Michael D. Mueller
Michael Mueller is chair of the Restructuring & Bankruptcy Practice at Williams Mullen. He focuses his practice on financial restructuring matters, insolvency law and distressed transactions. Michael represents all types of creditors in commercial collection matters and insolvency proceedings, including bankruptcy, receiverships and assignments for the benefit of creditors. He represents lending institutions, secured creditors, creditors’ committees, trustees, receivers, landlords and asset and debt purchasers.
Michael has assisted financial institutions by structuring and implementing in-court and out-of-court debt restructuring. Michael has extensive bankruptcy experience in claims prosecution, debtor-in-possession financing, dischargeability of debts, executory contracts and leases, fraudulent conveyances, involuntary petitions, officers’ and directors’ liability, plan confirmation and preference actions. He also has experience in lender liability and UCC matters in state and federal courts.
Michael’s experience has spanned numerous industries, including retail, food and beverage, equipment manufacturing, real estate, energy, coal, car dealerships and more.
Michael’s bankruptcy law work has been recognized by several publications, including Virginia Super Lawyers for Bankruptcy Law (2010-present), Virginia Business as a member of their “Legal Elite” for Bankruptcy/Creditors’ Rights (2005-present) and in The Best Lawyers in America® (2022-present).
Michael previously served on the board of governors for the Virginia State Bar’s Bankruptcy Law Section. He is a former chair of the Richmond Bar Association’s Bankruptcy Section and the Virginia Bar Association’s Bankruptcy Law Section. He also is a former board member and president of the Virginia Business and Financial Turnaround Association.
Before entering private practice, Michael served as a clerk for the Hon. Ross W. Krumm, the former U.S. Bankruptcy Court Chief Judge in the Western District of Virginia.
He earned his Juris Doctor degree from the Washington & Lee University School of Law. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree, magna cum laude, from Edgewood College and a G.C.S. from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
- Washington and Lee University School of Law (J.D.), 1992
- Edgewood College (B.S.), 1989
- University of London, London School of Economics and Political Science (G.C.S), 1988
Professional Affiliations
- Virginia State Bar, Bankruptcy Section – Former Member of Board of Governors
- Richmond Bar Association, Bankruptcy Section – Past Chair, Executive Committee; Former Member Bankruptcy Rules Committee; Litigation Section
- Virginia Bar Association, Bankruptcy Law Section – Past Chair
- American Bankruptcy Institute
- Virginia Business and Financial Turnaround Association – Former Board Member, Past President
Community Involvements
- William Byrd Community House – Former Member, Board of Directors and Executive Committee
- The Read Center – Former Member, Board of Directors
Bar Admissions
- Colorado State Bar
- Virginia State Bar
- Wisconsin State Bar
Virginia Super Lawyers - Bankruptcy: Business (2010-present), Top 100: Virginia (2014, 2022-present), Top 50: Richmond (2022-present)
Virginia Business - “Legal Elite,” Bankruptcy/Creditors’ Rights (2005-present)
Chambers USA - Bankruptcy/Restructuring (2020-present)
The Best Lawyers in America® – Banking and Finance Law, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law (2022-present), Financial Services Regulation Law (2023-present)
Experience
- Representation of individual members of the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors in the Chapter 11 bankruptcy cases of 1031 exchange companies.
- Representation of the Official Committees of Unsecured Creditors in the Chapter 11 liquidations of a large retail company, a soft drink company and an equipment manufacturer.
- Representation of the primary secured lender in the Chapter 11 reorganization of a 5,000-acre mixed real estate development project.
- Representation of the stalking horse bidder/purchaser of a liquidating Chapter 11 debtor’s assets in a section 363 sale.
- Representation of former officers and directors of a publicly traded company and defending various causes of action, including breach of fiduciary duties, brought by the Chapter 11 trustee.
- Representation of the largest creditor in a Chapter 11 business case, including defending a large preference action.
- Representation of a former shareholder of a Chapter 11 debtor, including defending a fraudulent conveyance and preference action.
- Representation of the largest creditor in an individual Chapter 11 case, including opposing confirmation of the proposed plan of reorganization, converting the case to Chapter 7, and prosecuting an objection to the individual debtor’s Chapter 7 discharge.
- Representation of the primary secured lender in a Chapter 11 single asset real estate case, including challenging the proposed sale of the debtor’s asset.
- Representation of a Chapter 11 debtor’s landlord in the assumption and assignment of a shopping center lease.
- Representation of numerous landlords, including coal mine mineral rights owners, with respect to lease assumption and rejection issues and claim prosecution.
“Michael Mueller is a skilled lawyer who knows how to represent clients in insolvency and distressed situations.”
— Williams Mullen Client Feedback - Chambers USA, 2024
