Steve Burnell is an associate in the Bankruptcy & Reorganization practice group at Greenspoon Marder. He represents debtors, trustees, creditors, and committees in all aspects of bankruptcy litigation, including appeals.
Prior to joining the firm he was an associate at a boutique bankruptcy law firm and served as term law clerk for three years for the Honorable Erithe A. Smith, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge for the Central District of California. He is a member of the Commercial Law and Bankruptcy Section of the Orange County Bar Association and the Orange County Bankruptcy Forum, as well as a former participant in the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges’ Honorable Cornelius Blackshear Fellowship Program and the Next Generation Program.
Mr. Burnell is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps having served honorably for four years.
Bar Admissions
- California
Court Admissions
- U.S. District, Central District of California
- U.S. District, Southern District of California
- U.S. Bankruptcy Appellate Panel, Ninth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
Education
- J.D., Chapman University School of Law, 2012
- B.A., University of Michigan, History and Political Science, 2007
Languages
- Spanish
- English
Representative Experience
Secured Creditors
- Represented major banks as secured creditors in Chapter 11 proceedings, in relation to loans against commercial real estate valued at $1-10 million. Handled cash collateral issues, disclosure statements, and forbearance agreements.
Creditors’ Committees
Represented the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors in chapter 11 through plan confirmation, and the liquidating trustee subsequently appointed to pursue the remaining litigation claims.
Chapter 7 Trustees
- Enforced trustee’s recovery efforts of $1.4 million fraudulently transferred out of the bankruptcy estate, including through contempt proceedings, and successfully defended the contempt orders on appeal to the Ninth Circuit.
- Successfully represented trustee in adversary proceeding to void a family court judgment and recover unauthorized post-petition transfer.
- Prosecuted trustee’s objection to secured claim filed by the Employment Development Department for unpaid, prepetition payroll taxes and negotiated reduction of claim from $315,000 to $28,000 during mediation and release of liens.
Professional and Community Involvement
- Orange County Bar Association, Commercial Law and Bankruptcy Section, Member
- Orange County Bankruptcy Forum, Commercial Law and Bankruptcy Section, Member
