Bruce F. Smith

Bruce F. Smith

Of Counsel, Boston, New York City
617 423-0400 / 212 683-3520
bsmith@murphyking.com

About Bruce F. Smith

Bruce Francis Smith has over forty years of experience and he represents creditors’ committees, debtors, creditors, executory contract parties, plan of reorganization proponents and asset purchasers in a number of areas including: chapter 11 reorganizations, out-of-court restructurings, debtor-in-possession financing and inter-creditor relationships.

Chambers USA ranks Bruce as a leader in the field of restructuring in Massachusetts. Chambers notes that he is “superb counsel in the bankruptcy area.” Sources say that “he is a multi-talented attorney with extensive experience of corporate insolvency and bankruptcy litigation.” In addition, Bruce has received the highest possible rating from Martindale Hubbell and has been named a Massachusetts Super Lawyer every year since 2004. Bruce served as a law clerk to the Honorable M. Joseph Blumenfeld, the Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut. Bruce also served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Civil and Criminal Divisions of the Office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.

Representative Engagements
  • Baytown Navigation (S.D. Tex.) Served as counsel to the official creditors’ committee in the Chapter 11 of this international shipping company, achieving a substantial dividend for unsecured creditors.
  • Twin River Casino (D.R.I.) Served as counsel to the unsecured creditors’ committee in connection with an $800 million restructuring that provided for a 65% recovery for unsecured creditors.
  • Represented the unsecured creditors’ committee of Boston Generating LLC (S.D.N.Y.) representing $500 million of unsecured debt of this electrical generating facility with approximately $2 billion in debt.
  • Served as counsel for debtor for Riefler Concrete Company (W.D.N.Y.) in the chapter 11 proceeding and sale of its assets to a strategic buyer.
  • Represented the international law firm of Coudert Brothers (S.D.N.Y.) in its dissolution and sale of portions of its legal practice.
  • Represented Testa Corp., a significant demolition contractor on Boston’s “Big Dig” project, in connection with the use and disposal of hazardous materials, guided the client through the removal and remediation process, and resolved the criminal charges.
  • Transcept, Inc. (Chapter 11): Developer of technology used by providers of wireless communications services.  Represented the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors and the Liquidating Supervisor.
  • Micron Separations, Inc. (Chapter 11): Filter manufacturer.  Acted as the Debtor’s counsel and as the Equity Interests Trustee in this extraordinary case, which paid all creditors in full and paid $17 million to equity holders.
  • Auburn International, Inc. (Chapter 11): Hi-tech equipment manufacturer.  Acted as the Debtor’s counsel.
  • West Central Properties and Franklin Village Trust (Chapter 11): Shopping centers.  Represented the Debtors.
  • Gato Realty Trust (Chapter 11): Real estate owner.  Acted as the Debtor’s counsel.
  • Jobbers Warehouse Service, Inc. (Chapter 11): Automobile parts supplier.  Acted as the Debtor’s counsel.
  • Nordic Track, Inc. and CML Group, Inc. (Chapter 11): Manufacturer of exercise equipment.  Acted as counsel to the WARN Act Class.
  • Tri-Star Technologies Co., Inc. (Chapter 11 and Chapter 7): Manufacturer of printed circuit boards.  Acted as the Debtor’s counsel and as special counsel to the Chapter 7 Trustee.
  • SW Boston Hotel Ventures LLC (Chapter 11): Real estate and hotel ventures.  Represented the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors.
  • CD Liquidation, LLC f/k/a Cynergy Data, LLC (Chapter 11): Credit card processing service responsible for approximately $10.5 billion in credit card processing volume for the twelve months ending May 2009.  Served as counsel to the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors.
  • UTGR, Inc. d/b/a Twin River (Chapter 11): Casino and greyhound race track.  Served as counsel to the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors.
  • Forward Foods LLC (Chapter 11): Served as counsel to the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors.
  • CMT America Corp. d/b/a Urban Behavior (Chapter 11): Clothing retailer with 70 locations in 20 states.  Represented the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors.
  • OM Industries, Inc. f/k/a Malden Mills Industries, Inc. (Chapter 11 and Chapter 7): Manufacturer of specialty fabrics.  Acted as co-counsel to the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors and served as special counsel to the Chapter 7 Trustee.
  • Modern Continental Construction Co., Inc. (Chapter 11): Construction company.  Acted as counsel to the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors.
  • Lexington Jewelers Exchange, Inc. d/b/a Alpha Omega Jewelers (Chapter 11): High-end jewelry store chain.  Served as counsel to the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors.
  • Tweeter Home Entertainment Group, Inc. (Chapter 11): National specialty consumer electronics retailer.  Acted as counsel to several former officers and employees.
  • Gitto Global Corporation (Chapter 11): Manufacturer of specialty compounds.  Acted as counsel to the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors.
  • Copperfield Investments, LLC (Chapter 11): Purchaser of mortgage-backed debt.  Acted as co-counsel to the Debtor.
  • Baldwin Crane and Equipment Corporation (Chapter 11): Crane rental company.  Acted as counsel to the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors.
  • KomTek, Inc. (Chapter 11): Precision closed die forging and investment casting facility.  Served as counsel to the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors.
  • TalkPoint Communications, Inc. (Chapter 11): Provider of Internet-based interactive multimedia communications services.  Acted as lead counsel to the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors.
  • USM Corporation (Chapter 11): Manufacturer of shoe and die cutting machinery.  Successfully represented two former executive employees in an action initiated by the Debtor seeking to bar them from competition.
  • J. Fitz, L.P. (Chapter 11): Franchisee of national restaurant chain.  Acted as counsel to the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors.
  • Financial Federated Title & Trust, Inc. (Chapter 11): Viatical Ponzi scheme.  Represented a seller of high-end European furniture in an adversary proceeding initiated by the Chapter 11 Trustee.
  • Franklin Environmental Services, Inc. (Chapter 11): Environmental remediation services provider.  Acted as counsel to the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors and as counsel to the Creditors’ Trustee.
  • Lewis J. Busconi and Northeast Office & Commercial Properties, Inc. (Chapter 11): Successfully represented owner/developer of thousands of apartment units and several hotels.  Acted as the Debtors’ counsel.
  • Bay State York Co., Inc. (Chapter 7): Construction company.  Acted as special counsel to the Chapter 7 Trustee in extensive construction litigation.
  • Patten’s Plumbing, Inc. (Chapter 11): Construction company.  Acted as the Debtor’s counsel.
  • HookMedia, Inc. (Chapter 11): Provider of digital media advertising services.  Represented the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors and the Liquidating Supervisor.
  • EC Cubed, Inc. (Chapter 11): Designer of business-to-business e-commerce software.  Acted as the Debtor’s counsel.
  • !hey, Inc. (Chapter 11): Developer of customer relationship management software.  Acted as counsel to the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors.
  • John Harvard’s Brew House, L.L.C. (Chapter 11): Owners and operators of a chain of theme restaurants.  Acted as counsel to the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors and as counsel to the Creditors’ Trustee.
  • FansRULE, Inc. (Chapter 11): Organizer of clubs connected with, and provider of services relating to, entertainers and celebrities.  Acted as counsel to the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors.
  • ServiSense.com, Inc. (Chapter 11):  Telephone service provider.  Acted as counsel to the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors and as counsel to the Liquidating Supervisor.
Professional Involvement
  • American Bankruptcy Institute
  • Turnaround Management Association
  • New York Institute of Credit
Honors
  • Best Lawyers in America© – Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law (since 2024) and Litigation – Bankruptcy (since 2024)
  • Recognized twenty-one years as a Massachusetts Super Lawyer – Bankruptcy: Business
  • Associate Editor of the Cornell Law Review
  • Member of Phi Kappa Phi
  • Member of the Order of the Coif
  • Charles Evans Hughes Fellow

Education

  • Cornell University B.A.
  • Cornell Law School J.D.

Bar and Court Admissions

  • Massachusetts
  • New York
  • Connecticut
  • U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts
  • U.S. District Court, District of Connecticut
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of New York
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of New York
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, First Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit