PHILADELPHIA, March 13, 2026—Five Duane Morris LLP attorneys have been named to the 2026 Lawdragon 500 Leading Global Bankruptcy & Restructuring Lawyers guide.
Morris S. Bauer – Bankruptcy, Creditors' Rights
James Billingsley – Bankruptcy, Restructuring, Litigation
Robert Grossman – Corporate, Reorganization, Litigation
Meagen Leary – Creditors’ Rights, Real Estate Finance, Bankruptcy
Wendy M. Simkulak – Bankruptcy, Reorganization, Creditors’ Rights
Morris S. Bauer has represented debtors, creditor committees, banks and other secured creditors, trade creditors and landlords in Chapter 11 proceedings and is a New Jersey bankruptcy mediator. Businesses he has represented in Chapter 11 proceedings include a multistate nonprofit behavioral and mental healthcare facility, a regional supermarket chain, a national distributor of electronics, residential developers and income-producing property owners, construction contractors and small businesses. Bauer has also been court-appointed as a Chapter 11 trustee, a liquidating trustee, an assignee for the benefit of creditors and a bankruptcy mediator.
James Billingsley centers his practice on bankruptcy and restructuring, insolvency litigation, receivership and commercial litigation, primarily for secured creditors, bondholders and commercial landlords. In the real estate area, Billingsley represents lenders and property owners in disputes involving real property issues. He also represents clients in traditional commercial litigation matters.
Robert E. Grossman practices in the area of corporate law, business reorganization and litigation. A significant part of his practice focuses on providing advice to troubled or newly restructured companies and investors regarding their financing needs. Grossman rejoined Duane Morris after serving as a U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge for the Eastern District of New York from 2008 until his retirement in June 2025. As a jurist, he oversaw more than 150 decisions, regularly clarifying bankruptcy code for major financial institutions, and determined complex matters that impacted thousands of account holders and companies across myriad industries.
Meagen E. Leary is co-chair of the firm's Business Reorganization and Financial Restructuring Practice Group and serves on the firm's Executive Committee. Leary maintains a national creditors' rights, commercial real estate finance and bankruptcy practice. Her clients include institutional lenders, CMBS servicers, REITs, debt funds and other diverse businesses. Leary and her team handle all aspects of commercial loan workouts, bankruptcies, real estate finance and lender liability litigation, and commercial loan and real estate transactions.
Wendy M. Simkulak is co-chair of the firm’s Business Reorganization and Financial Restructuring Practice Group and chair of the group’s Insurance Rights Division. She also serves as a team lead for the firm’s Insurance & Reinsurance and is a member of the firm’s governing Partners Board. Simkulak practices in the areas of bankruptcy, corporate reorganization, creditors' rights, commercial finance, secured transactions and International commerce. She represents insurance companies, financial institutions, trade creditors, lessors, liquidating trustees and debtors in debt restructurings and in all aspects of bankruptcy cases.
About Duane Morris
Duane Morris LLP provides innovative solutions to today’s multifaceted legal and business challenges through the collegial and collaborative culture of its more than 900 attorneys in offices across the United States and internationally. The firm represents a broad array of clients, spanning all major practices and industries. Duane Morris has been recognized by BTI Consulting as both a client service leader and a highly recommended law firm.
