Eric Goldstein is Co-Chair of the firm's Bankruptcy and Creditors' Rights Practice Group. Eric represents all types of creditors in bankruptcy cases and insolvency proceedings in courts throughout the United States. His clients include financial institutions, insurance companies, lessors, franchisors, special servicers, educational institutions, health care businesses, as well as trade creditors and suppliers. Eric serves as lead national or regional bankruptcy counsel for a variety of businesses.
Before a bankruptcy case is filed, Eric actively advises clients on workouts and out-of-court restructuring, as well as on the impact of bankruptcy and insolvency laws when a customer, supplier, counterparty, or other business entity may be experiencing financial distress. Once a bankruptcy filing occurs, Eric represent clients in every aspect of bankruptcy cases, including filing claims, debtor-in-possession lending, negotiating plans of reorganization, asset sales, and a diverse array of bankruptcy litigation matters.
In addition to Eric’s bankruptcy practice, he also represent clients in complex commercial litigation matters in state and federal court. These types of claims involve a wide variety of issues, including financial disputes, breach of contract, business torts, commercial debt collection, UCC-related disputes, and commercial foreclosures.
Before joining Shipman & Goodwin LLP, Eric served as law clerk to the Honorable Christine S. Vertefeuille for the Supreme Court for the State of Connecticut.
- Listed as a Connecticut Super Lawyer Rising Star®: Bankruptcy (2013-2014); Creditor Debtor Rights (2015-2016)
- National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges: Next Generation (2012)
- New Leader in the Law, Connecticut Law Tribune (2014)
- Connecticut Law Review, Executive Editor
- American Bar Association
- Connecticut Bar Association: Commercial Law and Bankruptcy Section
- American Bankruptcy Institute
- West Hartford Youth Baseball Coach
Contract Counterparty Can Correct Error in Sale Order To Block Preference Claim
Successfully represented contract counterparty in defeating a preference claim under Section 547 of the Bankruptcy Code by obtaining an order of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Michigan that corrected its prior order authorizing the sale of the debtor’s assets. The original order approving the sale erroneously failed to include the client’s contract as being assumed by the debtor and assigned to the buyer under Section 365 of the Bankruptcy Code. The assumption and assignment of a contract precludes a preference claim. Over the opposition of the Committee of Unsecured Creditors, the Bankruptcy Court corrected its order based on a finding that a mistake had occurred. The liquidating trustee, as successor to the Committee, appealed to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan and then to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. Both courts affirmed the Bankruptcy Court’s decision and the preference action was withdrawn.
Non-Dischargeability Judgment For Debtor's Fraud
Successfully represented insurance company in obtaining a judgment from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Massachusetts that debt owed to insurance company could not be discharged in debtor’s bankruptcy case under Section 523(a)(4) of the Bankruptcy Code because prior finding of fraud by state court was dispositive of fraud determination under Section 523(a)(4). The U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts affirmed this judgment on appeal.