Joel I. Sher

Overview

Joel I. Sher is Co-Head of the firm’s Financial Restructuring & Business Bankruptcy practice. Throughout his career, Mr. Sher has provided counsel and representation to debtors, creditors, investors, and creditors’ committees in Chapter 11 bankruptcy cases. He has also routinely advised businesses in complex out-of-court restructurings and negotiations with lenders, and has been appointed as an operating trustee and liquidating agent for numerous businesses throughout the United States and Europe.

Mr. Sher has been cited in Chambers USA among the leading lawyers in the United States and ranked in their Band 1 for bankruptcy litigation in Maryland, and has been described as “a wonderful attorney…very effective, very smart, knowledgeable and experienced,” and possessing a “formidable track record in corporate restructurings, creditors’ rights mandates, and bankruptcy litigation.”

Mr. Sher’s representations have covered a wide array of industries and asset classes including commercial real estate, shopping centers, real estate development, general and specialty retail, hotels, mortgage REITs, financial services, health care, government contracting, manufacturing, and telecommunications, as well as assisting in the sale and acquisition of distressed assets.

Mr. Sher’s successes have also included representing clients in high-stakes commercial litigation matters in courts throughout the United States, resulting in millions of dollars of recoveries. Mr. Sher’s unique restructuring and litigation experience has allowed him to serve as a trusted advisor to entrepreneurs and corporate clients regarding their personal business and legal affairs.

News, Insights, & Publications

Credentials

Education

• Villanova University School of Law (J.D., 1978)
• University of Maryland (B.A., 1974)

Bar Admissions

• Maryland
• Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
• U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland
• U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland
• United States Supreme Court

Honors & Awards

• Cited in Chambers USA among the leading lawyers in the United States. Ranked in Band One for bankruptcy litigation in Maryland.
• Named Baltimore Lawyer of the Year in The Best Lawyers in America® in 2015, 2018, and 2020 for the practice of Bankruptcy and Creditor-Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law
• Selected for inclusion in Best Lawyers in America® since 2008
• Named to the “Top 100” list in Maryland Super Lawyers 2016-2018
• Former Panel Trustee, U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland
• Author of articles, lecturer on bankruptcy and debtor/credit issues

Affiliations

• Member, Past Chair, Baltimore Chapter of the Bankruptcy Bar Association of Maryland
• Member, Maryland State Bar Association
• Member, Baltimore City Bar Association
• Member, Baltimore County Bar Association
• Member, Association for Commercial Finance Attorneys
• Member, American Bankruptcy Institute
• Member, Commercial Law League of America

Badges

Practice Groups

Bankruptcy & Financial Restructuring
Commercial Litigation