James A. Coutinho Attorney

First Admitted: 2007, Ohio

Professional Webpage: http://asnalaw.com/our-attorneys/jim-coutinho/

Bar/Professional Activity:

Attorney Advisory Committee, United States Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of Ohio - Selected as a member of an elite panel of attorneys to advise judges as to the direction of the bankruptcy court practice. Serving on the Chapter 11 subcommittee as one of the youngest members. Also serving as an ad-hoc member of the Consumer/Small Business subcommittee as trustee representative. Served on committee since 2017., 2024
Columbus Bankruptcy Judicial Liaison Commitee - Served for five years (two as committee chairman) on the Judicial Liaison Committee. The committee consists of the local bankruptcy judges, trustees and a diverse set of practitioners. It meets quarterly to address and resolve issues presenting in the bankruptcy bar that require interaction between the bar and the judges to resolve., 2014
Columbus Bar Association Bankruptcy Committee Chairman - Organized monthly meetings with regular presentations from local bar members and judges. Chaired the committee that organized the Bankruptcy Law Institute., 2012
Bankruptcy Law Institute Planning Committee - Committee that plans the local 2-day bankruptcy seminar. Served for five years (2 years as chairman) from 2011 - 2016, then joined again for the 2019-2020 preparation., 2020
Columbus Bar Association Bankruptcy Committee - Local Case Law Update. Provided monthly summaries of local case law released on all bankruptcy topics. Provided annual summaries during presentations at the Bankruptcy Law Institute., 2009

Representative Clients:

New Perspective Asset Management, LLC, as Receiver in 300+ real estate nuisance abatement cases between 2018 and 2024., 2024
Sawyer Towers - Represented Receiver over notorious nuisance property in Columbus, Ohio., 2024
TOMS King, et al. - Serving in a local counsel capacity for a complex chapter 11 proceeding for large Burger King franchisee., 2023
Robert J. Weiler, Sr as Receiver for the Colonial Village Apartments - 508 unit apartment complex on the east side of Columbus, Ohio., 2023
5AAB Transport, LLC - Counsel for chapter 11 debtor in possession. Obtained major success for client through 363 sale followed by confirmed plan of reorganization., 2022
Murray Mettalurgical Coal Holdings, LLC, et al. - Serving in a local counsel capacity for a complex chapter 11 proceeding., 2020
The Gathering Place - Successful representation of church/daycare facility through confirmation of chapter 11 plan., 2019
The Gregory Nathan Gould Co. - Counsel for chapter 11 debtor in possession. Confirmed plan of reorganization., 2019
Jack Harris, Receiver for Berkshire Court Apartments - successful liquidation of apartment building through receivership., 2019
Jack Harris, Receiver over Countryside Mobile Home Park - A receivership involving a substantial mobile home park in central Ohio., 2017
Receiver John A. Rothschild, Jr. - Burton Receivership matter involving 120 residential properties in Perry County, Ohio., 2016
Artemis Laser & Vein Center - Co-counsel in Chapter 11 representation of local cosmetic surgery and vein center., 2015
Receiver Jack Harris - 106 North High Street, LLC, aka The Atrium Lofts Receivership. Involved the management and sale of 48 condo units in downtown Columbus, Ohio., 2014
APEX Realty Enterprises - Co-counsel in Chapter 11 Bankruptcy representation. Successful completion of 363 sale and liquidating plan., 2011
Chapter 7 Trustee Litigation - Successful litigation for numerous matters representing various Chapter 7 Trustees, including mortgage avoidance, preference, and fraudulent transfer litigation., 2007

Transactions:

Homewood Corporation - Represented client in numerous real estate sales through the last six years., 2024
Colonial Village Apartments - brought receivership estate through sale procedures process and worked through two transaction that ultimately did not close, but all transactional work was done for $23M+ sale., 2022
Fujiyama Japanese Restaurant - Represented seller in restaurant sale transaction., 2022
Represented long-time client in multi-million dollar merger of two oil and gas waste disposal companies., 2020
Facilitated sale of Sawmill Creek Resort to Cedar Fair for over $13M., 2019
Water Energy Services - Handled transaction for client's $7.2 million dollar purchase of assets of wastewater disposal company through a receivership sale., 2017
TD Limited, LLC, Receivership: A substantial real estate receivership involving the successful auction of twenty-one rental properties near Miami (Ohio) University. Gross proceeds from the property auction was $7,300,000.00. , 2015
Three Little Pigs (Hoggy's) Receivership - A complex receivership involving the liquidation of seven chain restaurants in Columbus, Cleveland and Cincinnati, including the successful spinoff of a standalone catering operation., 2014
Chestnut Hill Venture, LLC, Receivership - A receivership involving a premium shopping center in Gahanna, Ohio. Handled sale transaction for $850,000.00., 2014

Special Licenses/Certifications:

Member of the independent panel of Chapter 11, Subchapter V Bankruptcy Trustees for the Southern District of Ohio since February 2020., 2024
Member of the independent panel of Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Trustees for Columbus, Ohio, since March 2017., 2024

Pro bono/Community Service:

Columbus Bankruptcy Pro Bono Project - Provides pro-bono services to at least two, and sometimes more, bankruptcy filers each year that are referred by Legal Aid. Services provided since 2012 with over 18 cases filed pro bono., 2024
Bankruptcy Pro Bono Project - Fresh Start Gala - Assisted with local fundraiser for the Bankruptcy Pro Bono Project by speaking at the event about the importance of pro bono work and bankruptcy., 2023
Boy Scouts of America - Eagle Scout and serving in Troop with daughters., 2024
Bankruptcy Pro Bono Project - Fresh Start Gala - Assisted with local fundraiser for the Bankruptcy Pro Bono Project by serving as the master of ceremonies for the event., 2016
Bankruptcy Pro Bono Project CLE - Provided keynote address at Legal Aid bankruptcy CLE seminar., 2013

Honors/Awards:

The President's Award is given annually to a chairperson of a Columbus Bar Association substantive law committee for excellence in service. I was awarded for my two years of service as the chairman of the Bankruptcy Law Committee. During my time as chairman, I reinvigorated the committee, including chairing the Bankruptcy Law Institute planning committee, and serving on the Bankruptcy Judicial Liaison Committee. I was recognized as an active and effective voice in the Bankruptcy Bar., President's Award, Columbus Bar Association, 2014

Educational Background:

Capital University Law School, Juris Doctor, 2007
The Ohio State University, Bachelor of Arts, Economics, 2004

Scholarly Lectures/Writings:

Served as a guest lecturer for a class of Ohio State graduate and undergraduate students in a finance class studying chapter 11 to discuss the realities of a chapter 11 practice. Served in this role in 2022, 2022, and 2024., Guest Lecturer, Chapter 11 Practitioner Perspectives, Ohio State University Finance Class, 2024
Overview of the Ohio receivership process and the use of receivership as a multi-dimensional tool to achieve many results., Speaker, Receiverships, Ohio State Bar Association, 2023
Spoke with a panel of chapter 7 bankruptcy trustees regarding updates to the chapter 7 process, assets sought after, and other matters., Speaker, Chapter 7 Trustee Update, Credit Education Coalition, 2023
Spoke with a panel of Chapter 11 Subchapter V Trustees regarding recent Subchapter V updates, best practices, and other matters., Speaker, Chapter 11 Subchapter V Discussion, S.D. Ohio Bankruptcy Bench Bar Conference, 2023
Speaker regarding common title issues in bankruptcy and insolvency transactions. Provided to title agent seminar., Speaker, Title Issues in Bankruptcy, Title, 2022
Lecture regarding the use of the receivership process to solve problems common to clients in the bankruptcy industry., Speaker, Receiverships: Another tool for the insolvency attorney, Credit Education Coalition, Bankruptcy, 2021
Presentation regarding the new Bankruptcy Restructuring Act of 2019 and the addition of Subchapter V to Chapter 11 of the code. Discussion of how subchapter V can help companies through COVID., Speaker, Business Law Update: COVID-19 and Small Business Bankruptcy, Bankruptcy, 2021
Speaker at the Bench Bar Conference for the Southern District of Ohio regarding Chapter 5 Mortgage Avoidance actions by trustees., Speaker, Mortgage Lien Avoidance Update, Bankruptcy Bench Bar Conference, 2019, 2019
Lecturer with other practitioner and local judge on discussion of receiverships and their interplay with bankruptcy topics., Lecturer, Receiverships, Columbus Bar Association - Bankruptcy Law Institute, 2016
Lecture about professionalism topics that specifically related to differences between lawyer generations., Lecturer, Perspectives on Professionalism, Columbus Bar Association - Bankruptcy Law Institute, 2015
Lecturer with local Assistant United States Trustee on ethical considerations in unbundling legal services in consumer bankruptcy cases., Lecturer, Unbundling Legal Services in Consumer Cases, Columbus Bar Association - Bankruptcy Committee, 2014
Lecture summary of local bankruptcy case decisions., Lecturer, Local Case Law Update, Columbus Bar Association - Bankruptcy Law Institute, 2013
Lecture regarding the impact of Supreme Court's Stern v. Marshall decision., Lecturer, Revisiting Stern v. Marshall, ABI - Eighth Annual Mid-Atlantic Bankruptcy Workshop, 2012
Lecture summary of the Supreme Court's Stern v. Marshall decision and its potential impact on bankruptcy jurisprudence., Lecturer, Stern v. Marshall, Columbus Bar Association - Bankruptcy Law Institute, 2012
Lecture on lien avoidance through bankruptcy trustee powers., Lecturer, Setting a Course to Avoid Liens, Bankruptcy Southern District Bench Bar Conference, 2012
Lecture summary of local bankruptcy case decisions., Lecturer, Local Case Law Update, Columbus Bar Association - Bankruptcy Law Institute, 2012

Other Outstanding Achievements:

Eagle Scout, 1995

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