Hofstra University School of Law, J.D., 1985
Hofstra University, B.S., 1982
State of New York, 1986
U.S. District Court Southern District of New York, 1986
U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York, 1986
U.S. Court of Appeals 2nd Circuit, 2007
United States District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York
Author, "Let Counsel Beware: Overzealous Bankruptcy Practice Can Lead to a Prison Cell" in The Champion, the Journal of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (September/October 2012)
Author, "Cessation and Sale of a Business in a Case under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code", in The Practioner's Guide to Colorado Business Organizations (2005)
Author “Whether An Order to Compel a Cleanup Can Be Discharged in Bankruptcy?", New York State Bar Association Environmental Law Section Journal, Vol. 14, No. 2, May, 1994.
Author “The Enforceability of Private CERCLA Contribution Claims in a Bankruptcy Case”, New York State Bar Association Environmental Law Section Journal, Vol. 13, No. 3, Aug/Nov, 1993.
Author “Administrative Expense Status of Punitive Civil Penalties, Assessed Post-Petition”, New York State Bar Association Environmental Law Section Journal, Vol.13, No. 2, May, 1993.
Author “Treatment of Future Response Costs Under the Bankruptcy Code”, New York State Bar Association Environmental Law Section Journal, Vol. 12, No. 4, November, 1992.
Joel Shafferman is Counsel to the Firm. Mr. Shafferman concentrates his practice in the areas of Bankruptcy Law, Insolvency, Creditors’ Rights, and Federal Court litigation.
Mr. Shafferman is admitted to practice law in the State of New York and the United States District Court for the Southern, Eastern, and Northern Districts of New York.
Mr. Shafferman earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree from Hofstra University and his Juris Doctorate from Hofstra University School of Law in 1985 where he was a Research Editor of the Law Review.
After graduating from Law School, Mr. Shafferman served as a Law Clerk to a United States Bankruptcy Judge in the Eastern District of New York, Brooklyn Division, for a two-year term after which he went into private practice
Mr. Shafferman has an extensive experience in representing debtors in Chapter 11 and Chapter 7 cases, as well as landlords, lenders, and other creditors in enforcing their rights in Bankruptcy cases. As part of his creditors’ rights practice, Mr. Shafferman has broad experience in representing landlords in large and small chapter 11 retail cases such as Sears, Roebuck and Co., CEC Entertainment Inc. (parent corporation of Chuck E Cheese), 24 Hour Fitness Worldwide, Inc., Yoga Smoga, Inc., Auralee Productions, Inc.
fka Halloween Scene. Mr. Shafferman also regularly represents secured lenders, and unsecured creditors in enforcing their rights against businesses and individual debtors in chapter 7 and chapter 11 cases, and in defending claims against brought by bankruptcy trustees and creditors’ committees in adversary proceedings seeking to recover preferences and fraudulent conveyances. Mr. Shafferman has also represented creditor committees, successfully obtaining recoveries for creditors in the successful reorganization. Mr. Shafferman’s debtor client base encompasses a broad range of businesses ranging from single asset real estate entities, retail stores, restaurants, country clubs, and dotcoms.
In his federal ligation practice, recently Mr. Shafferman, along with his co-counsel, successfully represented Gem Financial Service, Inc. in obtaining an award, in excess of $1,000,000, against the City of New York in a jury trial held in the United States District Court in the Eastern District of New York.
Mr. Shafferman is the author of numerous articles in publications on insolvency-related issues. Mr. Shafferman was also an Assistant Adjunct Professor of Law at Benjamin N. Cardozo Law School in New York City