Overview
Robert S. Marticello is a partner at Raines Feldman Littrell, LLP, where he focuses on business reorganization and related litigation. With deep experience in Chapter 11 bankruptcy and out-of-court restructurings, he has represented a broad range of clients—including debtors, creditors, trustees, equity holders, and asset purchasers—across diverse industries such as real estate, retail, restaurants, logistics, and technology. He also litigates bankruptcy avoidance and nondischargeability actions.
Recognized nationally for his insolvency expertise, Robert received the American Bankruptcy Institute’s inaugural “40 Under 40” award and was selected for the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges’ prestigious Next Generation Program. He is consistently listed as a Super Lawyer and acknowledged by Best Lawyers for his work in bankruptcy and reorganization law.
Robert is a frequent speaker and published author on bankruptcy trends, serving as a trusted advisor within the legal community. He holds leadership roles in several professional organizations, including Vice Chair of the Lawyer Representative Coordinating Committee to the Ninth Circuit, Director of the Federal Bar Association (Orange County Chapter), and Director of the Turnaround Management Association (Southern California). He is a former President of both the California Bankruptcy Forum and the Orange County Bankruptcy Forum.
Robert began his legal career clerking for U.S. Bankruptcy Judges John E. Ryan and Robert N. Kwan and was a founding partner of Smiley Wang-Ekvall, LLP.
Education
- California Western School of Law, J.D., 2005
- California State University, Chico, 2001
Admissions
- State Bar of California
- United States Bankruptcy Courts, Central, Northern, Eastern, Southern Districts of California
- United States Appeals Court, Ninth Circuit
- United States Bankruptcy Appellate Panel, Ninth Circuit
- U.S. District Courts, Central, Southern, Eastern and Northern Districts of California
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