Previous Law Firm Name

• Calaiaro, Corbett, & Bower, P.C., May 24, 1999

Law Firm Overview

CALAIARO, CORBETT & BRUNGO, P.C.

Calairo, Corbett & Brungo, P.C. is a unique firm that concentrates its practice to representation of debtors in bankruptcy. Among our lawyers is the first Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Trustee in Western Pennsylvania who served in that role from 1981 through 1987, a former Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Trustee who served from 1975 through 1989, and a lawyer who holds a dual Certification as a Specialist in Consumer and Commercial Bankruptcy areas from the American Board of Certification.

The lawyers at Calairo, Corbett & Brungo, P.C. have an average of 14 years experience and each partner has worked on in excess of 5,000 bankruptcy cases. The firm was founded in 1989 and enjoys an excellent reputation in the Western Pennsylvania area. The two partners have a high profile in the Pittsburgh area as aggressive lawyers who zealously represent their clients. Frequently, other bankruptcy law firms in Western Pennsylvania refer difficult cases to Calairo, Corbett & Brungo, P.C.

Calaiaro, Corbett & Brungo, P.C. represent many clients who are protecting their assets from creditors. We understand what proper bankruptcy planning may do to enhance the allowable benefits to our clients. We also understand how to defend collection lawsuits and mortgage foreclosures when client(s) want to resist losing their homes outside of bankruptcy. We are one of the few law firms in Western Pennsylvania who are well versed in the Federal rights under the Fair Debt Collection Practice Act to protect our clients from abusive or illegal collection actions.

When a bankruptcy is the client's best interest, we understand the nuances of Bankruptcy Exemption Laws, debts that may not be discharged, and the best use of each Chapter. We understand how to deal with tax debts and we have been able to deal with tax problems with the Internal Revenue Service's administrative process or in Bankruptcy Court.

Our former Chapter 7 Trustee understands what problems can arise in a Chapter 7 bankruptcy and can counsel you how to avoid them. Each lawyer at Calaiaro, Corbett & Brungo, P.C. has extensive experience in Chapter 13 reorganizations and understand how to use Chapter 13 to save most if not all of your assets. Our firm has consistently been on the leading edge of developing bankruptcy issues and trends, and we have helped shaped the existing bankruptcy practice in Chapter 13 and Chapter 7 in Western Pennsylvania.

We have also represented businesses in Chapter 11 cases where the debts have been under $10 Million Dollars.

We DO NOT represent any institutional creditors because we are so aggressive about representing our debtor clients. There are not many other law firms that maintain such a strong commitment to their clients by avoiding possibility of theoretical issue conflicts by restricting their practice.

We litigate cases at Calaiaro, Corbett & Brungo, P.C. We accept referrals to litigate bankruptcy issues on almost every consumer issue. We have successfully represented debtors in the following types of cases:

1. Determination that tax debts have been discharged;
2. Determination that student loans have been discharged;
3. Discharging a debt that was alleged to be credit by fraud;
4. Determination that bankruptcy cases were not filed in bad faith;
5. Obtaining confirmations in contested Chapter 13 cases;
6. Successfully protecting assets from sale by a Chapter 7 Trustee;
7. Handling competing issues of divorce (equitable distribution) vs. bankruptcy;
8. Defending objections to a client's exemptions;
9. By removing judgment liens that impair a client's exemption in their home;
10. By stripping off (removing) mortgages from a client's house that exceeds the value (Chapter 13);
11. By cramming down the client's debt to finance companies on automobile and personal property;
12. By careful exemption planning to maximize what our clients can retain;
13. By successfully preventing creditors from having the right to continue foreclosure or repossessions;
14. Defending fraudulent conveyance litigation;
15. Proving marital debts were dischareable/not dischargeable depending on who the client was; and
16. Numerous other consumer issues.

We also handle commercial cases:

1. Helping debtors reorganize in Chapter 11 or Chapter 13;

2. Disputing assessments by the Internal Revenue Service that an individual is liable for corporate taxes;

3. Contesting creditor business claims;

4. Helping corporate clients collect receivables in Chapter 11;

5. Helping clients restructure secured loans;

6. Helping debtors structure a Chapter 11 Plan of Reorganization that will pay creditors less than 100% and without interest;

7. Helping clients escape from burdensome leases or guaranties;

8. Helping clients run carefully planned liquidation of assets at a reasonable schedule to properly close down a business.

9. Helping clients purchase assets from a Chapter 7 or Chapter 11 case;

10. Helping clients in a hostile takeover of another company in a bankruptcy;

11. Helping a shareholder group expel another problem shareholder group in bankruptcy.

12. Challenge enforceability of Commercial Liens, mortgages, and liens; and

13. Numerous other business cases.

We are proud that we have represented a wide spectrum of clients including blue collar workers, corporate executives, lawyers, doctors, dentists, psychiatrists, and business people. We represent clients in every walk of life.

In most cases, we will meet a potential client to discuss representation without charge if they decide not to retain us. We believe each case should be analyzed according to its individual facts. We will take the time to give you an analysis if you are interested enough to take the time to meet with us.

We are expanding our areas of general practice sot that we can handle most issues that confront our clients while they are working out their financial problems. We handle personal injury cases, insurance issues, some taxation issues, construction law issues, real estate issues, and contract disputes.

The combination of these new expanding areas combined with our traditional practice and litigation expertise in bankruptcy enables us to offer an invaluable service, especially where these areas overlap.

We represent clients in the following counties: Allegheny, Armstrong, Blair, Beaver, Butler, Clearfield, Cambria, Crawford, Erie, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Mercer, Somerset, Washington, and Westmoreland.

Areas of Practice

• Bankruptcy Law
• Personal Injury -- Plaintiff
• Personal Injury -- Defense
• Insurance Law
• Taxation Law
• Construction Law
• Real Estate Law
• Contracts

Representative Cases

• Sapos v. Provident Institute for Savings, 967 F. 2d 918 (C.A. 3rd Cir. 1992)
• G. Brown v. I.R.S., 130 B.R. 456 Bankr. (W.D. Pa. 1991)
• C. Holt v. Comm. of Pa. Dept. of Public Welfare, 11 B.R. 797 (Bankr. W.D. Pa. 1981)
• In re: Barsotti, 7 B.R. 205 (Bankr. W.D. Pa. 1980)
• D. Calaiaro, Trustee v. Roberts, 126 B.R. 678 (Bankr. W.D. Pa. 1991)
• In re: Coury et al, 22 B.R. 766 (Bankr. W.D. Pa. 1982)
• Donaldson v. Bernstein, Trustee, 104 F. 3rd 547 (C.A. 3rd Cir. 1997)
• Gianakas v. Gianakas, 917 F. 2d 759 (C.A. 3rd Cir. 1990)
• National Union Fire Ins. Co. v. Main, 157 B.R. 786 (D.C. - W.D. Pa. 1992)
• McCartney v. Integra National Bank, North, 106 F. 3rd 506 (C.A. 3rd Cir. 1997)

West Practice Categories

Bankruptcy Law, Contracts, Construction Law, Insurance Law, Personal Injury -- Defense, Personal Injury -- Plaintiff, Real Estate Law, Taxation Law