Geoffrey L. Berman (ex officio)

Submitted by abi_admin on Mon, 2012-03-12 10:25
Development Specialists, Inc.
Los Angeles, CA

Geoff Berman, Vice-President of DSI, joined DSI in 1997, is resident in our Los Angeles office and brings over 35 years’ experience in all types of insolvency case administrations with a special emphasis in the area of general assignments for the benefit of creditors and post confirmation estate management through liquidating and creditor trusts under confirmed Chapter 11 Plans of Reorganization.

Notable assignments include:

  • Trustee of the USA Commercial Mortgage Liquidating Trust, arising out of the largest bankruptcy in Nevada history

  • Trustee of the HNR Liquidating Trust

  • Trustee for the Syntax Brillian Corporation Lender and Liquidation Trusts

  • Overseeing DSI’s role as Liquidating Trustee for the Appalachian Fuels Creditor Trust

  • Post-Confirmation Plan Administrator and sole remaining officer of Vista Hospital Systems

  • Trustee of the Sizzler Restaurants International Creditor Trust

  • Trustee of the WATTSHealth Foundation Creditor Trust

  • Oversight of hundreds of general assignments, including the largest general assignment in Maine history (Avian Farms, Inc.), Howard and Phil's Western Wear, Granny Goose Foods, Inc., FHC Medical Group, Inc., Franklin Press, LLC, Medical Selfcare, Inc. and Tmax Gear, LLC

  • Examiner – Mark and Mary Ellen Leggio

  • Federal Equity Receiver

    • Prior to joining DSI, Mr. Berman was with Credit Managers Association of California for 11 years, where he was the Manager of the Adjustment Bureau and a member of the Association's senior management. Mr. Berman has previous experience with Union Bank (of California) and Mitsui Manufacturers Bank.

    Mr. Berman is currently the President of the American Bankruptcy Institute, Alexandria, VA. He previously served as ABI’s Vice President of Publications, with oversight of the ABI Journal and other publication projects, and as a member of ABI’s Executive and Management Committees.

    He chaired the ABI Task Force on General Assignments, and wrote the ABI manual on general assignments, "The ABCs of ABCs," which is now in its second edition. He also served as contributing editor and co-Executive Editor to the American Bankruptcy Institute Journal and has authored a law review article published in the ABI Law Review. Mr. Berman, a certified mediator, is on the Bankruptcy Mediation Panel for the Central District of California as well as the Register of Mediators for the District of Delaware. He is a member of the Los Angeles and Bay Area (CA) Bankruptcy Forums, and AIRA. He speaks frequently on out-of-court and post-confirmation case administration issues.

    Mr. Berman graduated with honors from the University of the Pacific, Stockton, California, with a degree in business administration (accounting and finance) and wrote an Undergraduate Honors Thesis in Finance. He also has a Juris Doctor from Southwestern University School of Law, Los Angeles, California.