Robert B. Millner, Partner

Mr. Millner practices in bankruptcy and commercial litigation.  Among other things, he represents financial institutions and insurance companies in significant bankruptcy litigation and lenders and debtors in complex real estate matters.  

Mr. Millner’s recent representations include the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors in the Federal Mogul bankruptcy in Delaware, and insurance carriers in several Catholic Church bankruptcies.  Mr. Millner has also represented insurance carriers in most of the major asbestos-related bankruptcies filed in the United States in the last decade.  Mr. Millner has also represented a principal energy-contract counterparty in Enron in New York, significant landlords in retail and commercial bankruptcies, including the landlord in the Stonebridge bankruptcy (where the United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit recently clarified letter of credit rights), major parties in interest in the SNTL bankruptcy (where the 9th Circuit Bankruptcy Appellant Panel recently clarified guarantor rights), and the former Chairman of the Board of Fruit of the Loom in Delaware.  Mr. MilIner has restructured a vast amount of mortgage debt on behalf of lenders to single-asset entities, and was counsel for the principal secured lender in the Carter Hawley Hale bankruptcy in Los Angeles, which involved a highly complex real estate restructuring, and was counsel for the same lender in other significant restructurings.  Mr. Millner has handled cross-border matters both on the debtor side (representing a U.S. flag carrier whose principal routes were to South Africa) and the creditor side, including representation the National Organization of Life and Health Guaranty Associations in the Confederation Life insurance insolvency in Toronto, Canada and Lansing, Michigan.

Mr. Millner is currently Chair of the Insurance Subcommittee of the Business Bankruptcy Committee of the American Bar Association. Mr. Millner has served as Co-Chair, Bankruptcy and Insolvency Committee, Litigation Section of the American Bar Association (1992-1995, 2001-2004), Vice-Chair of the Task Force on Current Developments in Bankruptcy in the ABA Section of Business Law, and has served as Vice-Chair, ABA Joint Ad Hoc Committee on Bankruptcy Court Structure and Insolvency Process (1993-1997).  Mr. Millner is a Fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy, a Life Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, a member of the International Insolvency Institute, and an honorary overseas member of the Commercial Bar Association in London.  Mr. Millner is a frequent lecturer at major national seminars and is author of numerous articles and papers on Bankruptcy topics.  Mr. Millner is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, and served as law clerk to the late George C. Edwards of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (1975-76).