Robert S. Marticello is a partner of Raines Feldman Littrell, LLP, focusing his practice on business reorganization and related litigation. He has extensive experience representing a wide range of parties in complex chapter 11 bankruptcy cases and out-of-court restructurings, including debtors, committees, secured and unsecured creditors, equity holders, trustees, asset purchasers, and others. Mr. Marticello has represented clients in a variety of industries, including real estate, restaurant, retail, logistics, and technology, and in multiple forums across the United States. He is also skilled in representing plaintiffs and defendants in bankruptcy avoidance actions and nondischargeability actions.
Mr. Marticello is a recognized leader in the field of insolvency. The American Bankruptcy Institute honored him with its inaugural “40 Under 40” award, recognizing him as one of the top insolvency professionals under the age of 40 in the United States. This recognition marked the second time that Mr. Marticello was acknowledged as an emerging talent. He was selected to participate in the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges’ Next Generation Program, which is designed for 40 up-and-coming bankruptcy attorneys in the country. Mr. Marticello has also been consistently named a “Super Lawyer” by Super Lawyers Magazine and recognized by Best Lawyers in the field of Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law.
Mr. Marticello is a well-respected speaker and author on insolvency issues, frequently presenting on current and expected trends in the industry. His expertise and scholarship in bankruptcy law makes him a valuable resource for clients and colleagues alike.
Mr. Marticello holds leadership roles in a number of professional organizations. He currently serves as the Vice Chair of the Lawyer Representative Coordinating Committee to the Ninth Circuit, and, in that role, Mr. Marticello assists in the planning of the annual Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference. He is also a Director of the Federal Bar Association (Orange County Chapter) and the Turnaround Management Association (Southern California Chapter). Mr. Marticello was President of the California Bankruptcy Forum from 2015-2016 and served as a Director of the Orange County Bankruptcy Forum from 2008-2011, with a term as President from 2010-2011.
Mr. Marticello’s legal career began with a strong foundation in bankruptcy law, having served as a law clerk to the Honorable John E. Ryan and the Honorable Robert N. Kwan, both United States Bankruptcy Judges for the Central District of California.
Prior to joining Raines Feldman Littrell, LLP, Mr. Marticello was a founding partner of the bankruptcy boutique Smiley Wang-Ekvall, LLP.
Professional Activities
- Vice Chair, Lawyer Representative Coordinating Committee, 2023-Present
- Board Member, Federal Bar Association, Orange County Chapter, 2021-Present
- Board Member, Turnaround Management Association Southern California Chapter, 2022-Present
- Co-Chair, American Bankruptcy Institute Business Reorganization Committee
- Co-Chair of the Lawyer Representatives to the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference, 2018-2022
- Director, Orange County Bankruptcy Forum, 2008-2011
- President, California Bankruptcy Forum, 2015-2016
- Officer, California Bankruptcy Forum, 2012-2016
- Director, California Bankruptcy Forum, 2009-2017
- President, Orange County Bankruptcy Forum, 2010-2011
Speaking Engagements
- Speaker, Third Party Releases, Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference, 2022
- Speaker, Key Concepts in Post-COVID Real Estate Restructurings, American Bankruptcy Institute Webinar, 2021
- Speaker, Searching for Dry Land: Real Estate Bankruptcies, 33rd Annual California Bankruptcy Conference, 2021
- Panelist, Commercial Landlord/Tenant Issues in the Era of a Pandemic, Orange County Bankruptcy Forum, 2021
- Panelist, “Flatten the Curve”: A Panel Discussion on the “Novel” Issues Impacting Bankruptcy Cases Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, Orange County Bar Association, Commercial Law & Bankruptcy Section, 2020
- Speaker, COVID-19 & the Legal “Vaccine” – Discussion of Contractual Defenses in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, Orange County Bar Association, Business & Corporate Section and Business Litigation Section, 2020
- Panelist, Current Trends and Issues in Chapter 11 Cases, Ninth Circuit Conference of Chief Bankruptcy Judges and Lawyer Representatives, 2019
- Speaker, Protecting Your Client: Top Issues Every Corporate Attorney Should Know About Bankruptcy, Orange County Bar Association, 2019
- Speaker, Bankruptcy Fundamentals for Business Litigators, Orange County Bar Association, 2019
- Panelist, Crossfire, ABI Battlegroup West, 2019
- Panelist, Judicial Estoppel and Bankruptcy Cases: Inconsistent Positions, Judicial Integrity, and Unfair Advantage, Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference, 2017
- Speaker, The Allowance of Defense Fees in the Wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Decision in Baker Botts, Central District Conference of Judges and Lawyer Representatives, Bankruptcy Breakout Session, 2017
- Panelist, Valuation Issues in Bankruptcy, Ninth Circuit Conference of Chief Bankruptcy Judges and Lawyer Representatives, 2017
- Speaker, Chapter 11 Recent Developments, Orange County Bar Association Commercial Law & Bankruptcy Section, 2014
- Moderator, Asset Sales in Bankruptcy, Orange County Bar Association Commercial Law & Bankruptcy Section, 2012
- Speaker, Rules of the Game: Sports Teams in Bankruptcy, Peter Elliott American Inn of Court, 2011
Publications
- Author, Johnson & Johnson is Hoping that Second Time is the Charm, Federal Bar Association, Orange County Chapter Newslwetter, 2023
- Author, With Bankruptcy Court’s Extraordinary Power Comes Great Responsibility and Some Negative Publicity, Los Angeles Daily Journal Top Bankruptcy Lawyers Supplement, 08-24-2022
- Author, The New Year Could Be the Hardest One Yet for the Hotel Industry, Worth, 01-12-2022
- Author, Bankruptcy is a Last Resort: Here Are Some Other Steps to Take During the Coronavirus Pandemic, Los Angeles Daily Journal, 03-27-2020
- Author, Bankruptcy Code Offers Relief to (Very) Small Businesses, Los Angeles Daily Journal, 09-04-2019
- Author, Bankruptcy Can Provide Landlords a Safe Harbor from Retail Storm, Chain Store Age, 02-20-2019
- Author, Sears’ Biggest Sale (Itself) Offers Valuable Lessons for Retail, Law 360, 01-16-2019
- Author, Is Consignment Enough?, Supply Chain World, 07-11-2016
- Author, Bankruptcy Can Help Tech Firms Survive an Impending Bubble and Preserve Value, CEOWORLD Magazine, 05-09-2016
- Author, Learn from Sports Authority Bankruptcy, Los Angeles Daily Journal, 04-15-2016
- Author, Retail Bankruptcies on the Rise: How to Avoid Becoming a Statistic, Apparel, 02-24-2016
- Co-Author, Sports Team Bankruptcies: Home Runs or Strikeouts?, Los Angeles Daily Journal, 2011