Jack devotes his practice primarily to financially distressed situations, creditors' rights and commercial transactions, focusing on creditor-side representation. He regularly represents secured creditors, trade creditors and landlords in Chapter 11 reorganizations, Chapter 7 liquidations and Chapter 13 wage earner cases, out-of-court workouts, and collection matters.
Jack is experienced in negotiating, preparing and implementing agreements to use cash collateral and provide adequate protection of interests in collateral, and litigating contested cash collateral, relief from stay and adequate protection motions and contested plan confirmations. Jack is often called on to develop and implement "exit strategies" for commercial lenders and negotiate, structure and prepare plans of liquidation.
Jack also routinely negotiates settlements of claims and litigates objections to allowance of claims. Jack also often represents buyers of businesses out of bankruptcy and lenders and borrowers in construction, acquisition, term and working capital financing transactions. Jack has experience drafting the full range of documents for commercial transactions.
An attorney with Pierce Atwood since 1986, Jack has been a partner since 1991. Prior to joining Pierce Atwood, Jack was an associate with the law firm of Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson in New York City.
Recent Experience
Jack regularly represents national commercial banks and local community banks, including KeyBank, N.A., The First, N.A., Bank of America, Bangor Savings Bank, Machias Savings Bank and Northeast Bank, as holders of claims in bankruptcy proceedings and in the workout and collection of commercial and consumer loans. Some of Jack's recent representations include:
- Machias Savings Bank in the liquidation of the real and personal property assets of Vaughn Thibodeau & Sons, a Maine earthworks, cement and asphalt company, after default in commercial loans exceeding $14,000,000
- A federal savings bank in the out of court restructuring of commercial loans totaling approximately $2,000,000 secured by a chain of franchise restaurants in Maine and Florida
- Tasman Industries, a family-owned leather producing and processing company headquartered in Louisville, KY, in the acquisition out of bankruptcy of leather tanning facilities and business in Hartland, Maine from Prime Tanning for $6,200,000
- RBS Citizens, N.A., as agent and lead lender, in documentation and closing of term loans and lines of credit to Elmet Industries, Inc., a manufacturer with facilities in Maine, California and Tennessee, totaling $35,000,000
- KeyBank, N.A. in documenting and closing of term loans and lines of credit to Tri-Starr Management Services, Inc., a logistics service company operating in Texas, NH, Illinois, Florida and Maine, totaling $32,200,000
Honors & Distinctions
Jack is included in
The Best Lawyers in America for Bankruptcy and Creditor-Debtor Rights Law. He is also included in the
Chambers USA: America's Leading Business Lawyers for corporate and M&A law. One client described Manheimer as "passionate and uncompromising – as talented a bankruptcy lawyer as you'll ever find."
Professional Activities
Member, Maine Bar Association
Member, Cumberland County Bar Association
Member, American Bankruptcy Institute
Publications
"Judgment Enforcement; Executing on Specific Assets," Lormen Education Services (2008)
Civic Activities
Board of Directors, WinterKids Foundation, 2004-2010
Member, Falmouth Town Council, 2002-2005