Business Bankruptcy Legal Update 2021

Jay M. Sakalo is a partner in the Business Finance & Restructuring and Corporate Practice at Bilzin Sumberg Baena Price & Axelrod, LLP in Miami, and represents clients throughout the financial spectrum, from structuring and restructuring complex financings on behalf of lenders, to representing secured creditors and purchasers in bankruptcy proceedings. He focuses on the representation of private-equity funds, hedge funds, alternative lenders, borrowers and issuers.

Mr. Sakalo has experience in the real estate finance, hospitality, health care, aviation and gaming industries. He is a frequent speaker on restructuring and bankruptcy topics, and has been listed in Chambers USA, The Best Lawyers in America, Florida Super Lawyers and Florida Trends Legal Elite, among others.

Mr. Sakalo received his B.S.B.A. with honors in finance from the University of Florida in 1995 and his J.D. with honors in 1998 from the University of Florida Levin College of Law.

Leanne has more than 20 years of bankruptcy experience. Her debtor’s counsel experience includes the Chapter 11 cases of Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc., and 23 of its affiliates, which restructured more than $2 billion of debt. She has represented debtors, creditors and trustees in a broad range of Chapter 11, Chapter 7 and Chapter 12 litigation, including automatic stay, cash collateral, confirmation and dischargeability issues, claims objections, the enforcement of the permanent injunction and prosecuting and defending fraudulent transfer and preference actions.

Leanne also has significant experience in commercial and insolvency litigation and appeals, E-discovery, mediation, receiverships, foreclosures, assignments for the benefit of creditors and Fair Debt Collection Practices Act litigation.

Leanne represents large and small businesses, banks, creditors, debtors, trustees, receivers and assignees at the trial and appellate levels in state courts throughout Florida and in federal courts throughout the country.

Prior to joining FisherBroyles, Leanne practiced with a venerated Florida firm with an established reputation as a go-to firm for bet-the-company litigation, serving national, international and Fortune 500 clients. She collaborates with clients to develop effective strategies to successfully and efficiently manage litigation and resolve legal challenges.

Dan Etlinger focuses his practice on transactional representation particularly involving bankruptcy, business, financial services and property law. As such he has extensive experience advising clients and drafting complete packages for corporate organization, loan modifications and origination, purchase and sale closings, title work and more. He is an active member of the Association of Insolvency & Restructuring Advisors, Bay Area Real Estate Council, Chi Chi Rodriguez Executive Committee, Hillsborough County Bar Association, Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce and Turnaround Management Association.

He has also earned Avvo’s and Martindale’s highest ratings – Superb and AV Preeminent, respectively. Dan received his J.D. and M.B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh, and, his B.A. from the University of Rochester. He is married to Tabitha (another attorney) and has two children – Aurora and Orion – as well as two dogs – Fluffernutter and Scampers. Dan is an avid tennis player and enjoys traveling too.

Hon. Caryl E. Delano is Chief Bankruptcy Judge for the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Florida in Tampa, initially appointed on June 25, 2008, and named Chief Judge on October 1, 2019. She also was appointed Presiding Judge of the Fort Myers Division in July 2012.

Previously, Judge Delano practiced before the bankruptcy courts of the Central District of California for 14 years. In 1994, she returned to Tampa and most recently practiced law with the firm of Addison & Delano, P.A., where she concentrated her practice on bankruptcy and commercial litigation. Judge Delano has represented debtors and creditors in numerous chapter 11 cases and related adversary proceedings. She is a member of the Florida Bar, the State Bar of California, the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges, ABI, the Business Law Section of The Florida Bar (Executive Council, CLE Committee), the Hillsborough County Bar Association and the Tampa Bay Bankruptcy Bar Association.

In addition, she serves as the liaison judge to the Middle District of Florida’s Local Rules Lawyers’ Advisory Committee and is a member of the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges Federal Rules Advisory Committee. In 2017, Judge Delano received the Southwest Florida Bankruptcy Professionals Association’s Alexander L. Paskay Professionalism Award. In addition, she is the former executive director and past-president of the J. Clifford Cheatwood American Inn of Court.

Judge Delano received her B.A. in English cum laude in 1976 from the University of South Florida and her J.D. in 1979 from Indiana University School of Law, having completed her final year of law school at Emory University School of Law.