FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today Roetzel & Andress LPA named Fort Lauderdale attorney Lori L. Heyer-Bednar to lead the firm’s Business Litigation Practice Group. Heyer-Bednar is the first woman in Roetzel’s history to manage the firm’s largest practice group.
“We all know Lori as the confident and energetic leader of the firm’s Fort Lauderdale office, a position she will continue to hold simultaneously with that of Business Litigation Practice Group Manager,” said Robert E. Blackham, Partner-in-Charge, Cleveland Office and National Practice Group Chair. “I am more than confident that Lori will bring that same energy to her new and expanded role, and that the group will prosper under her leadership.”
Roetzel’s Business Litigation group is the firm’s largest practice area team, with 40 attorneys based across the firm’s 13 offices located throughout Ohio and Florida, and in Chicago, New York and Washington, D.C. The group’s attorneys serve a wide range of clients, from national and international corporations and closely held and family-run businesses, to institutions, organizations and individuals. The litigation group possesses substantial litigation, arbitration, and mediation experience across a number of practice areas, including “Bet-the-Company,” Business & Commercial, Liability Defense, Toxic Tort, Transportation, Labor & Employment and Environmental.
Heyer-Bednar handles commercial landlord-tenant litigation, creditors' bankruptcy litigation in adversary proceedings, construction litigation (lien foreclosure and construction defect cases), and business litigation (including shareholder dispute litigation). Having chaired dozens of jury and bench trials in recent years, she has extensive experience in various aspects of complex commercial litigation.
In addition, Heyer-Bednar focuses a large portion of her practice on banking, commercial lending, real estate finance, commercial litigation, creditors' rights, business litigation and bankruptcy, with an emphasis on lender liability and asset-based lending matters. Her practice also involves loan workouts and loan restructuring, loan financing and title services. She represents numerous banks and financial institutions in both state and federal courts at both the trial and appellate court level. As part of her experience in lender liability, she has represented large financial institutions in defense of forgery and negligence claims based on negotiable instruments under the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC).
As part of her banking experience, Heyer-Bednar has represented the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the Resolution Trust Corporation (RTC) in connection with failed banking institutions and savings and loan associations, including fidelity bond claims, director and officer liability lawsuits, lease repudiation lawsuits and defensive matters based upon Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act (FIRREA).
Heyer-Bednar is a Florida native, born in Coral Gables. Prior to joining Roetzel, she was an equity shareholder for 16 years at Haley, Sinagra & Perez, a commercial litigation and transactional firm. Heyer-Bednar has served as Partner-in-Charge of Roetzel’s Fort Lauderdale office since 2010.
Heyer-Bednar earned her J.D., with honors, from the University of Miami School of Law and her B.S., with honors, from Florida State University. In 2015 she was recognized in the South Florida Legal Guide as a “Top Lawyer" in Creditors’ Rights and Bankruptcy.
About Roetzel
Roetzel is a full-service law firm with nearly 180 attorneys in offices located throughout Ohio and Florida and in Chicago, New York and Washington, D.C. The firm provides comprehensive legal services to national and international corporations, closely held and family-run businesses, institutions, organizations and individuals. For more information, visit ralaw.com.
