Overview
Alicia Bendana represents clients as lead or co-lead counsel in prosecuting:
- Officer and director liability litigation
- Legal and accounting malpractice liability litigation
- Fraud and RICO litigation
- Fraudulent transfer/preference avoidance litigation
- Contract disputes
- Insurance disputes
- Partitioning of marital property in bankruptcy court
- Excepting of debts from discharge
- Opposition to plans of reorganization and the proposing of competing plans
- Purchase of assets from bankruptcy estates
Alicia is board certified in business bankruptcy law by both the American Board of Certification and by the Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization, and she is also a Certified Fraud Examiner. As noted in Chambers USA, “Clients commend her ‘technical legal ability,’ ‘attention to client service,’ ‘commercial vision’ and ‘out of the box thinking’.”
Alicia is thoughtful, insightful and aggressive. She dives into her work to get the best result possible for her clients.
Bankruptcy/Restructuring Client – Chambers
Outside the office:
When Alicia is not in the office, she likes to stay positive and highly caffeinated!
- Represented the Chapter 7 trustee of telecommunications service provider in commercial fraud litigation against one of the 50 largest corporations in the United States.
- Represented the Chapter 7 trustee of an online wholesale distributor of food service equipment in breach of fiduciary duty litigation against the debtor’s former managers prior to filing suit.
- Represented the litigation trustee of an oil and gas production company in breach of fiduciary duty litigation against the debtor’s former CEO.
- Represented the litigation trustee and reorganized debtors in an action against the former manager of a renowned New Orleans nightclub for, inter alia, fraud and breaches of fiduciary duty.
- Represented undocumented construction workers in fraud and racketeering litigation against a Fortune 500 company affiliate.
- Represented the Chapter 7 trustee of an online wholesale distributor of food service equipment in auditing malpractice litigation.
- Represented ship and tanker companies as successful “stalking horse” bidders in the contested § 363 sale of a tanker in Chapter 11 proceedings.
- Represented the creditors’ committee, and upon conversion, the Chapter 7 trustee of a restaurant chain in breach of fiduciary litigation against a debtor’s former managers.
- Represented former shareholders and obtained an extraordinary recovery (400% of actual damages) against the managing shareholder, office manager, and independent external accountant relative to a breach of fiduciary duty, accounting malpractice, fraud, conspiracy and racketeering claims.
- Represented the ex-spouse of a debtor in an action against the debtor for breaches of fiduciary duty, fraud, and the partitioning of community property pursuant to Louisiana law.
- Represented two classes of former employees of two bankrupt casinos in separate bankruptcy proceedings in contested litigation involving WARN Act violation claims.
- Represented the Chapter 7 trustee of a holding company in an action against a third party company and its principal for fraudulent conveyances.
- Represented a debtor-in-possession in the successful Chapter 11 liquidation of a nursing home and obtained an order designating tax payments to trust fund liability.
- Represented a well-known New Orleans restaurant in opposing – and ultimately negotiating – a settlement that terminated an involuntary bankruptcy proceeding.
- In a case of first impression, obtained a judgment in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals establishing a Chapter 7 trustees’ statutory fees as presumptively reasonable.
Professional Affiliations
- Louisiana State Bar Association
- Bankruptcy Section
- House of Delegates (2017–2021)
- Committee on the Profession (Co-Chair, 2018–2019)
- Attorney Disciplinary Board
- Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization
- Bankruptcy Law Advisory Commission (President, 2020–2021)
- New Orleans Bar Association
- Texas Bar Association
- Bankruptcy Committee (Chair, 2018–2019)
- Business Litigation Committee (Chair, 2015–2017)
- Women in the Profession Committee (Chair, 2014–2016)
- American Bar Association
- Fraud Litigation Subcommittee (Co-Chair, 2016–2018)
- Fiduciary Duty Litigation Subcommittee (Co-Chair, 2016–2017)
- Federal Bar Association
- Bankruptcy Section
- American Bankruptcy Institute
- Asset Sales Committee (Co-Chair, 2021–2023)
- Bankruptcy Litigation Committee
- Commercial Fraud Committee
- International Women’s Insolvency & Restructuring Confederation (IWIRC)
- Director at Large (2019-2021; 2013–2015)
- Founding Co-Chair of the Louisiana Network (2011–2015)
- The American Board of Certification
- Board Member, Marketing Committee (2020-present)
- Judge Jerry A. Brown Louisiana Bankruptcy American Inn of Court
Community Affiliations
- Antenna (Press Street, Inc.)
- Treasurer, Board of Directors (2020–2022)
- antenna.works
- Syracuse University Parents Council
- Co-Chair (2020–2022)
- Homer A. Plessy Community School (Citizens’ Committee for Education, Inc.)
- Past Member, Board of Directors (2014–2019; President, 2017-2019)
- plessyschool.org
- InspireNOLA Charter Schools, Inc.
- Past Member, Board of Directors (2012–2014; President, 2012-2013)
- inspirenolacharterschools.org
- Chambers USA, Bankruptcy and Restructuring (2020-2024)
- Best Lawyers (2020-2024)
- Lawdragon 500: Global Bankruptcy & Restructuring Lawyer
- Louisiana Super Lawyers (2016-2023)
- New Orleans Magazine’s “Top Lawyers” (2021-2023)
- Martindale-Hubbell: AV Preeminent Rating
