SRBP - Key Persons
Amy Denton Mayer has more than 20 years of restructuring experience and specializes in the representation of debtors, assignors, committees, creditors, trustees, assignees, purchasers, and other parties in bankruptcy cases, assignments for the benefit of creditors, and out of court workouts. She has been particularly active in the representation of real estate developers and home builders, medical practices and physicians, agribusinesses, independent and franchised restaurant chains and other food service companies, and business entrepreneurs.
Mrs. Mayer joined Stichter, Riedel, Blain, & Postler P.A. in March of 2003 and became a shareholder in 2010. She received her J.D. with honors in 2002 from the University of Florida. While in law school, Mrs. Mayer interned for The Honorable Paul M. Glenn and The Honorable Michael G. Williamson, Bankruptcy Judges, Middle District of Florida.
Although her passion is serving as an advocate and helping clients navigate legal issues in and out of court, she also serves as a Subchapter V Trustee in small business cases filed under the Small Business Reorganization Act of 2019, as amended. She was appointed by the Office of the United States Trustee in February 2020, and has been appointed as Subchapter V Trustee in over 85 cases to date. In her capacity as Trustee, Mrs. Mayer's primary role is to facilitate resolution of disputes between the debtor, creditors, and other parties in interest and facilitate the expeditious and economical confirmation of a plan. While the Subchapter V Trustee role carries other statutory and fiduciary duties, which Mrs. Mayer performs, she enjoys working with the parties to find creative solutions to solve financial and legal issues and avoid protracted and expensive litigation.
EDUCATION
University of South Florida, Bachelor of Science, Accounting, cum laude, 1998
University of South Florida, Master of Accountancy, 1999
University of Florida College of Law, Juris Doctor, with honors, 2002
Job Titles:
- Trustee and Chapter 11 Trustee in Various Cases
Arizona Pet Stylist, successfully defended client in litigation involving alleged breach of contract claims by PEO company;
Mr. Bachman is a 1999 Honors graduate of Florida State University with a B.S. in Business Management and a Minor in English. Mr. Bachman received his J.D., cum laude, in 2005 from the University of Florida Levin College of Law. While in law school, Mr. Bachman was a member of the Senior Editorial Board of the University of Florida Journal of Technology Law and Policy and was a member of Phi Delta Phi.
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Shareholder
- Co - Counsel for Debtors in Chapter 11
- Member of the Tampa Bay Bankruptcy Bar
Board Certified in Business Bankruptcy Law, Barbara is an experienced and creative insolvency attorney and commercial litigator regularly representing businesses and individuals in reorganization cases and in state and federal court actions. She is well versed in asset protection strategies, the sale of distressed assets, financial restructurings, the workout of commercial debts, assignments for the benefit of creditors, receiverships and dissolutions.
Barbara is an active member of the Tampa Bay Bankruptcy Bar and currently serves as the association's Chair. Barbara has also served as the Chair of the District-Wide Steering Committee for the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Florida, and as Chair of the IWIRC Florida Network, which recently honored Barbara with its 2021 Trailblazer Award.
Ms. Hart graduated with honors from Stetson University College of Law in 2001, where she served as the Managing Editor of the Stetson Law Review and was the recipient of the Judge Stanley Milledge Award and the McBride Family Scholarship. Ms. Hart also served a two-year term as law clerk for the Honorable Judge K. Rodney May, United Stated Bankruptcy Judge, Middle District of Florida.
EDUCATION
Stetson University College of Law in 2001, Juris Doctor, cum laude
University of South Florida, Master of Public Health, 1991
Tusculum College, Bachelor of Science, 1988
Ms. Hart has served as lead or co-counsel for debtors in Chapter 11 cases, and for both plaintiffs and defendants in complicated, commercial foreclosure actions.
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Shareholder
- Shareholder / Professional Firm Accomplishments
Charles A. Postler is widely regarded as one of the foremost lawyers in the State of Florida for handling large and complex business transactions. Much of his practice is devoted to the representation of parties buying or selling operating companies or other significant assets through asset purchase agreements or stock purchase agreements.
He has represented parties in sale and purchase or financing transactions in a wide variety of matters - from the sale or acquisition of public companies and billion-dollar multi-national commercial enterprises to luxury resorts and 150 foot Feadship yachts. He is equally adept at handling these transactions in traditional merger and acquisition contexts and in large (and occasionally contentious) chapter 11 cases. In the chapter 11 context, he routinely handles the drafting of plans of reorganization and disclosure statements in many of the firm's largest cases, as well as transactional documents, debtor in possession financing documents, and plan confirmation funding documents. Mr. Postler's practice is not limited to transactional work. He makes regular bankruptcy court appearances and recently headed up the firm's successful representation of two publicly traded companies, Accentia Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. and Biovest International, Inc. and has represented several hospitals in successful chapter 11 cases. Mr. Postler joined the firm as a partner in 1991 after working eight years with the law firm of Fowler, White, Gillen, Boggs, Villareal and Banker, P.A. in Tampa, Florida, where he was a partner at the time of his departure. During his tenure with the Fowler, White law firm, he specialized in securities law, mergers and acquisitions, and corporation and banking law. Also while at Fowler, White, he served as co-counsel with the Stichter, Riedel law firm in the Trust America Chapter 11 bankruptcy case.
EDUCATION
Spring Hill College, Summa Cum Laude, 1978
University of Florida, J.D., 1984, with honors
Chief Tax Editor, University of Florida Law Review
Mr. Fogarty regularly represents debtors, committees, creditors, trustees, buyers, and other parties in bankruptcy cases and out-of-court workouts. He has served as lead counsel for the debtors in possession in the numerous successful Chapter 11 cases filed by companies in real estate, manufacturing, healthcare, retail, software development, and other industries, including a number of successful Subchapter V cases. Mr. Fogarty has been active in representations of creditors and companies in large Chapter 11 cases throughout the country. Mr. Fogarty also represents debtors, trustees, and other parties in Chapter 7 cases.
Daniel R. Fogarty joined Stichter, Riedel, Blain & Postler, P.A. in 2006 after graduating with high honors from the University of Florida College of Law and then serving as a law clerk for the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Florida, Tampa Division.
EDUCATION
University of Notre Dame, Bachelor of Arts, History and Philosophy, Cum Laude
University of Florida, Juris Doctor, Magna Cum Laude, Order of the Coif
Four Stichter Riedel shareholders were recognized as the top lawyers in Tampa by Tampa Magazine in its April-May 2018 edition following a peer review process. Charles A. Postler, the head of the Firm's Corporate and Transactional practice, was named the top Tampa lawyer in four areas - corporate law, corporate governance law, business organizations law (including LLCs), and closely held companies and family business law. In the firm's core insolvency practice, Scott A. Stichter was recognized as the top lawyer in bankruptcy and creditor-debtor rights/insolvency & reorganization law, while Barbara Hart, who leads the firm state court loan litigation practice, was voted as the top lawyer in banking and finance litigation. Michael Bachman was listed as the top real estate lawyer.
Elena Paras Ketchum, named by SuperLawyers as one of the top fifty women attorneys in the State of Florida, joined the law firm of Stichter, Riedel, Blain & Postler, P.A. in 2001 and became a shareholder in 2007. Ms. Ketchum is heavily involved in the firm's insolvency, transactional, and commercial litigation practices.
In the insolvency arena, Ms. Ketchum brings a solid knowledge of bankruptcy law and substantial courtroom experience to her cases. She is chiefly noted for her representation of debtors in possession in Chapter 11 cases - successfully reorganizing debtors involved in industries as diverse as trucking, manufacturing, construction, retail, restaurant, healthcare, printing, and grocery.
On the transactional side, she has represented numerous buyers and sellers in connection with complex stock and asset sales and borrowers and guarantors in commercial loan transactions. Ms. Ketchum has been lead counsel in successful out-of-court workouts of loans totaling in the hundreds of millions of dollars and regularly represents clients in negotiating and documenting complicated transactions such as workout and loan modification agreements and agreements related to asset sales.
Ms. Ketchum also heads up the firm's practice under Chapter 727 of the Florida Statutes dealing with "Assignments for the Benefit of Creditors". Finally, Ms. Ketchum defends borrowers in state court litigation, bringing with her the courtroom experience she gained as an Assistant State Attorney with the State Attorney's Office for the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit, Hillsborough County, where she was assigned to the Felony division.
Ms. Ketchum currently serves on the local Rules Lawyers Advisors committee for the Middle District of Florida, has served as President and Chair of the Tampa Bay Bankruptcy Bar Association, served as Chair of the District-Wide Steering Committee for the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Florida, has lectured on bankruptcy topics, and has served as a guest instructor in advanced bankruptcy classes at the University of Florida College of Law and at the Stetson University College of Law. Ms. Ketchum is a Tampa native.
EDUCATION
Agnes Scott College, B.A., with high honors
University of Florida, J.D., 1997, with honors
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Managing Shareholder
Harley E. Riedel joined Stichter, Riedel, Blain & Postler, P.A. at its inception in 1974 after graduating from the University of Florida College of Law (with high honors), where he served as Editor-in-Chief of the University of Florida Law Review and was a member of the Order of the Coif. Mentored by the late Don M. Stichter, Harley tried his first state court case in Polk County Circuit Court only weeks after his admission to the bar and, in his early years, handled virtually every type of case and transaction. Insolvency law, however, with its unique combination of litigation and negotiation over a wide range of legal and business areas, particularly interested him.
Over his career, he has served as lead counsel for debtors in possession and other key constituencies in many of the largest Chapter 11 cases ever filed in the State of Florida. He was appointed by the United States District Court to serve as the Special Master in litigation involving extensive farming appointed in Florida and Michigan. He also has an active bankruptcy, state, and federal court mediation practice and has achieved a high rate of successful settlements for parties in those matters.
Few lawyers in Florida have achieved the rankings in independent peer review surveys that Harley has. He has been ranked by Super Lawyers as the best lawyer in the entire State of Florida in five different years and has been in its Top Ten list for 15 consecutive years. He is in the Florida Legal Elite "Hall of Fame," and is rated as one of only three "Star Performers" in insolvency law in the state by Chambers USA. Other recognitions include "Who's Who-Legal." In 1994, at age forty-four, he was inducted as a Fellow into The American College of Bankruptcy. In 2007, he was honored by the Tampa Bay Bankruptcy Bar Association for "outstanding effectiveness, thorough preparation, civility, courtesy, and professionalism at the highest level." He has been repeatedly recognized by Tampa Magazine as one of the best mediators in Tampa.
Harley is active in bar activities. He was a founder of the Tampa Bay Bankruptcy Bar Association and served as its president. He has spoken and written on bankruptcy-related topics for the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges, the American Bar Association, the American Bankruptcy Institute, The Florida Bar, and numerous other legal and business groups. In 2023, he received the Judge Don Castor Justice Award from Bay Area Legal Services, presented to "an individual who has dedicated time and energy to ensure equal access to justice for all, and not just to those who can afford it, and has shown a commitment to Bay Area Legal Services and the provision of legal aid."
In addition to his active representation of clients and mediation practice, Harley has served as the managing or co-managing shareholder of the firm for more than 40 years. But it has not been a hard task. Often named one of the best places to work, SRBP enjoys extraordinary loyalty from its professionals and staff, almost all of whom have worked at the firm for more than ten years - and many of whom have celebrated their twenty, thirty and even forty-year anniversaries with the firm.
EDUCATION
Baylor University, B.A., 1971
University of Florida, J.D., 1974, with high honors
Editor-in-Chief, University of Florida Law Review
Order of the Coif
Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society
Harley Riedel, Russell Blain, Elena Paras Ketchum, Amy Denton Harris, and Jodi Daniel Dubose have served as guest lecturers in the Advanced Bankruptcy Class at the University of Florida College of Law. Mr. Riedel, Mr. Blain, and Stephen Leslie have served as guest lecturers for the Advanced Bankruptcy Class at the Stetson College of Law. Elena Paras Ketchum, Susan Sharp, and Barbara Hart have served as guest lecturers for the Bankruptcy Seminar at Stetson College Law School and Matthew Hale has guest lectured at Florida A&M University.
Jodi Daniel Dubose joined Stichter, Riedel, Blain & Postler P.A. on September 1, 2015, in the firm's newly-opened Pensacola office. Ms. Dubose received her J.D. in 2007 from the University of Florida. While in law school, she interned for The Honorable Lewis M. Killian, Jr., Bankruptcy Judge, Northern District of Florida.
Ms. Dubose is a past president of the Northern District of Florida Bankruptcy Bar Association, the Escambia-Santa Rosa Bar Association (ESRBA) and the Young Lawyers' Division of the ESRBA. She was the Inaugural Chair of the Gulf Coast Network of the International Women's Insolvency and Restructuring Confederation, and also serves on IWIRC International's Executive Board.
She has served on the Executive Council of the Business Law Section of the Florida Bar since 2011, chairing its Bankruptcy/UCC Committee, Bankruptcy Judicial Liaison Committee, Annual Retreat Committee, Membership Committee, and various study groups and task forces. Most recently, she successfully co-chaired its Assignments for the Benefit of Creditors Glitch Bill Task Force and was appointed Vice Chair of the Uniform Commercial Real Estate Receivership Act Glitch Bill Task Force.
Ms. Dubose regularly represents debtors, committees, creditors, trustees, purchasers, fiduciaries, and other parties in bankruptcy cases, assignments for the benefit of creditors, receiverships, and out-of-court workouts. She has been particularly active in fiduciary representation in state and federal courts, and also handles civil litigation matters, principally in connection with debtor-creditor disputes. Ms. Dubose is the appointed Subchapter V Chapter 11 Trustee for the Northern District of Florida, is certified by the Florida Supreme Court to mediate circuit civil cases in Florida state courts, and is approved by the Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Florida to mediate mortgage modification disputes. She is licensed to practice law in Florida, Alabama, and Texas.
EDUCATION
University of West Florida, Bachelor of Arts, Communication, magna cum laude
University of Florida College of Law, Juris Doctor
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Partner
- Shareholder
Mark Robens - a partner with Stichter, Riedel, Blain & Postler, P.A. - has been with the Firm since 2013 after graduating from Stetson University College of Law. Mr. Robens represents clients in bankruptcy matters, federal or state court litigation matters, assignments for the benefit of creditors, out-of-court workouts and restructuring, and appeals. He has broad experience working with a variety of clients, including debtors, creditors, and trustees, individuals and corporations.
Mr. Robens graduated magna cum laude from St. John Vianney College Seminary in 2004. For several years, he worked as a computer programmer for a small software company until he answered a higher calling to become a lawyer. In 2010, Mr. Robens entered Stetson University College of Law, where he joined the Stetson Law Review. In law school, he concentrated his studies in bankruptcy and trial advocacy. He also earned recognition for his significant pro bono work through the William F. Blews Pro Bono Service Award.
EDUCATION
St. John Vianney College Seminary, B.A. magna cum laude, 2004
Stetson University College of Law, J.D., 2013
Matt Hale is a practical business restructuring attorney who deals regularly in all aspects of complex commercial insolvency matters and related litigation.
Matt focuses on assisting businesses and their owners in navigating the restructuring process, both in-court and out-of-court. More broadly, he represents debtors, creditors, committees, and trustees in business bankruptcy cases, seeking to maximize value for stakeholders. Matt prides himself on developing creative solutions to complicated problems.
In addition to his bankruptcy practice, he also represents fiduciaries and other parties in Florida assignment for the benefit of creditors cases and receivership cases. Matt also advocates for clients in a variety of commercial litigation matters, including fraudulent transfer actions, preference actions, litigation against directors and officers, complex creditor enforcement litigation, business owner disputes, real estate litigation, and contract disputes.
Matt Hale joined Stichter, Riedel, Blain & Postler, P.A. after serving as a term law clerk for the Honorable Karen S. Jennemann, Chief United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Middle District of Florida. He received his Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, from Florida State University College of Law, where he served as an editor of the Florida State University Law Review and earned invitation to the Order of the Coif. He received his Bachelors of Science in Business Administration, majoring in Economics, from the University of Florida.
Matt lives in South Tampa with his wife and two little girls. Outside the office, he enjoys any opportunity to go fishing or play golf. Matt's interests also include backcountry hiking in remote locations. He has hiked the John Muir Trail (211 mi.) through the Sierra Nevada mountains in California and has summitted Mt. Rainier in Washington.
EDUCATION
University of Florida, B.S. (2010)
Florida State University College of Law, J.D. (2013)
Don Stichter was listed as Lawyer of the Year, 2013 by Best Lawyers in America in the category of Bankruptcy and Creditor Rights/Insolvency & Reorganization Law Tampa. Harley Riedel was named Lawyer of the Year in 2010 in the same category. Six others are also listed by Best Lawyers in America, Russell Blain, Stephen Leslie, Charles Postler, Scott Stichter, Elena Ketchum, Daniel Fogarty, and Barbara Hart.
Don Stichter, Harley Riedel, Russell Blain, Richard Prosser, Elena Paras Ketchum, and Scott Stichter have each served as president of the Tampa Bay Bankruptcy Bar Association. Barbara Hart currently serves as the president, and Daniel Fogarty and Matthew Hale serve as Directors.
Don Stichter served as President of the Hillsborough County Bar Association and was named outstanding Local Bar President by The Florida Bar. Jodi Daniel Dubose served as President of the Escambia-Santa Rosa Bar Association.
On March 15, 2005, Scott A. Stichter was honored as the recipient of the 2005 Jimmy Kynes Pro Bono Award. The award is given annually to an outstanding pro bono attorney selected by the Hillsborough County Bar Association and the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit's pro bono program, H.A.V.E. A Heart. It is dedicated to the memory of former general counsel for the Jim Walters Corporation, Jimmy Kynes.
On November 26, 2008 The Florida Bar awarded Scott A. Stichter The Florida Bar President's Pro Bono Service Award for 2009 from the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit. Each year, the Florida Supreme Court and The Florida Bar give special recognition to lawyers who have freely given their time and expertise in making legal services available to the poor. Mr. Stichter was recognized for the time and professional expertise he contributed in making legal representation available to those otherwise unable to afford it.
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Shareholder
- Co - Counsel
- Fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy
Since joining Stichter, Riedel, Blain & Postler P.A. as a shareholder in 1985, Mr. Blain has led the firm's representation of clients in numerous large Chapter 11 cases. His practice, which involves out-of-court workouts and consultation with and advice to clients, as well as litigation in bankruptcy courts, is statewide, and he has served as lead counsel in the representation of debtors in possession in the largest cases ever filed in the Northern District of Florida. He is the immediate past chair of the Business Law Section of The Florida Bar and is a past president of the Tampa Bay Bankruptcy Bar Association.
Mr. Blain is a Fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy. He is recognized by Super Lawyers magazine as one of the Top 100 lawyers in the State of Florida. He is also listed in the bankruptcy and insolvency category by "Best Lawyers in America," by Chambers & Partners "America's Leading Lawyers for Business," by Florida Trend magazine's "Florida Legal Elite," and by "Who's Who - Legal." He has spoken on bankruptcy topics for The Florida Bar and various other seminar sponsors.
Mr. Blain was born in Tampa, Florida, and was educated at Vanderbilt University, where he received his B.A. magna cum laude in 1974, and at the University of Florida, where he received his J.D. in 1977. He served as Senior Executive Editor of the University of Florida Law Review, and his law review note was selected for publication and received the Gertrude Brick Law Apprentice Award. He is a member of Phi Delta Phi and Omicron Delta Kappa. Mr. Blain was admitted to The Florida Bar in 1977.
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Arts, 1974, Vanderbilt University (magna cum laude)
Juris Doctor 1977, University of Florida College of Law
Senior Executive Editor of the University of Florida Law Review
Mr. Blain has served as lead or co-counsel for numerous debtors in complicated and successful Chapter 11 cases.
Russell M. Blain, Richard C. Prosser, and Charles A. Postler joined the firm laterally as partners in 1985, 1990, and 1992, respectively. Scott A. Stichter, who joined the firm as an associate in 1987, became a shareholder in 1995. Since then, the firm has grown adding a number of lawyers and partners. The firm expanded to meet the challenges posed by the Great Recession of 2008. In 2015, following the retirement of Richard C. Prosser, the firm became known by its current name, Stichter, Riedel, Blain & Postler, P.A. The firm continues to handle all types of insolvency matters, complex business transactions, and discrete areas of civil commercial litigation.
Russell Blain was the Chair of the Business Law Section of The Florida Bar in 2008-2009 and remains a member of its Executive Council. He is the immediate past President of the Hillsborough County Bar Foundation and the past President of the Ferguson-White American Inn of Court. He is the past President of the Hillsborough County Bar Foundation and a past President of the Ferguson-White American Inn of Court.
Sam Seltzer's Steak Houses of America Inc. and its affiliates, owners and operators of 15 Sam Seltzer's Steakhouses
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Shareholder
- Lead or Had Significant Involvement in the Firm 's Representation of
Scott A. Stichter joined Stichter Riedel in 1987 and became a shareholder in 1993. He regularly represents debtors, committees, creditors, trustees, buyers and other parties in bankruptcy cases and out-of-court workouts. In addition, Mr. Stichter has represented assignors and assignees on assignment for the benefit and creditor proceedings.
Mr. Stichter was born and raised in Tampa, Florida. He graduated from Vanderbilt University in 1984 with a Bachelor of Arts. Mr. Stichter received his Juris Doctor from Wake Forest University School of Law in 1987, where he served as a member of the Moot Court Board and the American Bar Association National Appellate Advocacy Team.
He is the recipient of pro bono awards from the Florida Bar Association and Hillsborough County Bar Association. Mr.Stichter was a past President of the Tampa Bay Bankruptcy Bar Association. He regularly speaks on insolvency issues.
EDUCATION
Vanderbilt University, B.A. 1984
Wake Forest University, J.D. 1987, member of the Moot Court Board and the American Bar Association National Appellate Advocacy Team
Stephen R. Leslie is a 1990 graduate of the University of South Florida with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. Mr. Leslie received his Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Stetson University College of Law in 1993. Mr. Leslie joined Stichter Riedel in 1993 and became a shareholder in 2001. Mr. Leslie's active practice involves advice and consultation with clients concerning restructuring and deleveraging. His practice includes frequent court appearances in Federal Bankruptcy Court throughout the State of Florida and he heads the firm's Ft. Myers office.
Mr. Leslie has acted as lead Chapter 11 or lead workout counsel in matters involving hundreds of millions of dollars in assets spanning marinas, condominium projects of various types, condo projects, hotels, self-storage facilities, general contractors, construction companies, motorcycle retailers, trucking companies, block and concrete manufacturers, furniture manufacturing, window and construction component manufacturing, farming operations of various types including citrus, real estate developers, apartment complexes, aerospace concerns and defense contractors, design firms, medical practices of various types (cardiac, dental, nephrology, ENT, etc.), medical and dental manufacturing and sales concerns, national carnival operators, diamond retailers, clothing retailers, auto repair retailers, retail strip centers, home accessory retailers, open-cast mining concerns, retail car rental companies, and several different types of restaurant chains. He has represented lenders (including DIP lenders), purchasers, and creditors' committees in multiple Chapter 11 cases. He has been engaged as an expert witness on bankruptcy topics. He has also spent substantial time on commercial litigation matters in the bankruptcy context (including avoidance actions), as well as handling bankruptcy appellate matters.
EDUCATION
1990, University of South Florida, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
1993, Stetson University College of Law, Juris Doctor, cum laude