John Melissinos practices in all areas of bankruptcy law, representing debtors, creditors, trustees, committees, and other interested parties in chapter 11 cases, bankruptcy related litigation, and complex chapter 7 matters.  He also regularly represents parties with respect to general assignments for the benefit of creditors under California law.  John is experienced in representing distressed companies as they seek to restructure or dispose of business units, including in the entertainment, retail, food, and home building industries.

John also regularly represents purchasers of assets from bankruptcy cases. He advises clients in analyzing and restructuring critical contracts through the bankruptcy process and provides input to senior management, directors and counter-parties with respect to employee retention, insurance, environmental and other operational issues that arise in chapter 11 proceedings and workout situations.

He also regularly represents chapter 7 trustees in complex business liquidation proceedings, including auctions and other dispositions of property. He has extensive experience in evaluating and litigating preference and other avoidance actions, especially fraudulent transfer claims and claims against officers and directors.

Comprehensive, responsive, full service counsel

Companies, entrepreneurs and investors facing tough times can count on John Melissinos’s know-how and determination to make the best out a seemingly bad situation. A former president of the Los Angeles Bankruptcy Forum, John knows how to tackle tough problems.

Possessing a strong combination of legal knowledge and experience, and always putting the client and its business goals first, he is a relentless advocate when the situation demands it. If an out-of-court settlement cannot be reached, he will get the best results for his clients in bankruptcy court.

“Clients most appreciate the fact that they know I’m thinking about their problem in a way that’s going to get it resolved,” says John. “They also like that I am responsive and will explain everything they need to know in order to make the right decisions for their interests.”

John’s clients also like the full-service expertise at Greenberg Glusker. “One of the benefits of coming here for your bankruptcy matter is that we can provide seamless service over a wide variety of areas where you’re going to need help, including real estate, tax, regulatory, employee, and litigation matters,” he says. “It’s a benefit that very few other firms in Southern California can provide.”

Another benefit is John’s 25 years of experience in the Southern California bankruptcy community. “Generally,” he says, “I’m going to have a relationship with counsel on the other side of the case, which enables a faster, more cost-effective understanding of a bankruptcy case. It cuts out wasted effort that bankruptcy cases cannot support.”

For John, however, the bottom-line is always how much he contributes to the well-being of clients facing tough choices, and their employees.

“We recently had a media company in great distress and managed to run a very quick auction of its assets. We were then able to transition most of the operations to a new company and preserve most of the jobs in very short order. That,” he says, “was very satisfying.”