Jessica L. Bagdanov

WOODLAND HILLS - Jessica L. Bagdanov represents Chapter 7 and 11 trustees in the administration of bankruptcy cases, and litigation of adversary proceedings and related appeals. She represents receivers appointed in both state and federal litigation, business debtors in Chapter 11 cases and creditors in larger Chapter 11 cases, such as Hometown Buffet, Forever 21 and Tailored Brands. She also has significant business litigation experience. "Relatively speaking, I have a great deal of trial experience, having completed over 10 trials in my first 10 years of practice, all in bankruptcy court. Trials are not particularly common in bankruptcy, so I feel fortunate to have had significant time in the courtroom to hone my trial skills," Bagdanov wrote in an email. Recently, she represented the Chapter 7 trustee for Alliance Funding Group Inc. in a case involving a property in Burbank with a complex title history, with multiple encumbrances and liens asserted against the property, one of which being the debtor. Post-petition, the principal of Alliance Funding Group conducted a foreclosure against the property. With title being in the name of the debtor, the trustee began litigation to quiet title to the property against anyone claiming an interest in it, naming more than 15 defendants. The bankruptcy court authorized the trustee to sell the property, which produced net proceeds of over $1.1 million. "I represented the trustee in this litigation and in mediation with the main adversarial defendants before the Hon. Mitchell Goldberg," she wrote. "Ultimately, I negotiated a successful mediation on behalf of the trustee, which allowed the trustee to retain the bulk of sale proceeds and provide an over 20% distribution to unsecured creditors in the case after payment of all administrative and priority creditors." At both BG Law and beyond, Bagdanov is committed to providing diversity, inclusion, and public service. She devotes significant time to the Los Angeles Bankruptcy Forum and the California Bankruptcy Forum. Both organizations are committed to pro bono services since a high volume of low-income and unrepresented people need assistance navigating the bankruptcy system but cannot afford an attorney, she explained. "In addition, the Los Angeles Bankruptcy Forum has created a Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee that has acknowledged that the bankruptcy community needs to invest in younger attorneys to encourage a more diverse body of practitioners in the coming years," she wrote. "I am hopeful that LABF can be a lighthouse for diversity, equity and inclusion issues in the bankruptcy community to encourage and mentor other local forums and law firms to invest in this critical issue."