Biography
Mort is a founding partner and the former chair of the Bankruptcy & Restructuring Department. Mort has extensive experience in numerous areas of the firm’s practice, including corporate law, where he has represented companies as general counsel and in mergers and acquisitions, commercial litigation where he regularly represents clients in state and federal courts, real estate matters and debtor-creditor proceedings. Mort represents debtors, troubled companies, secured and unsecured lenders, institutional creditors (some of which are Fortune 50 companies), creditors’ committees, private equity funds, venture capital companies and other constituents in all aspects of bankruptcies, restructures and workouts. He appears regularly in bankruptcy courts in Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York.
From 1995-2005, he was appointed by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to serve on the Court’s Civil Procedure Rules Committee. He also is a lecturer on debtor-creditor matters.
Education
- Temple University School of Law, J.D., cum laude
- George Washington University, B.A.
Admissions
- Pennsylvania
- New Jersey
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
Memberships
- Member, Pennsylvania Bar Association
- Member, American Bar Association
- Member, American Bankruptcy Institute
- Member, Eastern District of Pennsylvania Bankruptcy Conference
Awards & Honors
Recognized as a leading Bankruptcy/Restructuring law attorney in Pennsylvania by Chambers USA (2005-2024). In Chambers 2020, it said: “Gifted in the courtroom,” Morton Branzburg won client praise as a “truly brilliant and talented individual with a really firm command of the law – he always thinks ahead and considers every angle.” Morton is an accomplished bankruptcy and restructuring attorney with considerable experience acting for lenders, creditors and trustees. “He is exceptional – he understands our business and is very strategic,” raves one impressed client.*
Named to “The Best Lawyers in America” list for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law (2009-2025)*
Named to “The Best Lawyers in America” list for Litigation – Bankruptcy (2011-2025)*
Named to the “Pennsylvania Super Lawyers” list by Thomson Reuters for Creditor Debtor Rights law (2004-2022)*
Named to the “New Jersey Super Lawyers” list by Thomson Reuters for Creditor Debtor Rights law (2004-2019)*
Martindale-Hubbell “AV Preeminent” rated*
9th Annual Turnaround Award, January 2015
*No aspect of these advertisements have been approved by the highest court of any state. See Awards Methodology
News & Events
Profiled, “Meet The Team Guiding Retailer Express Inc. Through Ch. 11,” Law360, April 24, 2024
Profiled, “Meet The Attorneys For Dirt Bike Biz In Delaware Ch. 11,” Law360, January 24, 2023
Author, “Third Circuit Clarifies What Makes a Contract ‘Executory’ Under the Bankruptcy Code,” The Temple 10-Q, October 20, 2021
Mentioned, “Sushi Chain Says Ch. 11 Only Choice To Survive COVID-19,” Law360, May 12, 2020
Press Release, Klehr Harrison Client Receives Favorable Decision in NJ Lender Liability Action, January 17, 2020
Experience
Debtor/Creditor
- Counsel representing independent directors in the Toys “R” Us affiliate, Propco I, which controlled the majority of the U.S. real estate holdings of the Toys “R” Us domestic business.
- Counsel representing the unsecured creditors’ committee in the chapter 11 case of Novum Pharma LLC, a manufacturer and distributor of dermatological products.
- Counsel representing the unsecured creditors’ committee of Corecare Behavioral Health Management, Inc., a provider of in-patient and out-patient mental health services.
- Counsel to unsecured creditors committee of Delaware Valley Medical Center, a non-profit hospital.
- Liquidating Trustee of aaiPharma Liquidating Trust in patent infringement litigation.
- Counsel to bankruptcy trustees in Chapter 7 cases.
- Counsel to the debtor in Chapter 11 case of Great Eastern Energy, a supplier of gas and electricity to consumers in the northeastern part of the United States.
- Counsel to a Fortune 50 pharmaceutical distributor in numerous restructures, bankruptcies and litigation matters across the country.
- Co-counsel to Appleseed’s debtors in the Chapter 11 cases of a leading, multi-channel marketer of apparel and home products focused on serving the needs of the rapidly growing market segment of women and men above the age of 55 headquartered in Beverly, Massachusetts.
- Co-counsel to the Atrium debtors in the Chapter 11 cases of one of the largest manufacturers and distributors of residential windows and patio doors in the United States headquartered in Dallas, Texas.
- Co-counsel to the Physiotherapy Associates debtors in the Chapter 11 cases of a leading provider of outpatient rehabilitation services and the largest provider of outpatient physical therapy services in the United States.
- Co-counsel to Samson Resources debtors in the Chapter 11 cases of an independent oil and gas company focused on the exploration, development, and production of natural gas and oil through its ownership interests in approximately 1.6 million net acres located in some of the most prolific and long-lived basins in the United States.
- Co-counsel to the TMP debtor in a Chapter 11 case of a strategic marketing agency focusing on print yellow pages advertising for large, multi-state companies.
Corporate
- Counsel to the American owner of a Swiss resort in a sale transaction to a German conglomerate.
- Counsel to the purchaser of the assets of a Chapter 11 debtor that manufactured grandstands for stadiums and sporting facilities.
- Counsel to the founder of the QVC home shopping network in a variety of entrepreneurial enterprises.
- Counsel to one of the largest furniture rental companies in the country in corporate, litigation, real estate and labor matters.
- Counsel to medical and dental practices in connection with corporate affairs.
- Counsel to real estate developers in connection with acquisitions and dispositions.
- Counsel to law firms in connection with corporate matters.
- Represents startup companies regarding their organization and entity formation.
Litigation
- Counsel to the plaintiff in a minority shareholder oppression action.
- Counsel to lenders or factors in commercial collection actions.
- Counsel to lenders or factors in defending lender liability actions.
- Counsel to trade creditors in debtor-creditor litigation matters.
- Counsel to defendants in preference actions.