Howard M. Ehrenberg is a partner in the Bankruptcy & Reorganization practice group at Greenspoon Marder. For nearly 30 years, he has served as a Chapter 11 and Chapter 7 trustee. As a bankruptcy attorney, he has represented both debtors and creditors, creditor’s committees, landlords, and buyers looking to purchase assets from bankruptcy estates. Mr. Ehrenberg is also a certified mediator. He has been a member of the Bankruptcy Mediation Panel since 2016 for the Central District Bankruptcy Court Panel of Mediators.
As a result of his high success rate as a mediator, Mr. Ehrenberg has been one of the most sought-after mediators in Los Angeles for cases including non-dischargeability actions, contract disputes, landlord tenant disputes, and legal malpractice actions over the last several years.
Mr. Ehrenberg was appointed by the Office of the United States Trustee to the Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Panel of Trustees for the Central District of California in 1995. Since then, in his role as a trustee, he has managed bankruptcy estates in a range of industries.
A Certified State Court Receiver, Mr. Ehrenberg facilitates the completion of ongoing projects, the liquidation of shared assets, and the continuation of business operations amid disputes in ownership and management.
Having held a certification in business bankruptcy law for more than twenty years, Mr. Ehrenberg has served as both a testifying and non-testifying expert witness in cases involving such issues as defenses to avoidable transfers and fraudulent conveyances, community property interests, and material misrepresentations.
Mr. Ehrenberg regularly speaks on panels discussing bankruptcy issues with organizations such as the Los Angeles County Bar Association, the Los Angeles Bankruptcy Forum, and the Beverly Hills Bar Association. A recognized leader in his field, Mr. Ehrenberg was named the “Calvin Ashland Trustee of the Year” by the Central District Consumer Bankruptcy Attorney Association in 2019. He has been recognized as a “Southern California Super Lawyer” since 2004 and among U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Lawyers in America” in Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization since 2017.
Prior to joining Greenspoon Marder, Mr. Ehrenberg served as the managing member of SulmeyerKupetz, one of the premier business, financial restructuring and litigation firms in California.
Court Admissions
- U.S. District, Central District of California
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
Bar Admissions
- California
Education
- J.D., University of Southern California, School of Law, 1986
- B.A., University of California at Berkeley, Rhetoric, 1983
Languages
- English
- Spanish
Representative Experience
Trustee Work
- Liquidating Trustee for Orion Healthcorp in the Eastern District of New York (Judge Alan Trust). Resolution of multiple distinct litigation matters in a fraud scheme in excess of $150 million.
- Chapter 11 Trustee for Montebello Community Hospital in the Central District of California. Successful transition to new owners, collection of Medicare, MediCal, Quality Assurance payments and FEMA grants, pursue avoidance actions.
- Coordinated litigation of complex claims against an entertainment payroll company worth $2 billion, involving multiple law firms and accounting firms.
- Recovered $24 million fraudulent conveyance in bankruptcy of 20-year-old fake entities.
- Handled complex litigation matters, including municipal matters, as trustee for the lessee/operator of the Queen Mary Hotel and Tourist Destination. Secured $43 million sale of 66-year lease.
- Oversaw skilled nursing facility facing claims from various state and local government agencies.
- Determined and implemented litigation strategy against the principal, buyer, and customer of a $100 million apparel company, alleging the three engaged in a “bust-out” of debtor’s business.
- Coordinated with counsel and forensic accountants to evidence elaborate scheme in which the principal and several former customers stole inventory from a Korean textile import company.
- As a bankruptcy trustee, oversaw claims by victims of the hedge fund Ponzi scheme, resulting in the recovery of $10 million for the benefit of creditors.
- Successfully obtained title and secured sale of two lots worth $44 million as trustee in bankruptcy of West Covina auto dealerships.
Bankruptcy
- Represented Beverly Hills property owner when WeWork, as the tenant, was threatening bankruptcy and seeking to negotiate concessions to lease.
Receiverships
- Served as receiver for completion and sale of Beverly Hills mansion.
- Managed completion of construction and sale of tract of ten single-family homes in Sylmar, Los Angeles.
Expert Witness Work
- Provided expert testimony to the International Commercial Court in Singapore in a dispute over ownership of assets transferred to a foreign shell company during a U.S. bankruptcy proceeding twenty years prior.
Professional and Community Involvement
- Bankruptcy Mediation Panel of the United States Bankruptcy Court of the Central District of California, Member, 2016-Present
- Los Angeles County Bar Association, Commercial Law and Bankruptcy Section, Executive Board Member, 2000-Present
- World Affairs Council, Member, 1997-Present
- Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Panel of Trustees Office of the United States Trustee, Member, 1995-Present
- Counsel of Certified Bankruptcy Specialists, Member, 1994-Present
- California Receivers Forum, Member, 1988-Present
- Los Angeles Bankruptcy Forum, Member, 1986-Present
- American Bankruptcy Institute, Member
- Financial Lawyers’ Conference, Member
Speaking Engagements
- Speaker, “Corporate Chapter 7 Nuts & Bolts,” Central District Consumer Bankruptcy Attorney Association, October 5, 2024
- Speaker, “Title Insurance and Bankruptcy” Los Angeles County Bar Association, November 20, 2020
- Speaker, “What Lies Ahead,” Los Angeles Bankruptcy Forum, October 6, 2014
- Speaker, Beverly Hills Bar Association
Recognitions
- Best Lawyers®, “The Best Lawyers in America,” Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization, 2024-2025
- Lawdragon, “500 Leading Global Bankruptcy & Restructuring Lawyers,” 2024
- Super Lawyers magazine, “Southern California Super Lawyer,” 2004-2024
- U.S. News & World Report, “Best Lawyers in America,” Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization, 2017-2023
- Daily Journal, “Top Bankruptcy Lawyers,” 2022
- United States Bankruptcy Court Judges in the Central District of California, Bankruptcy Mediation Special Achievements Certificate of Appreciation, 2022
- Central District Consumer Bankruptcy Attorney Association, “Calvin Ashland Trustee of the Year,” 2019
In the News
- Quoted, “This is What the Fed’s Interest-Rate Cut Means for Distressed Companies,” MarketWatch, September 19, 2024
- Quoted, “Retail Bankruptcies Pose Pain for Landlords as Headwinds Persist,” Bloomberg Law, May 15, 2024
- Quoted, “Roaring Kitty rides again: GameStop’s meme-stock rally shows ‘gamification’ may be back,” MarketWatch, May 13, 2024
- Quoted, “Why investors gamble on shares of bankrupt companies — Bed Bath & Beyond for example,” MarketWatch, July 7, 2023
- Quoted, “Retailer Turmoil ‘23,” Turnarounds & Workouts, February 3, 2023
- Quoted, “Bed Bath & Beyond Can’t Pay Its Debts. Here’s What Happens Next,” Barron’s, January 30, 2023
- Quoted, “What’s next for Bed Bath & Beyond after defaulting on its loans?” MarketWatch, January 26, 2023
- Quoted, “As specter of bankruptcy looms over Bed Bath & Beyond, what’s next for the troubled retailer?” MarketWatch, January 10, 2023
- Quoted, “FTX U.S. Customers’ Funds Might Take Years to Recover: Experts” Barron’s, December 2, 2022
- Quoted, “Tom Brady, Steph Curry Are Subjects of FTX Probe. Proving Culpability May Be Tough.” Barron’s, November 26, 2022
- Quoted, “For Smaller Firms, Here’s When It’s OK To Sell,” Law360, November 17, 2022
- Quoted, “Bankruptcies are expected to ramp up as COVID-19 continues,” The Orange County Register, December 30, 2020
- Featured, “What Can Us Businesses Facing Financial Challenges During COVID-19 Do?” Lawyer Monthly, June 1, 2020
Publications
- Co-Author, “To Arbitrate or Mediate in Bankruptcy—That Is the Final Question,” Bloomberg Law, June 13, 2019
- Author, “Keep the Payment Received: Nine Things You Can Do To Prevent A Preference Action,” The Source, September 26, 2008
- Author, “Creditors’ Committees: Powerful Tools for Unsecured Creditors,” The Source, September 26, 2008
- Co-Author, “Collier Handbook for Trustees,” January 1, 2008
- Contributor, “Streetwise Small Business Book of Lists: Maximizing Your Cash Flow,” August 10, 2006
News
- Aug 15, 2024 56 Greenspoon Marder Attorneys Listed in The Best Lawyers in America® 2025 Edition
- Jun 21, 2024 Greenspoon Marder Partners Howard Ehrenberg, Elissa Miller, and Victor Sahn Recognized Among the Lawdragon 500 Leading Global Bankruptcy & Restructuring Lawyers for 2024
- Jan 11, 2024 Seven Greenspoon Marder Attorneys Recognized by Super Lawyers in Southern California for 2024
- Jan 9, 2023 Seven Greenspoon Marder Attorneys Recognized by Super Lawyers in Southern California for 2023
- Oct 31, 2022 Scariest Trends Businesses Are Facing Today
- Aug 24, 2022 Greenspoon Marder Partners Elissa Miller and Howard Ehrenberg Selected as Daily Journal’s 2022 Top Bankruptcy Lawyers
- Jul 11, 2022 Greenspoon Marder Expands Bankruptcy Practice Group With The Addition of Nine New Attorneys in Downtown Los Angeles
