascio was chairman of the Judicial Conference Committee on Bankruptcy

Licensed In

  • Ohio

Court Admissions

  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
  • U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California
    U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
    U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
    U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit

"Clients of James Lawniczak benefit from over four decades of experience in high-stakes corporate bankruptcies, including notable strength in restructuring plans, workouts, refinancings, and transactional work. He is held in particularly high esteem for his experience in the retail and industrial sectors."

Chambers USA researcher

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