Daniel Lev is a partner in the Bankruptcy & Reorganization practice group at Greenspoon Marder, practicing in the area of corporate restructuring and insolvency. Because pre and post-bankruptcy proceedings are fast-paced and high-stakes, Daniel is committed to offering his clients practical solutions to their most difficult challenges as efficiently as possible. Clients appreciate Daniel’s understanding of the business implications of legal disputes, as well as his ability to develop and execute strategies that minimize exposure, maximize recovery, and realize the best possible outcome, and his clients praise him for his practical thinking, strategic advice, and creative solutions. Daniel focuses his practice on the representation of debtors, the acquirers of distressed debt, real estate developers, secured and unsecured lenders, HOA’s, landlords, creditors’ committees, chapter 11 and 7 trustees, and investors in a broad range of insolvency, restructuring, business litigation, and creditors’ rights matters. Prior to joining Greenspoon Marder, Daniel spent the past 21 years at a boutique bankruptcy firm based in Los Angeles. As a native Los Angelino and diehard UCLA fan, his approach to law follows the words of the legendary John Wooden, who aptly noted, “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.”
Court Admissions
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
- U.S. District Court, Central District of California
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of California
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
Bar Admissions
- California
Education
- J.D., Loyola Law School, 1986
- American Jurisprudence Award, Bankruptcy
- American Jurisprudence Award, Remedies
- Benno M. Brink Memorial Award, Bankruptcy
- B.A., University of California, Los Angeles, 1983
Representative Experience
- Representation of The Club At Shenandoah Springs Village, Inc., the owner and operator of a sprawling retirement community in Thousand Palms, California, which was populated by 1,819 homeowners, and included an 18-hole regulation golf course and a 9-hole executive golf course. Through Daniel’s efforts, the debtor consummated a sale of the property to a new owner and successfully exited chapter 11.
- Representation of Silverstone Ranch Community Association in the chapter 11 case filed by Stoneridge Parkway, LLC, which is a 272-acre planned community located in Las Vegas, Nevada, comprised of approximately 1,520 homes built around a 27-hole championship golf course. After successfully transferring venue of the case from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, Daniel convinced the bankruptcy court that the case should be dismissed, with a prohibition against re-filing, since the planned sale of the golf course to a developer for the purpose of building new homes on large sections of the golf course property was violative of the recorded CC&Rs.
- Representation of secured lender in the chapter 11 case filed by Premier Golf Properties, L.P., the owner of an 18-hole golf course. After the case was converted to chapter 7, the lender agreed to allow the chapter 7 trustee time to manage the property for the purpose of locating potential buyers. Once the marketing period expired without an acceptable bid, the lender obtained the right to foreclose.
- Representation of secured lender in two chapter 11 cases filed by entities controlled by Mohamed Hadid, a real estate developer and father of supermodels Bella and Gigi Hadid. As a result of Daniel’s efforts, the 67 acres of prized open space in Franklin Canyon was sold to an entity that has agreed to maintain the acreage as open space free from future development.
- Representation of secured lender in the chapter 11 case filed by owner of a partially built 7-story hotel in Buena Park. Through Daniel’s efforts, the bankruptcy court granted the lender, who also acquired the distressed debt prior to bankruptcy, relief from stay to foreclose, which will enable the lender to complete construction of the hotel which the debtor was unable to accomplish for over 7 years.
- Representation of Hollywood for Children, Inc. dba the Audrey Hepburn Children’s Fund, which is a nonprofit organization established in 1992 by Ms. Hepburn’s two sons to continue their mother’s humanitarian work. After pre-bankruptcy litigation curtailed the fund’s ability to continue to exploit Ms. Hepburn’s image and likeness, Daniel was engaged to assist the fund in a wind-down of its financial affairs and mission through chapter 11, specifically involving the marketing and liquidation of memorabilia spanning Ms. Hepburn’s life.
- Representation of chapter 7 trustee of Philmar Care, LLC, which, prior to the filing and conversion of its chapter 11 case, was the owner and licensed operator of a 204-bed skilled nursing facility. On the trustee’s behalf, Daniel negotiated and obtained court approval of a management and operations transfer agreement and separate purchase agreement that allowed the license to be transferred to a new operator and prevented the facility from being closed.
- Representation of the chapter 7 trustee of Girardi Keese, one of the most prominent personal injury and mass tort law firms in the country. Daniel has been retained to investigate and commence lawsuits to avoid and recover preferential or fraudulent transfers made by the firm to its creditors or other third parties in an effort to bring value to the firm’s creditors.
Recognitions
- Super Lawyers magazine, “Southern California Super Lawyer,” 2011-2024
Publications
- Author, “Golf Courses Burdened by Restrictive Covenants Face Extra Challenges in Bankruptcy: Commercial Leasing and Law Strategy,” Commercial Leasing and Law Strategy, January 8, 2019
- Author, “The Bankruptcy Code’s Inherent Limitations for Struggling Golf Courses,” The Bankruptcy Strategist, September 1, 2018
- Author, “The Limitations of Sections 363(f) and 365(a) in Severing Restrictive Covenants from Real Property,” California Bankruptcy Journal, August 1, 2018
- Author, “ A Tool Rarely Used By Trustees: Rule 60(d)(3) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure,” National Association of Bankruptcy Trustees, June 26, 2018
- Author, “Unwinding A 22-Year-Old Fraud On The Court,” Law360, January 1, 2017
