Mr. Joseph A. Dworetzky

1977, Pennsylvania
1979, District of Columbia
United States Supreme Court
United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania

and a member of the Board of Directors of the American College of Bankruptcy. Leadership Philadelphia named him one of the "101 Connectors" in the Philadelphia area. In 2009, Governor Rendell appointed him to serve as one of five members of the Philadelphia School Reform Commission, responsible for the oversight of the Philadelphia School District.

Clerkship

The Honorable Ellsworth A. Van Graafeiland, United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, 1977 - 1978

Honors and Awards

· Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business, 2004 - 2011, Star Individual, 2010

· The Best Lawyers in America, 2009, 2011, 2012

· The Best Lawyers in America, 2012 Philadelphia Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law Lawyer of the Year

· Coleman Award for outstanding contributions to the arts community, 1997

· Villanova Law Review, Associate Editor

· Villanova University School of Law, St. Ives Medal

· Villanova University School of Law Pulling Award

Representative Cases

· In re Image Masters, Inc., 421 B.R.164 (Bankr. E.D. Pa., 2009)

· Jones v. ABN Amro Mortgage Group, Inc., 551 F. Supp. 2d 400 (E.D. Pa. 2008)

· Pennsylvania Department of Education v. Chester-Upland School District Special Board of Control, 938 A.2d 1 (Pa. 2007)

· JP Morgan Chase Bank v. Liberty Mutual Insurance Co., 189 F. Supp. 2d 24 (S.D. N.Y. 2002)

· Public Advocate v. Philadelphia Gas Commission, 674 A.2d 1056 (Pa. 1996)

· Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission v. School District of Philadelphia, 681 A.2d 1366 (Pa. 1996)

· Mid-Atlantic Power Supply Ass'n v. Pennsylvania PUC, 755 A. 2d 723 (Commw. Ct. 2000)

· In re Penn Central Transp. Co., 944 F.2d 164 (3d Cir. 1991)

· In re Remington Rand Corp., 836 F. 2d 825 (3d Cir. 1988)

· Penn Central Corp. v. United States, 814 F. Supp. 1116 (Sp. Ct. R.R.R.A. 1993)

Professional Associations and Memberships

· Board of Directors and Fellow, American College of Bankruptcy

· Chair, Judicial Merit Selection Committee, Bankruptcy Judges, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, 2005, 2006 and 2009

· Chair, Lawyers Advisory Committee of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, 2007 - 2009

· Eastern District of Pennsylvania Bankruptcy Conference
- Chair, 2001
- Vice Chair, 2000
- Steering Committee, 1992 and 1999
- Co-Chair of Education Committee, 1990 - 1991

· Board Member, Consumer Bankruptcy Assistance Project

Community

· Commissioner, Philadelphia School Reform Commission, 2009 - Present

· Vice Chair, Task Force on Tax Policy and Economic Competitiveness, 2009

· Board of Directors, Parkway Council Foundation, 2005 - Present

· Board of Directors, Moore College of Art and Design, 2003 - 2006

· Board of Directors, Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority, 2004 - Present

· Board of Directors, William Penn Foundation, 2001 - 2005

· Advisory Board, Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, 2001 - 2007

· Vice President and Director, Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, 1980 - 1985

· Board of Directors, Philadelphia Theatre Company, 1998 - 1999

· Chair, Vacant Land Acquisition Subcommittee, Committee on Vacant and Abandoned Property, 1998 - 1999

· Co-Chair, Auto Insurance Reduction Task Force, 1999 - 2000

Teaching / Lecturing

· "Bankruptcy Law," Temple University School of Law, 2005 - 2006

· Educational Summit, 1997 - 1998, Lecturer on School Funding in Pennsylvania

· "Bankruptcy and Advanced Bankruptcy Law," Rutgers School of Law - Camden, 1986 - 1993

Pro Bono

· Represented, through Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, numerous writers, painters, dancers, and art organizations in pro bono cases for more than 25 years

· Represented the Philadelphia Theatre Company in reorganizing after it canceled its season in 1988 due to financial problems. Over a two-year period, PTC eliminated most of its debt, renegotiated its lease, and raised enough funds to put on four productions. Today, the PTC is one of the leading professional theaters in Philadelphia.

· Represented the Pennsylvania Ballet in reorganizing after it was forced to terminate its season. Negotiated a consensual workout with five bank creditors that resulted in significant debt forgiveness and restructured the remaining debt (1983)

· Designed a program to facilitate the acquisition by residents of individual parcels of vacant land in Philadelphia (1998 and 1999)

· Worked with then-Philadelphia Police Commissioner John Timoney in developing strategies to reduce auto insurance rates in Philadelphia (1999 - 2000)

Member: Eastern District of Pennsylvania Bankruptcy Conference (Chair, 2001; Vice Chair, 2000; Steering Committee, 1992 and 1999; Co-Chair of Education Committee, 1990 - 1991); Consumer Bankruptcy Assistance Project (Board Member); Eastern District of Pennsylvania (Chair, Judicial Merit Selection Committee, Bankruptcy Judges, 2005, 2006 and 2009). Fellow: American College of Bankruptcy (Board of Directors and Fellow).