Jeremy R. Fischer
Attorney
Jeremy R. Fischer
Attorney
Phone: 207.253.0569 Fax: 207.772.3627 Email: jfischer@dwmlaw.com
84 Marginal Way, Suite 600 Portland, ME 04101-2480
Assistant: Michelle Veilleux Email: mveilleux@dwmlaw.com
About
Jeremy R. Fischer is the Leader of the firm’s Bankruptcy & Restructuring Practice Group. He specializes in litigation and transactions involving distressed commercial matters, where he helps clients from the first sign of trouble through the most complex financial restructuring or Chapter 11 case. A Fellow in the American College of Bankruptcy, he has built a reputation for achieving exceptional results both in the courtroom and at the negotiating table.
Jeremy advises major constituencies in high stakes Chapter 11 cases, including financial institutions, bondholders, official and ad hoc creditors’ committees, asset purchasers, trustees, DIP lenders, directors/officers, and debtors. He also represents parties in out-of-court debt restructurings, receiverships, and asset and loan sale transactions. He has particular expertise in the healthcare and long-term care sectors.
Jeremy is very involved in the legal community. He regularly represents indigent individuals in bankruptcy cases on a pro bono basis, and he has taught at the University of Maine School of Law. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the American Bankruptcy Institute, speaks regularly on bankruptcy topics, and authored a treatise on bankruptcy practice/procedure.
Prior to joining Drummond Woodsum, Jeremy served three terms in the Maine Legislature and was the House Chairman of the Appropriations Committee. Since leaving office, he has worked extensively on public education and rural economic development issues. He was board chair for Jobs for Maine’s Graduates, a non-profit that supports public school students at risk of dropping out to succeed in their education and careers; he advises the Governor and her cabinet on early childhood issues, including the expansion of pre-K programs; and he was the board chair for the Loring Development Authority, an organization that promotes economic development and job creation in Maine’s northernmost county.
In his free time, Jeremy enjoys spending active time outdoors with his wife and three sons.
Education
University of Maine School of Law, J.D., summa cum laude
University of Michigan, B.A., summa cum laude
Recognition
American College of Bankruptcy, Fellow
ABI Publication Award for writing and editing the ABI Quick Evidence Manual (2nd Edition)
Chambers & Partners, USA Guide, Maine, Bankruptcy/Restructuring, Band 1
Best Lawyers USA, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights, Insolvency and Reorganization Law; Bankruptcy Litigation; Commercial Litigation
American Bankruptcy Institute, 40 Under 40
Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law Lawyer of the Year, Portland, ME (Awarded by Best Lawyers) 2023
Representative Clients & Matters
In re Lincoln Paper and Tissue (Maine): Jeremy represented the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors in the Chapter 11 bankruptcy of this paper company. His team successfully litigated or settled claims against directors, officers, and owners of the debtor company for breaches of fiduciary duty and fraudulent transfers, recovering millions for unsecured creditors.
In re Sanctuary Care (New Hampshire): Jeremy represented a financial institution in facilitating a distressed sale of a nursing home through a Chapter 11 bankruptcy. He also negotiated and documented a debtor in possession (DIP) loan to fund the sale process, which was repaid in full.
In re Montreal Maine & Atlantic Railway Ltd. (Maine): After this railroad experienced a catastrophic explosion that killed 47 people, it filed for bankruptcy in Maine and Quebec. Jeremy represented the purchaser of the assets out of bankruptcy, including shielding the purchaser from successor liability related to the explosion and negotiating a historic environmental settlement with the State of Maine.
In re IDL Development (Massachusetts): Jeremy represented the owner of intellectual property that was stolen by a competitor who then filed for bankruptcy to try to shield the IP from recovery. He led a team of bankruptcy and litigation experts that protected the client’s interests in the IP, preserving claims against both the competitor and the purchaser.
In re Calais Regional Hospital (Maine): Jeremy represented the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors in the Chapter 11 case of a rural critical access hospital. He successfully negotiated and confirmed a Chapter 11 plan with the senior secured lenders that sold the hospital to a strategic partner, which preserved a rural healthcare provider, saved jobs, and maximized the recovery for all creditors.
Publications
ABI Quick Evidence Manual (2nd Edition) (2018)
A Bankruptcy Submission Hold, Am. Bar Ass’n – Bankr. & Insolvency Litig. Comm. (Spring 2011)
Memberships
American College of Bankruptcy, Fellow
American Bankruptcy Institute
Board of Directors
Co-Chair, Northeast Bankruptcy Conference
Co-Chair, Legislation Committee
Turnaround Management Association
Maine State Bar Association
Community/Public Service
Maine Legislature
Member, 2002-2008 (Chair, Appropriations 2006-2008)
American Bankruptcy Institute
Board of Directors; Co-Chair of the Litigation Committee; Northeast Advisory Committee
Jobs for Maine’s Graduates
Chair of Board of Directors
Loring Development Authority
Chair of Board of Directors
Governor’s Early Childhood Advisory Committee
Member
Educate Maine’s Early Childhood Advisory Committee
Member
Yarmouth Education Foundation
Board of Directors
University of Maine School of Law
Board of Visitors
Yarmouth School Committee
Member
Past Presentations
From July 9, 2024 11:00 am
Bankruptcy Litigation, ABI Northeast Conference
From January 16, 2024 12:00 pm
Revisiting Evidence in Bankruptcy with the Authors of the American Bankruptcy Institute’s Quick Evidence Handbook
From November 1, 2022 12:00 am
Recent Developments in Bankruptcy Law & Practice, Maine Inn of Court
From September 1, 2022 12:00 am
Chapter 11 Practice in New Hampshire, New Hampshire Bar Association
From December 1, 2020 12:00 am
Witness Preparation: A Roundtable Discussion, ABI Winter Leadership Conference
From July 1, 2020 12:00 am
New World Orders: Post-COVID Practice, ABI Northeast Conference
From December 7, 2019 12:00 pm
The Continued Use of Blocking Directors and Managers in Bankruptcy-Related Transactions, ABI Winter Leadership Conference
From July 1, 2019 12:00 am
Emerging Leaders Program, ABI Northeast Conference
From September 1, 2017 12:00 am
Bankruptcy Changes in a Changing Bankruptcy Landscape, Maine State Bar Association
From July 1, 2017 12:00 am
Litigation: Expert Cross-Examination Stratego!, ABI Northeast Conference
From July 1, 2015 12:00 am