Both Don M. Stichter and Harley E. Riedel have been associated with the firm since 1974. At that time, although he conducted a general business and litigation practice, Don Stichter was widely recognized as one of the few lawyers in the Middle District of Florida with expertise in representing debtors under Chapter XI of the Bankruptcy Act of 1898. When the "stagflation" and high interest rates of the late 1970s drove many Florida borrowers into default, the volume of cases caused the firm to focus its practice and to specialize in insolvency and bankruptcy law and related civil litigation. Russell M. Blain, Richard C. Prosser, and Charles A. Postler joined the firm as partners in 1985, 1990, and 1992, respectively. Since then, the firm has grown adding a number of lawyers and partners, and it continues to expand to meet the challenges posed by the current economic crisis.
The firm's offices are located in a century old office building in downtown Tampa (see “Our Offices” for a further description),within a few blocks of the bankruptcy and federal district courthouse, as well as the Hillsborough County Circuit Court.
The professional accomplishments of the firm and its members include the following (other activities and awards appear in the attorney biographies section of this website):
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The firm is listed in Martindale-Hubbell's Bar Registry of Preeminent Lawyers.
During the past three years (2009-2011), thirteen of the firm’s lawyers have been named either as Florida Super Lawyers or as “Rising Stars.” These lawyers are: Don Stichter, Harley Riedel, Russ Blain, Richard Prosser, Charles Postler, Scott Stichter, Steve Leslie, Elena Ketchum, Edward Peterson, Amy Denton Harris, Dan Fogarty, Barbara Hart, and Susan Sharp.
Mr. Riedel received the most points of any lawyer in the State of Florida in 2011, and has been included among the top three attorneys in points received throughout the state from 2010 to 2012. Mr. Blain has been recognized as among the top 100 lawyers since 2007, and Don Stichter has also been listed as among the top 100 lawyers during this interval
Don Stichter, Harley Riedel, Russ Blain and Richard Prosser have been continuously listed in "Best Lawyers in America" for more than ten years, and Charles A. Postler and Scott Stichter are currently listed in the area of Bankruptcy Law.
The firm was one of only four firms in Florida (the only one in Tampa) to have continuously (2004-2011) received a top-tier ranking in the Insolvency and Corporate Recovery category in the Chambers USA Guide to the Best U.S. Business Law Firms and Attorneys. In addition, Don Stichter, Harley Riedel, Russell Blain, Scott Stichter, and Stephen Leslie are recognized in that publication as among the top insolvency and bankruptcy lawyers in Florida.
Don Stichter, Harley Riedel and Russell Blain are Fellows of the American College of Bankruptcy.
Don M. Stichter has been named "Outstanding Lawyer in Hillsborough County" by the Hillsborough County Bar Association - a 3,000 member bar association encompassing the City of Tampa and all of Hillsborough County.
Don Stichter and Harley Riedel are two of the initial three recipients of the Tampa Bay Bankruptcy Bar Association's highest award - the Douglas P. McClurg Award - which recognizes a lawyer for outstanding effectiveness in judicial proceedings through preparation, civility and courtesy to counsel and parties, and highest standards of ethics and professionalism. Only five lawyers have ever been awarded this honor.
Over the past eight years, seven members of the firm, Don Stichter, Harley Riedel, Russell Blain, Richard Prosser, Scott Stichter, and Steve Leslie have been recognized in Florida Trend's Florida Legal Elite, a peer selected group of the top 1.7% of all Florida Bar Members.
Don M. Stichter, Harley E. Riedel, Russell M. Blain, Richard C. Prosser, Becky Ferrell-Anton, Amy Denton Harris, Barbara A. Hart, Elena Paras Ketchum, Stephen R. Leslie, Edward J. Peterson, Charles A. Postler, Susan H. Sharp and Scott A. Stichter have been given the highest "AV" rating by Martindale-Hubbell.
Don Stichter, Harley Riedel, Russell Blain, Richard Prosser, and Elena Paras Ketchum have each served as president of the Tampa Bay Bankruptcy Bar Association. Scott Stichter served a four-year term as a director of that association, and Edward Peterson is a current director of the TBBBA.
Harley Riedel, aided by other firm members, authored the chapters on representation of Chapter 11 debtors in possession in both editions of the Norton Handbook for Trustees, Debtors in Possession, and Committees published by West Publishing Company.
Firm members have spoken on bankruptcy topics for the American Bar Association, the American Bankruptcy Institute, the Southeastern Bankruptcy Law Institute, The Florida Bar, the Tampa Bay Bankruptcy Association and numerous other professional and business groups.
Mr Blain was the Chair of the Business Law Section of the Florida Bar in 2008-2009 and remains a member of its executive committee. He is the current President of the Hillsborough County Bar Foundation and the President elect of the Ferguson-White American Inn of Court.
Don Stichter served as President of the Hillsborough County Bar Association and was named outstanding Local Bar President by the Florida Bar.
The firm has acted as counsel for parties in over three hundred published decisions.
On March 15, 2005, Scott A. Stichter was honored as the recipient of the 2005 Jimmy Kynes Pro Bono Award. The award is given annually to an outstanding pro bono attorney selected by the Hillsborough County Bar Association and the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit's pro bono program, H.A.V.E. A Heart. It is dedicated to the memory of former general counsel for the Jim Walters Corporation, Jimmy Kynes.
On November 26, 2008 The Florida Bar awarded Scott A. Stichter the Florida Bar President's Pro Bono Service Award for 2009 from the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit. Each year, the Florida Supreme Court and The Florida Bar give special recognition to lawyers who have freely given their time and expertise in making legal services available to the poor. Mr. Stichter was recognized for the time and professional expertise he contributed in making legal representation available to those otherwise unable to afford it.
Harley Riedel, Russell Blain and Elena Paras Ketchum have served as guest lecturers in the Advanced Bankruptcy Class at the University of Florida College of Law. Mr. Riedel, Mr. Blain, and Stephen Leslie have served as guest lecturers for the Advanced Bankruptcy Class at the Stetson College of Law.
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The firm handles numerous consumer matters on a pro bono basis for deserving clients who cannot afford to pay for legal services. In recognition of these activities, in March 2002 the firm was given the "Have a Heart Award" by the Hillsborough County Bar Association for "outstanding pro bono service by a law firm." In addition to the services to organized bar associations described above and elsewhere, the firm's lawyers serve on boards and committees for a variety of charitable, civic, religious, educational, and service organizations. It sponsors the Stichter, Riedel, Blain and Prosser Book Award for the Advanced Bankruptcy Course at the University of Florida College of Law.
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Significant
Cases
The
firm has represented numerous debtors in Chapter 11 cases including
Hillsborough Holdings Corp., f/k/a The Jim Walter Corporation,
and its 32 subsidiaries, which had combined assets and liabilities
of more than $3 billion; Koger Properties, Inc., a New York
Stock Exchange company at the time of filing with assets and
liabilities of more than $500 million; The Koger Partnership,
Ltd., a publicly traded limited partnership with assets and
liabilities of more than $200 million; Bicoastal Corporation,
f/k/a The Singer Company, a corporation with assets in excess
of $500 million and over $2 billion in asserted claims; Lykes
Bros. Steamship Co., Inc., the third largest U.S. Flag international
shipping company with assets and liabilities in excess of $300
million; JumboSports Inc., a major national retailer of sporting
goods with 59 stores in more than 20 states and assets and liabilities
of more than $300 million; Linc.net, Inc., a Miami-based construction
company with annual revenues and liabilities in excess of $300
million; Viasource Communications, Inc., a Ft. Lauderdale-based
company with annual revenues and assets exceeding $100 million;
Moltech Power Systems, Inc., a Gainesville-based manufacturer
of rechargeable batteries with annual revenues of $140 million
and assets and liabilities of approximately $80 million; Wm.
G. Roe and Sons, Inc. and Wm. G. Roe and Company, Inc., the
largest packer and shipper of tangerines in Florida; The American
Ship Building Company, a New York Stock Exchange company at
the time of filing; and Trust America Service Corp., an American
Stock Exchange company at the time of filing.
The firm also represents mid-size and smaller businesses and
individual debtors on a regular basis and with a high degree
of success. Formulating a strategy at the outset of these cases
and implementing that strategy is key to handling these cases
on an economical basis.
The firm has also represented substantial creditors, purchasers,
defendants, committees, or other parties in interest in a number
of significant Chapter 11 cases, including those of The Celotex
Corp. (a manufacturer of home building products with annual
revenues of $400 million), Silas Creek Retail, L.P., d/b/a Piece
Goods Shops and d/b/a Northwest Fabrics (the fourth largest
retail fabric chain in the nation with 195 locations throughout
the United States), Murray Chris-Craft (a leading recreational
boat manufacturer), American Family Publishers (a Time, Inc.
subsidiary), The Eli Witt Company (a large food and tobacco
distributor), Braniff Airlines and Grand Union Co. (cases in
which the firm represented a member of the Official Creditors'
Committee), Fabric King, Inc. (a 74-store retail fabric chain),
Gardinier, Inc. and Mulberry Phosphates (each a large phosphate
and fertilizer processor), and the W.T. Grant Co. (a large national
retailer).
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