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MEET MICHAEL

MEET MICHAEL

Michael is

a bankruptcy and creditors' rights and restructuring attorney

and a business and commercial litigator.

Michael provides counsel to businesses and individuals in a broad array of bankruptcy and insolvency matters to debtors, lenders and other secured creditors, unsecured creditors, creditor committees, bankruptcy trustees and other fiduciaries, and buyers of estate assets in complex business and consumer bankruptcy cases, including Chapter 11 reorganization (traditional and Subchapter V) cases and Chapter 7 liquidation cases, as well as in assignments for the benefit of creditors cases and in out of court workouts—and to plaintiffs and defendants in bankruptcy adversary proceedings and in state and federal court lawsuits involving business disputes and complex litigation.

Michael D. Lessne Color.jpg

Michael is an experienced practitioner and a trusted advisor to his clients

having handled a wide variety of bankruptcy and bankruptcy litigation matters throughout his career, including business reorganization cases and liquidation cases (including cases involving Ponzi schemes and fraud, merchant cash advances (MCAs), healthcare, and retail), avoidance actions (including pursuing and defending fraudulent transfer and preference claims), and dischargeability actions (including with respect to taxes). Michael also interned while in law school for a Southern District of Florida bankruptcy judge. 

Michael draws on his business and accounting background

as a licensed CPA who has worked throughout his career with trustees and forensic accounting firms and from his experience before practicing law interning at a forensic accounting firm, a national tax firm, and an international accounting firm.

Michael is family-oriented

happily married to his wife Ashley Boxer and father to their daughter Mae.

Experience, Education, & Admissions

Lessne Law, Attorney at Law and Founder (February 2022 – present)

Edelboim Lieberman Revah, PLLC, Attorney at Law (February 2022 – August 2022)

Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, LLP, Partner (August 2018 – February 2022) 

Broad and Cassel, LLP, Partner (February 2017 – August 2018) (Broad and Cassel combined with Nelson Mullins on August 1, 2018) 

GrayRobinson, PA, Shareholder (October 2009 – February 2017)

University of Miami School of Law, JD (2009)

University of Florida, MAcc, Accounting (2006)

University of Florida, BS, Accounting (2006)

Michael is a member of the Florida Bar, the United States Bankruptcy Courts for the Southern District of Florida, Middle District of Florida, and Northern District of Florida, the United States District Courts for the Southern District of Florida, Middle District of Florida, and Northern District of Florida, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeal, and the United States Supreme Court.

Michael is also a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in Florida.

Service & Leadership

President, Bankruptcy Bar Association of the Southern District of Florida (BBA) (7/1/2024 – 6/30/2024), Board of Directors (2014 – present); Treasurer (2019 – 2020), Secretary (2020 – 2021), Second Vice President (2021 – 2022), First Vice President (2022 – 2023), President Elect (2023 – 2024) 

Special Projects Leader, Commercial and Regulatory Law Committee, American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI) (2023 – present)

 

Board of Directors, Florida Engineers Management Corporation (FEMC) (public member) (2/16/2024 – 2/15/2028)

 

Leadership Florida, Connect Class 11 (2020 – 2022)

 

Board of Directors, Leadership Broward Foundation (2019 – 2024), Vice President of Engagement (2021 – 2024)

 

Host Committee, Delish 2022, Arc Broward (2022)

 

Board of Directors, Ex Officio, Broward Performing Arts Foundation (2019 – 2020)

 

Steering Committee, Ghost Light Society (2015 – 2021); Vice-Chair 2019, Chair 2020

 

Steering Committee, Historic Stranahan House Museum’s Annual “Holiday Hangover” (new–year kickoff event) (2015 – 2019)

 

Board of Directors, Deliver the Dream (2015 – 2018)

 

Committee Member, Turquoise Takeover Task Force, American Lung Association (ALA) in Broward County (2017)

 

Leadership Broward, Class XXX (2017)

 

Leadership Fort Lauderdale, Class 18 (2011); Vice-Chair (2013 – 2014); Curriculum Chair (2014 – 2015) 

University of Miami Rothschild Entrepreneurship Award (2008)

University of Florida Fisher School of Accounting Ed Triplett Leadership Award (2005)

UCC Article 12: Controllable Electronic Records (CER), abiLIVE webinar series, organizer as Special Projects Leader for ABI Commercial and Regulatory Law Committee (October 25, 2023)

Subchapter V, Bankruptcy Bar Association for the Southern District of Florida CLE "Brown Bag," Panelist (January 25, 2023)

ABI Mid-Level Professional Development Institute, Hot Topics in Subchapter V, American Bankruptcy Institute Mid-Level Professional Development Program, panel speaker with Hon. Paul W. Bonapfel (Bankr. N.D. Ga.) and Ryan Richmond, with Alan Rosenberg as moderator (Nov. 9, 2021)

Are Nondischargeability Provisions of Section 523(a) Extended to Corporate Debtors in Chapter 11 Subchapter V Cases?, The Bankruptcy Protector, Author (Nov. 8, 2021)

The Intersection of Cannabis and Bankruptcy, Bankruptcy Bar Association for the Southern District of Florida CLE "Brown Bag," Moderator (April 30, 2019)

Leadership Broward: "Serving Up Leadership," Moderator: Gregory Adam Haile, President, Broward College (February 27, 2019); Gino Santorio, President & CEO, Mount Sinai Medical Center (June 6, 2019); Kenneth Stiles, CEO, Stiles (February 9, 2021); Ginger Martin, President and CEO, American National Bank (May 25, 2021)

Pre-Bankruptcy Best Practices in Litigation, Moderator (Nov. 29, 2018)

Fifth Circuit Reverses Dismissal of Complaint Seeking Injunction to Prevent Medicare Recoupment Prior to Conclusion of Administrative Appeal based on Violation of Procedural Due Process, Healthcare Essentials, Author (Aug. 6, 2018)

Fifth Circuit Reverses Dismissal of Complaint Seeking Injunction to Prevent Medicare Recoupment Prior to Conclusion of Administrative Appeal based on Violation of Procedural Due Process, The Bankruptcy Protector, Author (August 3, 2018)

Notable Recent Supreme Court Cases, Bankruptcy Bar Association for the Southern District of Florida "Brown Bag," Moderator (June 27, 2018)

Large Overpayment Debts…Is Bankruptcy and Option, Home Care of Florida’s (HCAF) 28th Annual Conference and Trade Show, Speaker (July 27, 2017)

Common Tax Issues in Bankruptcy, Broward County Bar Association – Bankruptcy Section, Speaker (March 29, 2017)

Intersection of Family Law and Bankruptcy Law, Bankruptcy Bar Association for the Southern District of Florida "Brown Bag," Moderator (June 29, 2016)

Tax Issues in Bankruptcy, Bankruptcy Bar Association for the Southern District of Florida "Brown Bag," Moderator (March 24, 2015)

Speaking Engagements
Publications

Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business, Bankruptcy/Restructuring South Florida (2020 – 2024)

The Best Lawyers in America, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law and Litigation - Bankruptcy (2018 - 2024) 

Florida Super Lawyers, Rising Star (2016 – 2019), Super Lawyer (2022 – 2024)

Boca Raton Observer's Top Lawyers of 2024

Florida Trend's Florida Legal Elite (2022)

Fort Lauderdale Illustrated, Top Lawyer, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law (2020 – 2021)

Palm Beach Illustrated, Top Lawyer, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law (2021)

Daily Business Review's On the Rise Award (2019)

Finalist for Up & Comers Award for Legal/Law Broward by South Florida Business and Wealth (2018)

Accolades
Practice Areas

Banking & Financial Services

Bankruptcy, Creditors' Rights & Restructuring

Bankruptcy & Insolvency Related Litigation

Business Litigation

Commercial Litigation

Creditor Representation

Debtor Representation

Healthcare Insolvency

Trustee and Fiduciary  Representation

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