- Founding Partners: Don M Stichter, Harley E Riedel
- Number of partners: 10
- Number of other lawyers: 6
FIRM OVERVIEW: Stichter, Riedel, Blain & Prosser, PA is a 16 lawyer firm specializing in the representation of parties in bankruptcy cases, insolvency matters, out-of-court workout arrangements, negotiations related to the restructuring of commercial loans, assignments for the benefit of creditors, and related civil litigation. The firm’s ten shareholders have more than 200 years of cumulative experience in the practice of bankruptcy law and can bring this experience and expertise to bear in all types of insolvency and loan work-out situations. Since its inception in 1974, the firm has been rated AV by Martindale- Hubbell. All four of the name shareholders have served as presidents and chairs of the Tampa Bay Bankruptcy Bar Association, and Elena Paras Ketchum is currently President of the TBBBA. Don M Stichter,Harley E Riedel and Russell M Blain are Fellows of the American College of Bankruptcy. Mr Stichter was named the Outstanding Lawyer in Hillsborough County, Florida in 2003 and was the first recipient of the Douglas P McClurg Lifetime Achievement Award presented by the TBBBA in 2004. Mr Riedel became the third recipient of the McClurg Award in 2007. Mr Blain was the Chair of the Business Law Section of the Florida Bar in 2008-2009 and remains a member of its executive committee.He is the current President of the Hillsborough County Bar Foundation and the President elect of the Ferguson-White American Inn of Court.
MAIN AREAS OF PRACTICE: Stichter,Riedel,Blain & Prosser,PA advises clients faced with insolvency or bankruptcy issues or faced with potential loan defaults. It regularly represents parties in cases pending in all of the bankruptcy courts in Florida, as well as in other states. The firm has offices in Tampa and Fort Myers. As a ‘boutique’ insolvency firm, Stichter Riedel begins many of its engagements as a result of referrals from other professionals who have a long-standing attorney-client or accountant-client relationship with the client.
CLIENTS: The firm has represented numerous debtors in Chapter 11 cases as well as substantial creditors, purchasers, defendants, committees, trustees, or other parties in interest in a number of significant Chapter 11 and Chapter 7 cases.The largest segment of its practice consists of the representation of corporate debtors in Chapter 11 cases.Clients range from small companies to large publicly-owned corporations.Most cases involve companies with assets, liabilities, or annual revenues in excess of $5 million, ranging in size to companies with assets and liabilities of more than $3 billion. Among the more significant debtor representations are: Hillsborough Holdings Corp., formerly known as The Jim Walter Corporation, and its 32 subsidiaries,with assets and liabilities of more than $3 billion; Koger Properties, Inc., a New York Stock Exchange company at the time of filing with assets and liabilities of more than $500 million; The Koger Partnership, Ltd., a publicly traded limited partnership with assets and liabilities of more than $200 million; Bicoastal Corporation, formerly known as The Singer Company,with assets in excess of $500 million and over $2 billion in asserted claims; Lykes Bros. Steamship Co., Inc., the third largest US Flag international shipping company with assets and liabilities in excess of $300 million; Jumbosports Inc., a major national retailer of sporting goods with 59 stores in more than 20 states and assets and liabilities of more than $300 million;Moltech Power Services, Inc., a Gainesville-based manufacturer of rechargeable batteries with annual revenues of $140 million and assets and liabilities of approximately $80 million; and Taylor Bean & Whitaker Mortgage Corp.,which was in mid-2009 the largest privately owned mortgage company in the country with assets and liabilities in excess of $1 billion. Among numerous substantial creditor and purchaser representations are: the Official Creditors’Committee in Anchor Glass, the third largest US glass manufacturer with liabilities of more than $600 million;Outback Steakhouse, Inc., the successful purchaser of the designation rights to 76 restaurants in the Delaware Chapter 11 case of Chi-Chi’s, Inc.; and a class of consumer creditors in the New Jersey case of American Family Publishers (a Time, Inc. subsidiary). Following the economic collapse of 2008,which resulted in significant financial pressure on real estate businesses in Florida, a large part of the firm’s work has been devoted to the resolution of billions of dollars in real estate loans, often in out-of-court negotiations. An extensive list of other public representations is set forth on the firm’s website. Lawyers with Stichter, Riedel, Blain & Prosser, PA have been involved in more than 400 reported decisions including matters in the Circuit Courts of Appeals, the US District Courts, and the US Bankruptcy Courts.