Robbin L. Itkin

Partner

• ritkin@steptoe.com
• vCard
• Century City Office

Robbin L. Itkin is a partner in the Century City office of Steptoe & Johnson LLP, where she is a member of the Business Solutions Department. She is launching the West Coast restructuring group and integral to the expansion of the national practice. Ms. Itkin represents debtors, creditors’, equity and bondholders’ committees, purchasers and trustees in corporate restructurings and bankruptcies in a wide variety of industries, including commercial mortgage, entertainment, retail, transportation, and hospitality industries, and advises high profile individuals and corporations in out-of-court workouts and financial transactions.

Ms. Itkin, in her role as the appointed Chapter 11 Trustee in the Ritter Ranch case, in which she successfully sold the largest area of undeveloped property in Los Angeles County, was featured in the Bankruptcy Court Decisions Weekly News & Comment article, "Chapter 11 Trustee's Work Eases California Housing Shortage." Ms. Itkin also was mentioned in the Daily News article, "Ritter Project Revived" and the Daily Journal Extra article, "Construction Has Begun on Ritter Ranch Community in Palmdale," among other articles.

Representative Matters

Representative Debtor Matters:

• Solutia Inc. - Represented Solutia Inc. and its affiliates in their Chapter 11 cases involving more than $3 billion of funded debt and other obligations and complex liability issues, including environmental, mass tort, retiree, pension, and indemnification issues.
• NRG - Represented over 29 related entities comprising one of the largest independent power generation companies in the world, both as debtors out of court and as debtors in a Chapter 11 bankruptcy case, and successfully restructured over $11 billion in debt in approximately seven months.
• Dividend Development Corporation - Represented one of the country's largest home builders as debtor-in-possession. Confirmed plan of reorganization restructuring over $300 million in liabilities, including $55 million in unsecured claims.
• Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel - Represented landmark hotel located in Hollywood, California, in connection with its restructure through Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
• Santa Barbara Star Motors, Inc., dba Gregg Motors, and Related Entities - Represented automobile dealership as debtor-in-possession. Sold all assets, including multiple franchises, in controlled liquidation for benefit of creditors.
• Pharmaceuticals Distributor - Represented wholesale distributor of pharmaceuticals in its out-of-court restructuring of over $12 million in unsecured debt and $20 million financing.

Representative Committee Matters:

• Store of Knowledge - Represented committee of creditors in bankruptcy case in which company operated a mall-based nationwide chain of 91 specialty retail stores, located in 26 states, offering educational and intellectually stimulating products geared toward fun and interactive learning.
• Taxi Systems, Inc. - Represented committee of unsecured creditors of large taxi company in Southern California. General unsecured creditors included over 400 personal injury claimants in addition to numerous trade creditors. Extensive negotiations with debtor resulted in confirmed plan of reorganization providing for 100% payout on trade claims, with election offered to personal injury claimants either to continue to litigate their claims or to receive 100% of cash settlement amounts over time, such payments collateralized by assets of debtor, debtor's parent and certain of debtor's principals.
• Babaeian Transportation Co., Inc., dba Checker Cab Company, dba Burbank Taxi, dba Pasadena Taxi, dba San Fernando Checker - Represented committee of creditors of taxi company possessing a fleet of taxi cabs in California's San Fernando Valley. Caused appointment of Chapter 11 trustee to preserve estate's assets for sale. Actively participated with trustee who ultimately sold assets and made distributions to unsecured creditors.
• Bell Brand Snack Foods, Inc. - Represented committee of creditors of snack food manufacturer and distributor. Negotiated consensual plan of reorganization that provided for immediate 90% payout to general unsecured creditors before any payments on secured or unsecured debts owed to affiliates.
• C&L Properties - Represented committee of creditors of owner and operator of fully encumbered commercial property known as the Continental Plaza in Southern California. Negotiated consensual plan of reorganization in extensively litigated case that provided for full payment plus interest within one year of confirmation to general unsecured creditors.
• Maguire Thomas Partners - Represented committees of creditors in extremely adversarial Chapter 11 bankruptcy cases of owner and operator of Gas Company Tower Building, a 52-story premier office building in downtown Los Angeles, California. As a result of committee’s request for participation in mediation, settlement was reached, and plan of reorganization was confirmed that paid unsecured creditors in full plus 7% interest and restructured in excess of $400 million in debt.
• Pacific EyeNet, Inc. - Represented Pacific EyeNet, Inc., A Medical Group, as a creditor in the Chapter 11 (and subsequent Chapter 7) bankruptcy case of its MSO.

Other Matters:

• Lead bankruptcy counsel for the Chapter 11 Trustee for the Estate of Thomas A. Hantges, one of the former founding principals of USA Commercial Mortgage Company, a commercial loan underwriting, servicing and funding company whose principals were involved in asserted fraud in the magnitude of over $900 million.
• Appointed by the Office of the United States Trustee, and confirmed by the Central District of California Bankruptcy Court, as Chapter 11 Trustee for the Estate of Ritter Ranch Development LLC and lead counsel as well in all aspects of case involving Mello Roos Bond Financing and including extensively litigated 363 sale proceedings and claims issues of principals and lenders; completed a 363 sale of the then largest available developable property in Los Angeles County (over 6,000 acres) for $57.2 million after 75 rounds of bidding. Negotiated carve-outs with secured creditors to satisfy administrative claims.
• Represented American Racing, Inc., in its $24 million acquisition of the assets of Weld Wheels, Inc., a manufacturer and distributor of premium aftermarket automobile, light truck, racing, and sport wheels to both domestic and international customers. Negotiated stalking horse bidder protections and purchase agreement, and advised client throughout sale process taking place through auction of assets in US Bankruptcy Court, Western District of Kansas. Successfully consummated client’s purchase as successful bidder.
• Represented State of California Ex Rel. Department of Water Resources and handled all bankruptcy aspects regarding State of California in the Chapter 11 bankruptcy case of California Power Exchange, the operator of several types of markets for wholesale electricity who matched suppliers and purchasers of electricity.
• Represent high profile individuals in the entertainment industry in out-of-court workouts and restructurings.
• Represented Sun Capital Partners in its acquisition of BMK, Inc. (debtor) through bankruptcy.
• Represented Sun Capital Partners in its acquisition of Wickes out of receivership.
• Represented American Healthcare Services, Inc. in its acquisition of Plastic Surgery Company.
• Represented CEO and President of Fredericks of Hollywood through company’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
• Represented Koo Koo Roo, Inc. in its acquisition of operating restaurants in Hamburger Hamlet Restaurant, Inc.’s Chapter 11 case.
• Represented both debtors as assignees and assignors, in the entertainment, health, manufacturing, and transportation industries, in a variety of assignments for the benefit of creditors under state statute. 

Noteworthy

• Listed as one of the Top 50 Southern California Women Attorneys in the February 2007 issue of Los Angeles Magazine
• Listed as one of the Southern California Super Lawyers in the February 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005 issues of Los Angeles Magazine
• Listed as Who's Who in LA Law in the October 2007 issue of the Los Angeles Business Journal
• Honoree, "Century City Chamber of Commerce 2007 Women of Achievement"
• Recipient, “Women of Accomplishment” award sponsored by Bnai Zion Foundation
• Fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy
• Vice Chair, Lawyer Representatives Coordinating Committee, Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference (Former Co-Chair, California Lawyer Representatives)
• Certified Mediator, Central District of California Bankruptcy Court
• Board of Directors, Los Angeles Women's Leadership Council
• Board of Directors, (Former Chair of Governance Committee), Make-A-Wish Foundation of Greater Los Angeles
• Director Emeritus, City of Hope National Medical Center and Beckman Research Institute

Select News & Events

• Steptoe's Itkin Receives Two Prestigious Honors
• Steptoe & Johnson LLP Announces Robbin Itkin's Arrival
• Steptoe Launches Subprime Lending Litigation Team
• Panelist, American Bankruptcy Institute: "Thinking Outside the Box" at American Bankruptcy Institute annual conference attended by restructuring professionals and judges in Scottsdale, Arizona, November 30, 2006
• Coordinator, November 29, 2006 Ninth Circuit Chief Bankruptcy Judges Conference and Panel on Hedge Funds and Second Lien Financing in Scottsdale, Arizona
• Speaker, October 2006 Speaker during the Los Angeles office's 2006 Disability Mentoring Day
• Panelist, American Bankruptcy Institute: 14th Annual Southwest Bankruptcy Conference - Complex Financial Restructuring Program: Ethical Issues in Professional Compensation, September 2006
• Panelist, FTI West Region Corporate Finance practice: BAPCPA: Can We Still Reorganize?? Top Ten Reasons to Consider, June 2006
• Panelist, Los Angeles Bankruptcy Forum: Common Mistakes in Bankruptcy Litigation, June 2006

More Seminars & Events »

Publications

• Co-Author, "The Metamorphosis of Assignment Clauses in Bankruptcy," Law Journal Newsletters, The Bankruptcy Strategist, Part One, May, 2005 and Part Two, June, 2005
• Co-Author, "Don't Take for Granted The Drafting Of A "Simple" Assignment Provision, Especially In A Non-Exclusive Intellectual Property License, You May End Up In A Bankruptcy Court," The State Bar of California - Business Law News, Issue 2, 2005
• Author, "The Bankruptcy Mirage - Springing and Vanishing Guarantees," 1995
• Author, "Spring Forward or Fall Back? The Enforceability of Springback Provisions on the Bankruptcy Clock," 1993
• Co-Author, "Advanced Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Practice," Professional Education Systems, Inc., 1987
• Co-Author, "Misappropriation of Computer Services - The Need to Enforce Civil Liability," IV Computer/Law Journal 401, 1983

Professional Affiliations

• Vice-Chair, Lawyer Representative Coordinating Committee, Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference; former Co-Chair of Central District of California Lawyer Representatives, 2006-2008
• Fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy, 2004-present
• Women's Leadership Council Board Member, 2007-present
• Los Angeles Bankruptcy Forum, Board Member 1995-present; President 2001-2002; Vice President 2000-2001; Program Chair 1999-2000; Secretary 1998-1999
• California Bankruptcy Forum; Co-Chair, 2001 Conference