Lara S. Martin

Associate | Bankruptcy & Restructuring

Overview

Lara is an attorney in WH Burkley’s Bankruptcy and Restructuring Group,  primarily representingbusinesses, corporate debtors, and financial institutions nationwide and internationally incommercial bankruptcy and insolvency proceedings and workouts.

Lara considers her biggest professional asset to be her attention and care for the client and focus on the end result. As a communications major at Penn State University, Lara wanted to use her persuasive and creative writing skills to effectuate change and found legal advocacy the perfect fit. She was a pro bono attorney with Jewish Family & Children’s Services prior to joining WH Burkely, assisting in immigration and asylum work. She also has an extensive background in nonprofit maters and continues to provide pro bono counsel when able.

Experience

  • Represented a Pennsylvania-based collision repair company in a successful subchapter V bankruptcy case;
  • Represented a small business coffee enterprise in a subchapter V bankruptcy case;
  • Represented  an individual Debtor as owner and President of a large business in a Chapter 11 reorganization with successful resolution of shareholder disputes.
  • Representses a global biomedical company for over fifteen years in hospital and clinical laboratory bankruptcy and insolvency proceedings nationwide;
  • Represented foreign credit insurance company in United States bankruptcy and insolvency proceedings nationwide for over ten years.

Associations

  • Pennsylvania Bar Association, Zone 12 Delegate, 2022-2025
  • Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania | Certified Mediator and Mediator
  • Allegheny County Bar Association, Bankruptcy & Commercial Law Section Council | Member
  • ACLU | Young Leadership Outreach Team Member | 2016-2021
  •  Kelly Strayhorn Theater
    • Board Member (2014-2018)
    • Treasurer (2015-2017)
  • Junior League of Pittsburgh | Director of Marketing and Communications (2014-2015)

Education

  • Duquesne University, J.D.
    • cum laude
    • Contributing Editor and Writer for Juris Magazine
  • CUPL China Summer Law Program (Beijing)
  • Pennsylvania State University, B.A.
  • Intermediate Grant Writing | Certification
  • Crisis Text Line | Certified Crisis Counselor