Stephen R. Leslie  
Stephen R. Leslie
Position
Shareholder
Education
• 1990, University of South Florida, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
• 1993, Stetson University College of Law, Juris Doctor, cum laude
Bar Admissions
• The Florida Bar (all state courts)
• United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida
• North Carolina (all state courts)
• United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida
• United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida
• United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
 
Stephen R. Leslie
 
Stephen R. Leslie
Stephen R. Leslie is a 1990 graduate of the University of South Florida with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. Mr. Leslie received his Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Stetson University College of Law in 1993. Mr. Leslie joined Stichter Riedel in 1993 and became a shareholder in 2001. Mr. Leslie’s active practice involves advice and consultation with clients concerning restructuring and deleveraging. His practice includes frequent court appearances in Federal Bankruptcy Court, throughout the State of Florida and he heads the firms Ft. Myers office. Mr. Leslie has acted as lead Chapter 11 or lead workout counsel in matters involving hundreds of millions of dollars in assets spanning marinas, condominium projects of various types, condotel projects, hotels, general contractors, construction companies, trucking companies, restaurants, real estate developers, apartment complexes, aerospace concerns and defense contractors, medical and dental design, manufacturing and sales concerns, national carnival operators, diamond retailers, clothing retailers, home accessory retailers, open-cast mining concerns, and several different types of restaurant chains. He has also spent substantial time on commercial litigation matters in the bankruptcy context, as well as handling bankruptcy appellate matters.
HONORS & DISTINCTIONS
• Book awards for the highest academic scores in six law school courses, including the Alexander L. Paskay Bankruptcy Book Award and the American Jurisprudence Secured Transactions Book Award
• Rated “AV” in Martindale-Hubbell
• Listed as a Florida “super lawyer” in the area of Insolvency and Bankruptcy Practice
• Listed in the “Legal 500” Finance, Bankruptcy South Section
• Listed in the 2009 edition of Chambers & Partners, "America's Leading Lawyers for Business" in the area of Insolvency Practice in Florida.
MEMBERSHIPS & COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
• Hillsborough County Bar Association
• The Tampa Bay Bankruptcy Bar Association
• Southwest Florida Bankruptcy Bar Association.
• American Bankruptcy Institute (Advisory Committee ABI- Stetson Law School Bankruptcy Symposium 2009-2010)
PUBLICATIONS & SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
Mr. Leslie has spoken on bankruptcy related topics on commercial Chapter 11 issues and debtor/creditor issues specific to Florida.
RECENT SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
• "Circuit Splits" moderator for a distinguished panel of six United States Bankruptcy Judges at the 34th Annual Judge Alexander L. Paskay Seminar conducted by Stetson University College of Law and the American Bankruptcy Institute- March 6, 2010
• American Association of Matrimonial Lawyers, May 1, 2009 (with Russell M. Blain)
• "View from the Bench" moderator --Caribbean Insolvency Symposium, Breakfast and Views From The Benches - February 7, 2009
• "Hands-on Bankruptcy: Real Problems and Real Solutions." Interactive Discussion at Tampa Bay Bankruptcy Bar Meeting - October 15, 2008
• Guest Lecturer Advanced Bankruptcy Course, Stetson University College of Law (2008 and 2009
)
• Issues raised by the intersection of bankruptcy law, real estate law, and family law in the current economic environment--Collier County Bar Association-- September 19, 2008
• Chapter 11 issues--Southwest Florida Bankruptcy Bar Meeting - October 4, 2007
REPRESENTATION
Mr. Leslie had lead or had significant involvement in the firm's representation of the following cases:
• Jumbosports Inc.
• Linc.net
• Bicoastal Corporation
• The American Ship Building Company
• Hillsborough Holdings Corp
• Lykes Bros. Steamship Co., Inc.
• Shaw Aero Devices, Inc./Shaw Aero Aerospace (defense contractor)
• Tidemark Partners, LLC (real estate developer)
• GSR Development, LLC (real estate developer)
• Enterprise Construction, Inc. (real estate developer)
• W.G. Wade Shows, Inc. (national carnival)
• Luxury Ventures, LLC, Creditors' Committee (diamond retail)
• Weeks Landing, LLC, DIP lender (real estate)
• Sam Seltzers (restaurant chain)
• Big Al’s (restaurant chain)
• Shells Restaurants (restaurant chain)
• Ecoventure Wiggins Pass Ltd./Aqua/Pelican (luxury condominium)
• Dunkins Diamonds (diamond retail)
• Gyarmathy & Associates, Inc. (restaurant chain)
• Florida Investments (mining operation)
• Times Square FMB, LLC (beachfront real estate and hotel developer)
• Turtle Creek, LTD (apartment complex)
• Florida Equipment/Florida Trucking (trucking company)
• Kearney Construction Corp. (regional infrastructure contractor)
• DeSears/Appliance World/Ballios (
appliance retailer in Florida, Colorado, and New Mexico)
• In re Fiddler's Creek, LLC Client: Gulf Bay Capital, Inc. [DIP Lender]
REPORTED DECISIONS
Mr. Leslie has served as lead counsel in the following reported decisions:
• In re Matos, 267 Fed. Appx. 884 (11th Cir. 2008)
• In re Deb-Lyn, Inc., 2004 WL 452560 (N.D. Fla. February 20, 2004)
• In re Psychiatric Hospital of Florida, Inc., 216 B.R. 660 (M.D. Fla. 1998)
• In re Kepley, 352 B.R. 526 (Bankr. M.D. Fla. 2006)
• In re Cassidy, 352 B.R. 519 (Bankr. M.D. Fla. 2006)
• In re Shaw Aero Devices, Inc., 283 B.R. 349 (Bankr. M.D. Fla. 2002)
• In re Diagnostic Instrument Group, Inc., 283 B.R. 87 (Bankr. M.D. Fla. 2002)
• In re Naturally Beautiful Nails, Inc., 252 B.R. 574 (Bankr. M.D. Fla. 2000)
• In re
Dunkin's Diamaonds , Inc., 420 B.R. 572 (Bankr. M.D. Fla. 2009)
• In re
Ecoventure Wiggins Pass, Ltd., 419 B.R. 875 (Bankr. M.D. Fla. 2009)
• In re Ecoventure Wiggins Pass, Ltd.,
419 B.R. 870 (Bankr. M.D. Fla. 2009)
PRESS RELEASES
E-BRANDS RESTAURANTS, LLC AND ITS AFFILIATED ENTITIES FILE FOR RELIEF UNDER CHAPTER 11 – JULY 30, 2010
SALE OF LUXURY REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENTS IN NAPLES APPROVED IN CHAPTER 11 - July 2010
STICHTER RIEDEL AGAIN RECEIVES HIGHEST RECOGNITION IN CHAMBERS USA 2010 GUIDE - JULY 1, 2010
ELEVEN FIRM LAWYERS RECOGNIZED AS "FLORIDA SUPER LAWYERS" OR “RISING STARS” - JUNE 2010
STEPHEN R. LESLIE SPEAKS AT THE 34th ANNUAL JUDGE ALEXANDER L. PASKAY SEMINAR ON BANKRUPTCY LAW AND PRACTICE - March 6, 2010
SALES OF NEW MEXICO APPLIANCE RETAILER – DECEMBER 20, 2009
PLAN CONFIRMED FOR OWNER OF CHAIN OF RESTAURANTS UNDER CHAPTER 11 - August 20, 2009
BANKRUPTCY COURT CONFIRMS CHAPTER 11 PLAN OF REORGANIZATION FOR DUNKINS DIAMONDS, INC. AND AFFILIATES — August 5, 2009
STEPHEN R. LESLIE SPEAKS AT THE 34th ANNUAL JUDGE ALEXANDER L. PASKAY SEMINAR ON BANKRUPTCY LAW AND PRACTICE - March 6, 2009
STEPHEN R. LESLIE SPEAKS AT THE CARIBBEAN INSOLVENCY SYMPOSIUM, BREAKFAST AND VIEWS FROM THE BENCHES - February 7, 2009
STEPHEN R. LESLIE LEADS INTERACTIVE DISCUSSION AT TAMPA BAY BANKRUPTCY BAR MEETING - October 15, 2008
STEPHEN LESLIE SPEAKS AT THE COLLIER COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION September 19, 2008
BANKRUPTCY COURT CONFIRMS CHAPTER 11 PLAN FOR MARCO ISLAND CONSTRUCTION COMPANY – JUNE 19, 2008
STEPHEN LESLIE PRESENTS AT SOUTHWEST FLORIDA BANKRUPTCY BAR MEETING - OCTOBER 4, 2007
STICHTER RIEDEL SELECTED AS COMMITTEE COUNSEL IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA REAL ESTATE CASE - JULY 5, 2007
MOLTECH POWER SYSTEMS (BATTERY PARK INDUSTRIES) CONFIRMS CHAPTER 11 PLAN OF REORGANIZATION IN NORTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA CASE - JUNE 4, 2007
LARGEST DEVELOPER ON ANNA MARIA ISLAND, FLORIDA, SEEKS RELIEF IN CHAPTER 11 - JULY 15, 2006
GENERAL CONTRACTOR SEEKS RELIEF IN FT. MYERS CHAPTER 11 CASE - JUNE 23, 2006
STEPHEN R. LESLIE AWARDED “AV” RATING BY MARTINDALE HUBBELL - JULY 2005