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George Klidonas

George Klidonas focuses his practice in the areas of bankruptcy, financial restructuring, insolvency and debtors’ and creditors’ rights. He also has experience litigating a variety of matters in both state and federal courts.

Mr. Klidonas has considerable experience with many large-scale restructurings and bankruptcies with notable representations, including:

• In re Mesa Air Group—representation of administrative priority creditor in bankruptcy proceeding of commercial aviation holding company.
• In re Delta Petroleum—representation of investment bank in bankruptcy proceeding of developer and operator of oil and gas properties.
• In re MF Global, Inc.—representation of commodities customer in SIPA liquidation.
• In re Taylor, Bean & Whitaker Mortgage Corp.—representation of chair of official committee in bankruptcy of one of the largest privately owned mortgage originators and servicer.
• In re Extended Stay Inc.—representing a bankruptcy litigation trust for the LBO of the Extended Stay hotel chain.
• Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC—representing Irving H. Picard, Trustee for the SIPA liquidation of BLMIS, in connection with Baker Hostetler’s role as counsel.
• Representation of guarantors in bankruptcy proceeding involving large hotel package.
• In re Delphi Corp.—representation of creditor in bankruptcy proceedings involving automotive parts manufacturer.

Prior to joining Baker Hostetler, Mr. Klidonas was an associate at a Manhattan law firm where he practiced litigation for two years. He subsequently received his LL.M. in Bankruptcy from the St. John’s University School of Law. While at St. John’s, Mr. Klidonas contributed to a Supreme Court Amicus Brief in the case of United Student Aid Funds v. Espinosa, where the Court adopted a portion of the theory posited. He also was a judicial intern to the Honorable Allan L. Gropper of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York.

While at Cardozo School of Law, George was an Articles Editor on the Public Law, Policy & Ethics Law Journal and a competitor on Cardozo’s Trial Team. He also represented the indigent, disabled and elderly at the Cardozo Bet Tzedek Legal Services Clinic in matters concerning housing issues, public assistance benefits and commercial/consumer disputes.

Mr. Klidonas dedicates his time to various pro bono projects in association with the New York City Bar, including the Consumer Bankruptcy Project. He is also a member of the Federal Bar Council, the American Bankruptcy Institute, the Association of the Bar of the City of New York and the Hellenic Lawyers’ Association.

Mr. Klidonas is very active with the American Bankruptcy Institute, currently serving as the Coordinating Editor to the Practice and Procedure section of the ABI Journal, a Circuit Update Volunteer for the ABI, as well as the Director of Education for the ABI Committee on Taxation. Mr. Klidonas also is a Committee member for the New York City section of Turnaround Underground. Mr. Klidonas’ publications include:

• “The Federal Arbitration Act in Bankruptcy Cases: Upheld or Not?” XXXI ABI Journal 3, 18, 100-101 (April 2012)
• “No Administrative-Priority Claims for Tort Victims: Operating vs. Liquidating Responsibilities,” XXXI ABI Journal 1, 18, 73 (February 2012).
• “No-Shop Provisions Unenforceable in Bankruptcy, Or Are They?” Dow Jones Daily Bankr. Rev. 11 (Jan. 11, 2012).
• “Estoppel Does Not Extend to Innocent Trustees,” XXX Am. Bankr. Inst. J. 9, 44-45, (Nov. 2011)
• “Co-Proponents of a Plan May Successfully Invoke Community-of-Interest Privilege,” XXX Am. Bankr. Inst. J. 5, 22, 77 (June 2011)
• “The New Supreme Court: A Discussion of Recent Bankruptcy Decisions,” Bloomberg Law Reports - Bankruptcy, Vol. 5, No. 22 (May 2011)
• “Avoidance Actions in Ponzi Scheme Bankruptcy Cases,” Am. Bar Assoc. Business Bankruptcy Committee (April 2011)
• “Approval of Attorneys’ Fees under a Plan: Creditors Reimbursed under a “Reasonable” Standard,” XXX Am. Bankr. Inst. J. 3, 26, 78-79 (April 2011)
• “Bondi v. Bank of America Corp. (In re Parlamat Secs. Lit.),” Am. Bankr. Inst. “Volo” Circuit Court Reporter (January 2011)
• “Automatic Stay in Chapter 15 Cases: Global Stay Applicable Only in Chapter 11 Cases,” XXIX Am. Bankr. Inst. J. 38-39, 81 (November 2010)
• “Are Nondischargeability Provisions Jurisdictional?: The Effect of United Student Aid Funds v. Espinosa on Nondischargeable Debts,” XXIX Am. Bankr. Inst. J. 22, 70-71 (June 2010)
• “Report on the 1993 Amendments to the Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 11,” New York City Bar Lit. Committee (May 2010)
• “Reinstatement Revisited: Charter’s Lessons for Secured Lenders,” XXIX Am. Bankr. Inst. J. 1, 42-43, 45 (February 2010)