Angela J. Somers

Of Counsel

Angela J. Somers, Of Counsel at Reid Collins & Tsai LLP, has over 24 years of experience handling complex commercial and financial disputes with an emphasis on bankruptcy or distressed business related litigation. Ms. Somers has represented clients in large and complex bankruptcy cases, including official and ad hoc committees of bond and equity holders, chapter 11 and 7 trustees, debtors, indenture trustees, institutional lenders and investors, creditors and purchasers of distressed assets and securities. Through these assignments, Ms. Somers addressed some of the most cutting edge fraudulent transfer, preference, subordination, and breach of fiduciary duty issues. Ms. Somers is able to navigate quickly through sophisticated financial circumstances in order to identify and pursue critical causes of action. Her ability to analyze the factual background and simplify the course of action in order to maximize value for her clients has been her key strength throughout her career.

The valuable insights of Ms. Somers have led to her frequent guest appearances on CNBC’s Squawk Box as well as Bloomberg News. She has also been quoted in various financial publications.

Prior to joining Reid Collins & Tsai, LLP, Ms. Somers was Counsel at the law firms of Allen & Overy, LLP, Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft LLP and LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae LLP. During her time at these firms, Ms. Somers worked on a number of notable cases mentioned below. Ms. Somers received her B.A. from Brown University in 1982 and her J.D. from Emory University School of Law in 1986.

Ms. Somers has successfully represented the following clients in various capacities:

• Official committee of unsecured creditors in the Mirant Americas Generation bankruptcy case, which included analysis and pursuit of various intercompany claims.
• National and international plaintiffs and claimants in conjunction with derivative and other transactions in the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy cases.
• Official committee of equity security holders in Columbia Gas bankruptcy case that included the pursuit of large fraudulent transfer, preference and equitable subordination claims.
• Official committee of unsecured creditors in the Manhattan Investment Fund bankruptcy case in conjunction with losses from fraudulent activity.
• Offshore bank in the Granite Fund case that involved breach of fiduciary duty, misrepresentation, wrongful margin calls, fraud and other actions.
• Repo participants and other clients pursuing recovery of funds in various sub-prime lending cases, including New Century and People’s Choice.
• Official committee of unsecured creditors in NVF Company bankruptcy case, which dealt with key fraudulent transfer, misrepresentation and breach of fiduciary duty issues.
• Official committee of pre-merger bondholders in the Federated Department Stores bankruptcy cases, which included major fraudulent transfer action resulting from a leverage buy-out.
• Chapter 11 trustee in the Sasson Jeans bankruptcy case with respect to the recovery of hidden assets.
• Mezzanine entity lenders to and owners of distressed real estate assets.
• Monitor in the AbitibiBowater bankruptcy case in conjunction with cross border issues.
• Debtor in possession in the Phoenix Information Systems Corp., Portrait Corporation of America and RSL COM U.S.A. bankruptcy cases, which involved breach of fiduciary duty and voidable transfer claims.
• Indenture trustees as official committee members in numerous cases, including Rexene and Eastern Airlines cases.