Drawing on more than 35 years of bankruptcy law practice, Richard Stern represents financial institutions in out-of-court workouts, restructurings, bankruptcy proceedings, and lending transactions with an emphasis on complex financial restructurings. He has counseled on matters involving workouts and insolvency issues in the energy, real estate, travel, healthcare, entertainment, and retail sectors, as well as cross-border insolvency matters in Latin America, Canada, and Europe. Richard has also served as a court-appointed fiduciary in Chapter 11 cases in the US Bankruptcy Courts for the Southern District of New York and District of Delaware.
Richard is a fellow and former member of the board of directors of the American College of Bankruptcy and is regularly recognized by publications such as Chambers USA. Prior to joining Morgan Lewis, Richard chaired the restructuring and bankruptcy practice of a national law firm. He previously represented financial institutions for more than 35 years at Luskin, Stern & Eisler LLP, a bankruptcy boutique firm that he co-founded with partner Michael Luskin in 1989.
Richard frequently lectures on workouts of troubled loans, developments in bankruptcy law, and the treatment of derivatives in bankruptcy. He participates in the Barry Zaretsky Roundtable on current bankruptcy issues at Brooklyn Law School, where he also teaches an annual class on debtor-in-possession (DIP) financing.
Fellow and former director, American College of Bankruptcy
Recognized, Bankruptcy, The Best Lawyers in America (2024)
Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, New York (2013–2023, 2025)
Ranked, Bankruptcy/Restructuring, Chambers USA (2001–2024)
Highly Regarded, Restructuring and Insolvency, IFLR1000 (2022, 2023)
Recognized, 500 Leading Global Bankruptcy and Restructuring Lawyers, Lawdragon (2024)
Recognized, 500 Leading US Bankruptcy and Restructuring Lawyers, Lawdragon (2023)
AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell (2023)
Recognized, Bankruptcy, Super Lawyers (2006–2023)
Member, American Bankruptcy Institute
Member, American Bar Association
Fellow, American Bar Foundation