Jeffrey D. Cawdrey

Partner

  • Office Contact Info
  • Biography

    Jeffrey Cawdrey is a Senior Partner in the Southern California offices of GRSM, national co-chair of the Bankruptcy, Restructuring & Creditors’ Rights practice group, and a member of the Commercial Litigation, Banking and Finance, D&O and Shareholder Litigation, and Real Estate practice groups. He has extensive experience in all aspects of business and bankruptcy law and litigation, including chapter 11 business reorganization and chapter 7 liquidation.  During Jeffrey’s nearly 40 years in practice, he has represented all parties in the bankruptcy and workout process, including secured and unsecured creditors, debtors, debtors-in-possession, committees, trustees, landlords, tenants, buyers, sellers, and party and third party litigants.

    Jeffrey regularly litigates commercial and business disputes and D&O and shareholder disputes in state and federal courts and in alternative dispute forums. Additionally, Jeffrey serves as a trusted advisor to a broad range of businesses including healthcare, real estate, manufacturing, distribution, retail, and finance. He also has experience handling matters involving real estate litigation.

    He is a court-appointed mediator for the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of California, and a member of the San Diego Bankruptcy Forum.  He is a former member of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court’s local rules revision committee, and a former member of the Court’s C.A.R.E. program, which provides outreach education to high school students on financial literacy. Jeffrey is a former long-time trustee and former president, secretary, and treasurer of the governing board of trustees of the San Diego Law Library. Additionally, he has served as judge pro tem for the San Diego Superior Court (Small Claims Division).

    Admissions

    • California
    • U.S. District Court, Southern, Central, Northern and Eastern Districts of California
    • U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
    • U.S. District Court, Western and Southern Districts of Texas
    • U.S. District Court, District of Texas
    • U.S. District Court, Colorado
    • Admitted pro hac vice in Federal jurisdictions outside of California

    Memberships

    • California Bankruptcy Forum
    • San Diego Bankruptcy Forum (Member; Former Director, Vice President and President)
    • San Diego County Bar Association (Member, Bankruptcy Section; Former Co-chair, Commercial Law Section; Former Chair, Auxiliary Loan and Scholarship Committee)
    • San Diego County Law Library Governing Board of Trustees (Former Trustee, President, Secretary, and Treasurer)
    • State Bar of California (Litigation and Business Sections; Former Member Federal Courts Committee)
    • University City Community Association (Former Foundation Director and Vice-President)
       
  • Practice Areas
  • Representative Experience

    Representative Experience

    • Representation of individual and institutional creditors, including banks, credit unions, finance equipment leasing companies and general unsecured and secured lenders, and in healthcare, real estate, technology, construction, agriculture, manufacturing, automotive, insurance and hospitality.
    • Selected representation of chapter 7 and chapter 11 trustees, receivers and committees.
    • Representation of individual, corporate, limited liability company and partnership business debtors, both in and outside of bankruptcy court and in chapter 7 and chapter 11 cases, including confirmation of chapter 11 reorganizations in retail, construction, resort, engineering, and automotive.
    • Representation of individual and entity clients in general and complex business, corporate, commercial and civil litigation in State and Federal courts and in alternative dispute forums.
    • Representation of Directors, Officers and Shareholders in fiduciary and corporate litigation.
    • Representation of clients in the collection of debts and enforcement of judgments, including representing secured and unsecured lenders in informal and formal workouts and enforcement of security interests.
  • Publications & Presentations

    Published Decisions

    Publications

    In The Media

  • Education

    Education

    J.D., California Western School of Law, 1985

    • Law Review: Symposium Editor - Civil RICO; Staff Writer
    • Honors Instructor, Legal Research and Writing

    B.A., University of Washington

    Clerkship

    Honorable John J. Hargrove, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of California

    Honors

    Best Lawyers in America® "Lawyer of the Year" distinction in Litigation - Bankruptcy (2021, 2023, 2025)

    Best Lawyers in America® distinction in Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law (2020-2025), Commercial Litigation (2021-2025), and Litigation - Bankruptcy (2021-2025)

    Top Rated Lawyer-AV® Preeminent™, Martindale-Hubbell (1995-present)

    Super Lawyers® distinction in Bankruptcy: Business, Creditor Debtor Rights: Business, and Business Litigation (2016-2022)

    Mediator of the Year, 2010-2011, United States Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of California

    BTI Client Service All-Star, BTI Consulting Group (2013)

    Top Lawyer, San Diego Magazine (2013-present)

    Southern California Top Lawyer, Los Angeles Times (2013-present)

Loading...