Sweet, James D.

Lawyer Overview

Mr. Sweet's practice emphasizes the areas of corporate restructuring and reorganization and newly formed companies. He was ranked as one of the top bankruptcy lawyers in Dane County in a poll of lawyers published by Madison Magazine in 2007, and continues to be listed in "Best Lawyers in America" (since 1992).  He was recently voted as one of Wisconsin's "Super Lawyers."

He primarily represents corporations, limited liability companies, partnerships and sole proprietors to restructure their businesses and/or finances informally or in Chapter 11 proceedings. He also represents new companies at the entity formation and capital raising phases.  This activity includes negotiating refinancing, purchase and sale of businesses, and business expansion and contraction. He also represents creditors' committees, bankruptcy trustees, receivers and secured creditors. Mr. Sweet also acts as a receiver in state court receivership cases.  He has assisted companies acquiring the assets of or merging with other companies, and start-up companies who require structuring, finance and equity infusions.

Mr. Sweet has served on numerous professional education, certification and standards committees relating to bankruptcy issues, including as a judge for the Diberstein National Bankruptcy Moot Court Competition in New York in 2010.

Mr. Sweet is repeatedly included on lists for Best Lawyers in America and Wisconsin Super Lawyers, including the Top 25 Super Lawyers in Madison, Wisconsin.  He is rated AV by Martindale-Hubbell and has been acknowledged for his Turnaround work by "The M&A Advisor" publication in 2011.

He lectures on such topics as creditor/debtor rights and obligations under Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code, marital property aspects of creditor/debtor relations, and a variety of bankruptcy and ethics issues for multiple continuing education providers, the University of Wisconsin Law School, and the Iowa Annual Bankruptcy Seminar.

Areas of Practice

• Creditors' Rights, Commercial Litigation and Bankruptcy
• Business

West Practice Categories

Banking & Finance Law, Bankruptcy Law, Reorganizations & Restructuring, Business & Commercial Law, Contracts, Debtor/Creditor, Partnerships, Real Estate Law, Commercial Real Estate

Bar Admissions

• Wisconsin, 1978
• U.S. District Court Western District of Wisconsin, 1978
• U.S. District Court Eastern District of Wisconsin, 1981
• U.S. Court of Appeals 7th Circuit, 1983
• U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois, 2009

Professional Associations and Memberships

• American Bar Association (Member)
• State Bar of Wisconsin, 1988 - 1991 (Board of Governors)
• State Bar of Wisconsin, 1989 - 1991 (Chairman, CLE Committee (ATS-CLE))
• State Bar of Wisconsin, 1996 - 2000 (Chairman, CLE Committee (ATS-CLE))
• State Bar of Wisconsin, 1991 - 2000 (Member, CLE Committee)
• State Bar of Wisconsin, Bankruptcy Section, 1991 - 1995 (Chairman and Past Program Chairman)
• Dane County Bar Association (Member)
• Western District of Wisconsin Bankruptcy Bar Association (Past President and Founding Member)
• American Bankruptcy Institute, 1991 - Present (Chairman, Western District Membership Committee)
• American Bankruptcy Institute, 1999 - 2005 (Co-Chair, Professional Compensation Committee)
• American Bankruptcy Institute (Member of ABI Special Fee Study Committee 2005-Present)
• American Board of Certification, 1998 - 1999 (Chairman of the Board)
• American Board of Certification, 1997 - 1998 (President)
• American Board of Certification, 1991 - 2001 (Board of Directors)
• American Board of Certification, 1992 - 1997 (Member, Standards Committee)
• American Board of Certification, 1995 - 1996 (Chairman, Standards Committee)
• American Board of Certification, 1995 - 1996 (Treasurer)
• Commercial Law League of America (Member)
• Bishops Bay Country Club, 2003 - Present (Board of Directors)
• Bishops Bay Country Club, 2003 - Present (President)
• Duberstein National Bankruptcy Moot Court Competition (Steering Committee Member and Judge)

Honors and Awards

• Best Lawyers in America
• Wisconsin Super Lawyers
• Wisconsin Super Lawyers Top 25 Madison
• Turnaround Award - M&A Advisors 2011
• Top Lawyer by Madison Magazine
• Ranked as One of the Top Financial Services/Commercial Lending Law and Bankruptcy Lawyers, Dane County, Madison Magazine

Classes and Seminars

• Lecturer: Bankruptcy and Creditors' Rights Practice, University of Wisconsin Law School
• SBI Annual Bankruptcy Seminar (Iowa)

Education

• University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, 1978
  J.D.
• University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire, 1975
  B.A.

Published Works

• Collection and Bankruptcy, Volume 4, Wisconsin Business Advisor Series, State Bar of Wisconsin, 2006

Address

33 East Main Street
Suite 500
Madison, WI 53703

Phones

(608) 268-5611

Faxes

(608) 257-2508

Emails

Contact Us

Websites

http://www.murphydesmond.com