Lisa Tancredi focuses her practice on restructuring, bankruptcy and creditors’ rights matters. She represents a wide range of clients, including financial institutions, funds, sureties, receivers, landlords, businesses, suppliers and contract counterparties, purchasers and high-net-worth individuals, both inside and outside of bankruptcy court. In the syndicated loan arena, she works with agents and participating lenders to address distressed debt facilities.
Lisa provides her clients with cost-effective, pragmatic and creative solutions to maximize financial recoveries, mitigate risks and achieve their goals. As a recognized thought leader in the bankruptcy industry, she designs and leads regular seminars for local and national groups and has authored a number of articles and publications. Lisa recently co-authored the handbook, “Navigating Banking in Bankruptcy: A Guidebook,” for bankers and advisors about the treatment of cash management and bank products in bankruptcy, which was published by the American Bankruptcy Institute. She is also ranked as a leading lawyer for bankruptcy/restructuring in Maryland by Chambers USA and has been listed as a top rated bankruptcy attorney in Baltimore by Super Lawyers since 2011.
Lisa’s problem-solving skills stem from her background as a mechanical engineer. She acquired her affinity for bankruptcy during a law school clerkship with the Office of the United States Trustee, a division of the Department of Justice responsible for overseeing the administration of bankruptcy cases. Following law school, Lisa served as a judicial clerk for the late Honorable James F. Schneider of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland. Over the course of her more than twenty-five years of practice, Lisa has appeared in bankruptcy courts across the country representing a broad spectrum of constituencies, from estate fiduciaries and governmental authorities to creditors and interested parties, bringing a unique and authentic perspective to challenging situations.
Representative Experience
Any result the lawyer or law firm may have achieved on behalf of clients in other matters does not necessarily indicate similar results can be obtained for other clients.
- Served as principal counsel to surety bond providers in connection with surety bond facilities up to $100 million in bankruptcy cases in sectors that include energy, transportation, retail, manufacturing and construction.
- Served as principal counsel to agents, lenders and participants in workout and bankruptcy matters with client exposures ranging from less than $1 million to more than $100 million.
- Currently serve as principal counsel to a lender in the bankruptcy and liquidation of a tree nursery collateralizing a loan partially guaranteed by the United States Department of Agriculture.
- Served as principal bankruptcy counsel to Chinese companies in bankruptcy cases and adversary proceedings filed in the United States.
- Currently serve as the principal counsel to the receiver appointed by the State of Maryland to liquidate a health maintenance organization.
Professional & Civic Engagement
- Baltimore County Ethics Commission, Commissioner, 2020 – Present
- Severn Bank, Women's Advisory Board Member, 2020 – Present
- Bankruptcy Bar Association / U.S. District Court Liaison Committee, 2015 – Present; Chair, 2017 – Present
- American Bankruptcy Institute Journal, Coordinating Editor, 2017 – Present
- International Women’s Insolvency & Restructuring Confederation (IWIRC), 2016 – Present; Events Co-Chair Greater Maryland Network, 2020 – Present
- American Bankruptcy Institute, 1996 to present; Co-Chair Mid-Atlantic Bankruptcy Workshop 2019 – Present; Co-chair of the Employee Benefit Committee, 2008 – 2009
- Board of Directors, USS Landing Craft Infantry National Association (LCI), 2018 – Present
- Maryland Local Bankruptcy Rules Committee, Chair, 2013 – 2016
- Maryland State Bar Association Advanced Bankruptcy Institute, Faculty, 2014 – 2016
- Maryland Bankruptcy Bar Association, 1994 to Present; President, 2014 – 2015, and previous one-year terms as secretary, assistant secretary, treasurer and assistant treasurer
Thought Leadership
Presentations
- “Collateral for Indemnity Obligations,” Women in Surety, September 14, 2022
- “Doing Business with Financially-Challenged Businesses,” Baltimore Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel, Webinar, May 2021
- “Collateral for Indemnity Obligations”, Surety Clients, Webinars, April and May 2021
- "The Small Business Reorganization Act of 2019 Subchapter V of Chapter 11 for Bankers," Potomac Chapter of the Risk Management Association, Webinar, April 2021
- “Small Business Reorganization Act for Sureties,” Surety Client, November 15, 2020
- “Small Business Reorganization Act of 2019,” Bank Clients, September 10, 2020 and July 29, 2020
- "Who's in the Money? Practical Tips for Mitigation of Risk – T/M and Bank Products," Risk Management Association, Richmond Chapter and Virginia Bankers Association, October 29, 2019
- "Early-Case Orders that Dictate End-of-Case Orders: Efficient or Disenfranchising?" American Bankruptcy Institute’s Northeast Conference & Consumer Forum, July 12 – 13, 2019
- "Best Practices in the Secured Lending Life Cycle," IWIRC at the Shore Conference, March 1, 2019
- "Practical Tips for Mitigation of Risk – T/M and Bank Products," Bank Client, February 12, 2019
- "Banking in Bankruptcy," ABI Podcast, January 3, 2019
- "Many Claimants, One Bond: Tools, Tips and Bankruptcy Issues," Surety Client, October 4, 2018
- "Let's Dip into the DIP Order," American Bankruptcy Institute's 2017 Mid-Atlantic Bankruptcy Workshop, August 4, 2017
- "Healthcare Bankruptcies," Bankruptcy Bar Association for the District of Maryland, May 6, 2017
- "Is Bankruptcy a Viable Option for High Income or Asset Rich Individuals?" Advanced Bankruptcy Institute, December 1, 2016
- "Gender Bias: Unethical or Just Uncivil," Bankruptcy Bar Association for the District of Maryland, May 14, 2016
- “Practical Guide to E-Discovery,” Bankruptcy Bar Association for the District of Maryland, May 1, 2015
- “Preserving Intellectual Property in Chapter 11,” Advanced Bankruptcy Institute, March 24, 2015
- “Bankruptcy Strategies,” Bank Client, March 17, 2015
- “Do We Really Need the Boilerplate? Drafting Orders and Plans,” Bankruptcy Bar Association for the District of Maryland, May 2, 2014
- “Single Asset Real Estate Cases,” 2014 Advanced Bankruptcy Institute, March 12, 2014
- “Best Practices for Handling Pro Se Litigants,” Delaware Bankruptcy American Inn of Court, May 14, 2013
- “Evidentiary Privileges in Bankruptcy Litigation,” Bankruptcy Bar Association for the District of Maryland, May 4, 2013
- “Intercreditor Issues,” American Bankruptcy Institute’s 2010 Mid-Atlantic Bankruptcy Workshop, August 6, 2010
Publications
- Author, "Bankruptcy Ruling May Mean Harsh Results For Beneficiaries," Law360, January 24, 2023
- Author, “Bankruptcy Ruling May Deter Trustee Service,” Law360, November 21, 2022
- Co-Author, "5th Circ. Bankruptcy Ruling Signals New Sureties Road Map," Law360, August 24, 2022
- Co-Author, "Awaiting Critical Bankruptcy Decision For Surety Industry," Law360, June 17, 2022
- Co-Author, "Bankruptcy Case May Help Define Surety Executory Contract," Law360, May 31, 2022
- Author, "Ruling Highlights Nexus Of Water Rights, Bankruptcy Law," Law360, April 15, 2022
- Author, "Ch. 11 Ruling Offers Lessons On Avoiding Deal Dismantlement," Law360, March 11, 2022
- Co-Author, "Terminating a License When the Licensee Goes Bust," Womble Bond Dickinson Client Alert, February 22, 2022
- Author, “Chapter 11 Ruling Highlights When Reasonableness Backfires,” Law360, January 28, 2022
- Author, “Claim Construction in Bankruptcy Court? Revisiting Vacatur in Patent Litigation,” IP Watchdog, November 2, 2021
- Co-Author, Navigating Banking in Bankruptcy: A Guidebook, American Bankruptcy Institute, 2018
- Author, "Challenges to Tax Exempt Status of Bankrupt Non-Profits," Bloomberg BNA Bankruptcy Law Reporter, July 20, 2017
- Author, "Treatment of a Pre-Petition Foreclosure of Accounts Receivable," American Bankruptcy Institute Journal, July 2017
- Author, "Effective Appeal of Exclusivity Orders Under 28 U.S.C. § 158(a)(2)," American Bankruptcy Institute Journal, June 2017
- Author, “Fixing the SARE Checkbox,” American Bankruptcy Institute Journal, November 2014
- Author, “Has Collective Design Reached its High-Water Mark?” American Bankruptcy Institute Journal, March 2013
Honors & Awards
- Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America (BL Rankings), Bankruptcy & Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency & Reorganization Law (2022 - Present) and Litigation - Bankruptcy (2023 - Present)
- Chambers USA Ranked Lawyer, Bankruptcy/Restructuring, Maryland, 2016 – Present
- Super Lawyers Honoree, Bankruptcy, Baltimore, 2011 – Present
- Honoree, 500 Leading U.S. Bankruptcy & Restructuring Lawyers, Lawdragon, 2020, 2022
