Bankruptcy and Real Estate

Lou heads up the Firm’s Bankruptcy and Real Estate Practice areas. He has extensive experience in numerous areas of law, including:

• Commercial and consumer bankruptcy
• Commercial real estate for large and small businesses
• Banking
• Commercial litigation
• Debt collection
• Fair credit reporting
• Development and zoning matters
• Municipal governance and transactions

We are a debt relief agency – we help people file for bankruptcy relief under the Bankruptcy Code.

Mediator

Lou currently serves on the Mediation Panel for the United States District Court for the Western District of New York, having been first appointed to the panel in 2012.

• Selected to The Best Lawyers in America®, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Real Estate Law
• Received the Best Lawyers® 2024 Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law "Lawyer of the Year" award in Rochester, New York 
• Received the Best Lawyers® 2017 Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law "Lawyer of the Year" award in Rochester, New York
• Monroe County Bar Association Bankruptcy Committee Achievement Award, 2017
• Upstate New York Super Lawyers®
• New York State Pro Bono Award, 2012
• The Daily Record Leaders in Law Award, 2012
• William E. McKnight Volunteer Service Award, 2010
• Monroe County Bar Association Academy of Law Raymond J. Pauly Award, 2000

• New York State Bar (1975)
• United States District Court, Western District of New York (1975)
• United States District Court, Northern District of New York (1975)
• United States Bankruptcy Court, Western District of New York (1975)

• Albany Law School of Union University (J.D., 1974)
• Boston College (A.B., 1969)

Member:

• American Bar Association
• New York State Bar Association
• Monroe County Bar Association
• American Bankruptcy Institute
• National Association of Bankruptcy Trustees
• Greater Rochester Association of Realtors/Bar Task Force
• Past Member, Monroe County Bar Association Board of Trustees
• Past-Chair, Monroe County Bar Association Real Estate Section and Bankruptcy Committee
• Past Dean, Monroe County Bar Association Academy of Law
• Past Member, Grievance Committee for the 7th Judicial District
• Past Member, Monroe Community College Paralegal Advisory Board

Lou is a veteran of the U.S. Army and is the current Post Commander of the American Legion Brooks-Shepard Post 765 in Fairport. He is involved with the Perinton-Fairport Chapter of Dollars for Scholars, where he served as a founding Board Member and continues to act as an advisor. In 2001, Lou received the Chapter’s Certificate of Honor for Service to the Community. As a dog lover, Lou also has served as Parliamentarian for the Old English Sheep Club of America when the National was here in Rochester.

Lou is a frequent speaker on ethics, real estate and bankruptcy-related matters for professional organizations, including the Monroe County Bar Association, the New York State Bar Association, the Volunteer Legal Services Project (now JustCause), and the Greater Rochester Association of Realtors.

Lou and his wife currently reside in Fairport, New York with their Old English Sheepdog Shagshadow's Always Chasing Rainbows (Ivy).