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Geraldine E. Ponto

Geraldine Ponto concentrates her practice in corporate reorganization law, creditor/debtor relations law, troubled loan workout law and insolvency law. She has represented as counsel corporate debtors, trustees, committees, lenders, landlords and other secured and unsecured creditors in the financial services, telecommunications, retail clothing, food, toy, engineering, pharmaceutical, real estate and recycling industries.

Ms. Ponto served as lead bankruptcy counsel for the trustee in the liquidation proceedings under the Securities Investor Protection Act of Park South Securities (In re Park South Securities, LLC, and Eberhard Investment Associates, Inc., (Bankr. S.D.N.Y., No. 03-08024A (RDD))). Ms. Ponto also appeared as one of the attorneys for the trustee in the liquidation proceedings of Cygnet Securities, Inc. (In re Cygnet Securities, (Bankr. D.N.J., Adv. Proc. No. 97-2651 (RG))).

Ms. Ponto also has extensive experience as a trustee under chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code. Since 1997, Ms. Ponto has been appointed by the United States Trustee for Region 3 as chapter 11 trustee in cases involving:

• the owner of a construction business and real estate investor. Outcome—47 adversary proceedings to avoid and recover the value of certain fraudulent transfers under applicable state and federal law.
• a former retailer of discount priced women’s clothing and accessories. Outcome—Chapter 11 plan confirmed.
• a company operating three retail automobile franchises in Ocean County, New Jersey. Outcome—financing negotiated enabling all creditors to be fully paid; case was dismissed.
• a transportation and terminal company with facilities in Middlesex County, New Jersey, and Baltimore, Maryland. Outcome—assets sold to national trucking company; reorganization plan was confirmed by court
• a former metal plating and refinishing company in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Outcome—short-term lease and contract to sell real estate negotiated and approved by court
• the owner of a professional services firm in Asbury Park, New Jersey. Outcome—contract to sell primary real estate asset negotiated and approved by court
• a former metal refinishing company in Carlstadt, New Jersey. Outcome—contract to sell single asset real estate negotiated and approved by court

Ms. Ponto’s representative matters include:

• In the Matter of Christian, 804 F.2d 46 (3d Cir. 1986)
• Picard v. Taylor, 326 B.R. 505 (Bankr. S.D. N.Y. 2005)
• Pieco, Inc. v. Atlantic Computer Systems, Inc. 173 B.R. 844 (S.D.N.Y. 1994)
• The Fonda Group, Inc. v. Contemporary Packaging Corp. 108 B.R. 962 (Bankr. D.N.J. 1986)

Ms. Ponto is active in professional, community and civic organizations, including the following:

• Financial Women’s Association (2006 to present)
• New Jersey State Bar Association
  • Chair, Bankruptcy Pro Bono Subcommittee of the Bankruptcy Law Section of the New Jersey State Bar Association (2007 to 2010)
  • Ad Hoc Committee Member formed by Trustees of NJSBA to report on desirability of Mandatory Continuing Legal Education in New Jersey
• Women in Federal Practice in New Jersey, Inc., co-founder and holding positions as officer, director, trustee and member of Advisory Board
• Legal Advisor to the Board of the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association (a New York not-for-profit corporation) (1998 to 2002)
• American Bankruptcy Institute (2000 to present)
• International Women’s Insolvency and Restructuring Federation (1995 to present)
• American Bar Association
• The Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce of New York, Associate Member (2007 to 2010)
• Board of Trustees of the Women’s Theater Company, a not-for-profit theater company (former member)

Ms. Ponto’s publications and presentations include:

• “Winning Presentations: Becoming a Great Communicator,” New York State Bar Association’s Annual Meeting: “Power of Persuasion” (January 2011) (panelist)
• “How to Profit in a Distressed Market,” (March 2009) (co-presenter)
• “Post-Confirmation Litigation and Liquidation Trusts: Consideration of Certain Required Plan Provisions and Tax Implications,” American Bankruptcy Institute’s 4th Annual Mid-Atlantic Bankruptcy Workshop (July/August 2008) (co-presenter)
• Presentation on the topics of court jurisdiction and venue in the context of avoidance actions and 28 U.S.C. § 1409(b), American Bankruptcy Institute’s Mid-Atlantic Bankruptcy Workshop (August 2007)
• “Attorney Ethics,” New Jersey Bankruptcy Manual (2d Ed.) (2006) (co-author)
• “Words of Wisdom,” The WOMAN Advocate Newsletter, the American Bar Association Section of Litigation, Vol. XI (Winter 2005) (co-author)
• “D&O Liability Insurance in Bankruptcy: Who Will Reap the Benefits?” Pratt’s Journal of Bankruptcy Law, (October/November 2005) (co-author)
• “Errors, Omissions and Fraud,” New Jersey Turnaround Management Association (May 2005)
• “Issues Affecting A Section 363 Sale of Intellectual Property,” New Jersey Bar Association Bankruptcy Law Section’s Seventh Annual Bankruptcy Bench-Bar Conference Publication (2005)

Ms. Ponto served a judicial clerkship as Law Secretary to the Honorable Richard W. Hill, former United States Bankruptcy Judge for the District of New Jersey, from 1981 to 1983.

Ms. Ponto has been rated AV by Martindale-Hubbell, the authoritative resource for information on the worldwide legal profession, for preeminence in her field and her ethical standards.