PRACTICE FOCUS
John Collen concentrates his practice on Chapter 11 reorganizations, out of court work-outs, transactions involving troubled business entities and creditors’ rights litigation. He has more than 25 years experience handling these types of matters on behalf of debtors, secured and unsecured creditors, creditors’ committees, shareholders, receivers, trustees, landlords and asset buyers.
John’s representations have involved numerous industries, including real estate, retail, manufacturing, printing and graphics, airlines, toys, telecommunications, broadcast, healthcare, music, transportation, entertainment, floor covering and power generation.
He has been prominently involved in many nationally recognized cases, including the Rock Island Railroad, JarTran, Federated Stores, Handy Andy Home Improvement Centers, Flooring America, Grossman’s Hardware, K-Mart, United Airlines, and the Arena Football League.
PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND
John joined Tressler in 2009. Previously he was a partner with an AmLaw 100 firm.
John has achieved an AV® Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell, which is a testament to the fact that a lawyer’s peers rank him at the highest level of professional excellence. He has been listed in Marquis Who’s Who in American Law and Marquis Who’s Who in America. John has been selected for inclusion to the Illinois Super Lawyers® eight times, most recently in 2013. He has also been named by Leading Lawyers® Network as a "Leading Lawyer" in Bankruptcy & Workout Law: Commercial Creditor’s Rights.
In addition to his practice, he serves as an adjunct law professor in the Bankruptcy LLM program at St. John’s Law School in New York.
John’s nationally recognized experience was honored when he was asked to testify in October 2012 before the ABI’s Commission to Study the Reform of Chapter 11.