Paul J. Battista specializes in complex commercial bankruptcy, financial restructuring and insolvency matters both in and out of court, including related bankruptcy litigation and transactional work. He routinely represents Chapter 11 debtors in possession (DIP), creditors’ committees, DIP lenders, purchasers of assets and trustees in large and complex restructurings, workouts and bankruptcy and insolvency proceedings in Florida and throughout the United States. He also has substantial experience in the representation of franchisors in numerous franchisee bankruptcies around the country. Through his representations, Battista has gained significant bankruptcy and insolvency related experience and expertise in a variety of industries, including real estate, quick service restaurants, casual dining, retail, insurance, aviation and franchising.

Battista also has extensive experience in litigating a wide variety of bankruptcy-related claims and issues at both the trial and appellate levels, including fraud claims, Ponzi schemes, bankruptcy avoidance actions and collection of judgments.

As a complement to his bankruptcy and creditors’ rights practice, Battista has represented lenders and borrowers in all aspects of secured lending. His background includes the representation of one of the nation’s largest investment banking houses in the secondary mortgage market.

Battista is "AV" rated by Martindale-Hubbell and continues each year to be included in Woodward/White’s "The Best Lawyers in America" in the area of bankruptcy, business reorganizations and creditors’ rights, and was named "Lawyer of the Year" for 2012 in Miami. He has been ranked as a "band 1" Florida bankruptcy attorney in Chambers & Partners USA, as one of Florida’s top lawyers by Florida Trend, South Florida Legal Guide and Who’s Who Legal, which refers to Battista as "firmly established in the upper echelon of local experts." Battista was also recently named a new "Hall of Fame" member by Legal Elite 2015. Chambers & Partners USA describes Battista as a "very practical, insightful and meticulous adviser" with "infallible expertise in reorganizations." Additionally, Battista is a Fellow in the American College of Bankruptcy.

Battista is a member of The Florida, Rhode Island and Massachusetts Bars, the U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Middle District of Florida, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, and the U.S. Supreme Court. He earned his juris doctor degree, magna cum laude, from Boston University School of Law in 1986 and he is a 1983 graduate of the University of Rhode Island, with a bachelor of science degree in accounting, magna cum laude.