Joseph Sarachek
Managing Partner
Contact: joe@saracheklawfirm.com
Joe is the founder and Managing Partner of the Sarachek Law Firm and one of the foremost authorities in the trading of privately held distressed debt. A nationally recognized attorney and investment professional, he has served as Bankruptcy Trustee for Agriprocessors. He has chaired multiple committees on the Board of Emergent Capital Corp., a public company with interests in $2.7 billion in life insurance assets. Joe also teaches bankruptcy investing as an Adjunct Professor at NYU’s Stern School of Business and has lectured at Harvard Business School, Harvard Law School, Cornell University, the American Bankruptcy Institute, and the Turnaround Management Association.
Before forming SLF, Joe worked with several investment firms focused on bankruptcies and turnarounds, and previously practiced as a partner at McDermott Will & Emery. He has been involved in hundreds of bankruptcy matters and is uniquely positioned to recover assets for distressed clients.
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Education: J.D., New York Law School; B.S., Cornell University
Admitted: New York State Bar, U.S. District Courts: S. D. New York, E. D. New York, N.D. Illinois, N.D. New York, Connecticut, W.D. New York, and the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Awards: Turnaround of the Year (Agriprocessors, Inc.); M&A Advisor – Financials Turnaround of the Year
Affiliations: American Bankruptcy Institute, Turnaround Management Association, International Bar Association
Notable Engagements:
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Trade Claim Recoveries: Representation of over 120 different apparel manufacturers across Asia against insolvent U.S. importers:
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In re Sears Holding – Transform. – Represented over 80 vendors who were owed in excess of $100 million during the bankruptcy case and thereafter, and recovered a substantial portion of their claims through litigation and mediation.
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Ponzi Scheme Recovery for Investors:
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In re Future Income Payments - Represented over 300 investors with aggregate investments exceeding 30 million dollars in a Ponzi scheme involving numerous insurance companies and agents. SLF pursued insurance companies and agents involved with the fraud. As a result of SLF’s efforts in complex litigation, many clients received in excess of 70% of their principal.
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In re Woodbridge Group - SLF represented over 280 investors with aggregate investments approaching $40 million in a Ponzi scheme involving high-end real estate in California, Colorado, and New York. As a result of SLF’s efforts in complex litigation, clients continue to receive payouts and have been issued publicly tradable securities. Further, SLF was instrumental in a recovery action against a central money center bank, resulting in a $50 million resolution.
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Ponzi Scheme Recovery for Chapter 7 Trustees:
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In re Schmidty Kicks – SLF has been retained by the Chapter 7 Trustee to pursue avoidance actions to recover in excess of $20 million in a sneaker fraud case.
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Trustee Work:
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In re Agriprocessors, Inc. – Joseph Sarachek served as Bankruptcy Trustee for Agriprocessors, a kosher food slaughterhouse and processing business with over $300 million in revenues. Sarachek commenced over 200 adversary actions to recover assets for the estate, and won the Turnaround of the Year award for his work as Bankruptcy Trustee on the case.
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