At a Glance
Caroline has extensive experience representing various creditors, trustees, debtors and committees in bankruptcy cases and adversary proceedings.
She is an at-large member of the Ninth Circuit Conference Executive Committee and the secretary/treasurer of the Orange County Bar Association Commercial Law and Bankruptcy Section.
Caroline is a Subchapter V Small Business Chapter 11 Trustee.
Caroline R. Djang is a partner in Best Best & Krieger LLP’s Business practice group. She is the chief bankruptcy counsel and leads the firm's Bankruptcy practice. Caroline practices in the areas of insolvency, bankruptcy and litigation. Caroline counsels her creditor clients on the best strategies for pursuing and collecting debts within the bounds of bankruptcy law and realistically advises them on their prospects for recovery. She also helps her clients in financial distress to understand their options. Caroline’s extensive work in the representation of debtors, creditors and trustees on contested matters and in adversary proceedings includes:
- Serving as local California bankruptcy counsel to a major national bank.
- Representing several Chapter 7 trustees as both general and special litigation counsel in various bankruptcy cases and adversary proceedings.
- Represented a secured creditor in a plan confirmation trial that resulted in a consensual confirmed Chapter 11 plan.
- Represented the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors of a music-sharing website. Prosecuted avoidance actions, resulting in substantial recovery to the Chapter 11 estate.
- Represented the debtor, a construction company located in Central California, in its Chapter 11 case. Unsecured creditors were paid in full, and the secured lender obtained a substantial recovery.
- Prevailed on appeal on behalf of a counterparty to an executory contract, which was rejected by a state court receiver.
- Represented a prepetition secured lender in a Chapter 11 case in the District of Delaware, which resulted in payment in full to the lender through a section 363 sale of assets.
- Represented more than 40 similarly situated defendants in fraudulent transfer litigation, which resulted in dismissal with prejudice of the actions and allowed claims for each defendant.
- Defeated Chapter 11 plan confirmation of a single asset real estate debtor and obtained relief from the automatic stay on behalf of a secured lender.
- Represented a major title company in settling a potential multi-million dollar claim by a Chapter 7 trustee.
- Represented the Chapter 11 trustee in a high-profile Ponzi scheme case in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California.
- Represented a San Diego-based bottled water company in its Chapter 11 case. Confirmed a Chapter 11 plan and settled contentious litigation.
- Represented the Chapter 11 trustee in a large real estate case in Santa Barbara.
- Confirmed a Chapter 11 liquidating plan for a ramen company in Orange County.
- Settled and obtained dismissals in numerous avoidance actions on behalf of defendants.
- Represented numerous creditors, including landlords and holders of reclamation and section 503(b)(9) claims, in several major bankruptcy cases, such as Sears, PG&E, Circuit City, Mervyn’s, Lehman Brothers, Radio Shack and Loehmann’s.
- Representing a leading bottled water supplier in the U.S. with respect to creditor's rights.
- Representing several prominent landlords in California with respect to landlords' and creditors' rights and claims in bankruptcy.
- Representing one of the largest food service companies in Orange County.
Prior to joining BB&K, Caroline was a partner at Rutan & Tucker, LLP. Before entering private practice, Caroline was a judicial law clerk at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for seven years, clerking for U.S. Bankruptcy Judges Ellen Carroll, Vincent P. Zurzolo, Sheri Bluebond and Richard M. Neiter.
Caroline is an Orange County native and an avid Angels fan. She is admitted to practice in all of the U.S. District Courts in California.
Honors/Awards
- The Best Lawyers in America®, Litigation - Bankruptcy and Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization, 2020-2021
- Litigation - Bankruptcy Lawyer of the Year in Irvine, Best Lawyers®, 2020
- Southern California Super Lawyers, 2017-2020
- Central District of California Lawyer Representative to the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference,2014–2017; At-Large Member of the Conference Executive Committee, 2017-2020
- Up-and-Coming 25: 2015 Orange County Rising Stars
- Up-and-Coming 50: 2015 Women Southern California Rising Stars
- Up-and-Coming 100: 2015 Southern California Rising Stars
- Southern California Super Lawyers Rising Stars, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015
- Top Attorneys, 2014, 2015 (10.0 Avvo ranking) OC Metro Magazine Orange County Register’s
- Lawyers of Color’s Inaugural Hot List (Western Region), 2013
Education
- Loyola Law School, J.D.
- University of Pennsylvania, B.A., English and history
Admissions
- Orange County Bar Association, Commercial Law and Bankruptcy Section, secretary/treasurer
- Orange County Bankruptcy Forum, Board of Directors immediate past president
- ABI Battleground West 2020 Advisory Board
- Orange County Women’s Law Association, Board
- California Bankruptcy Forum Insolvency Conference co-chair, 2016-2017
- Make a Point Foundation, Board of Directors
- NAPABA Bankruptcy, Restructuring and Creditors’ Rights Committee
- Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW)
- Orange County Asian American Bar Association
- Public Law Center Pro Bono counsel
Legal Alerts
Jul 08, 2020
Five Takeaways for Commercial Landlords When Tenants File Bankruptcy
COVID-19 Pandemic Likely to Increase Bankruptcy Filings
Legal Alerts
Jan 14, 2019
CPUC Proceedings of Note: PG&E Restructuring, Undergrounding and Wildfire Mitigation
Public Agencies Will Be Impacted by Various Actions
- “Debunking the Sham Guaranty Defense,” State Bar of California Real Property Section, E-Bulletin, November 2016
- “In Rem Relief from Stay - Affords Relief from Serial Bankruptcies for Real Estate Lenders,” Orange County Business Journal, November 2015
- “Real Estate Lenders Relief From Serial Bankruptcies - aka ‘In Rem’ Relief From Stay,” California Mortgage Finance News, Spring 2014
- “Singled Out - Chapter 11 Provides Only Temporary Respite to an Entity in a Single Asset Real Estate Bankruptcy,” Los Angeles Lawyer, January 2012
- “Stern v. Marshall Bankruptcy Case: Bombshell or Dud? (Part I and II),” Los Angeles Daily Journal, October 2011
- “Volunteer Attorney Program Can Alleviate Bankruptcy Court’s Massive Workload,” Los Angeles Daily Journal, February 2011
Press Releases
Nov 05, 2020
BB&K’s 2021 Best Law Firms Rankings Include New Tier 1 Recognitions
Annual U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers List
Press Releases
Aug 20, 2020
36 BB&K Attorneys Recognized on The Best Lawyers in America List for 2021
Three Named “Lawyers of the Year” and One Included on “Ones to Watch” List
Legal Alerts
Jul 08, 2020
Five Takeaways for Commercial Landlords When Tenants File Bankruptcy
COVID-19 Pandemic Likely to Increase Bankruptcy Filings
Press Releases
Jan 17, 2020
Southern California Super Lawyers 2020
Nine BB&K Attorneys Earn Recognition
Press Releases
Aug 15, 2019
The Best Lawyers Recognizes 31 BB&K Attorneys on 2020 List
Including Seven Named as “Lawyer of the Year”
Press Releases
Jan 30, 2019
Seven Attorneys on Southern California Super Lawyers List
2019 Recognition Includes Riverside, Irvine, Los Angeles and Manhattan Beach Attorneys
Legal Alerts
Jan 14, 2019
CPUC Proceedings of Note: PG&E Restructuring, Undergrounding and Wildfire Mitigation
Public Agencies Will Be Impacted by Various Actions
Press Releases
Sep 21, 2018
BB&K Earns Advancement of Women Award from OCWLA
Proud to be Recipient of Inaugural Recognition
Press Releases
Feb 08, 2018
Southern California Super Lawyers 2018
Environmental, Public Agency, Litigation and Bankruptcy Partners Recognized
Presentations
- “A Star is Born: Navigating Legal Ethics for the Social Media Bankruptcy Influencer,” 31st Annual Insolvency Conference, California Bankruptcy Forum, May 17, 2019
- “Judges’ Night,” Orange County Bankruptcy Forum, October 2017
- “Debtor Creditor Feud: The Basics Plus,” Orange County Bar Association Business & Corporate Section, September 2015
- “Collecting and Keeping the Money: Pre-Judgment and Post-Judgment Remedies, and Bankruptcy Basics,” Rutan & Tucker In-House MCLE Breakfast Series, July 2015
- “The Future of Business & Development in Orange County,” Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW), September 2013
- “Judges Roundtable: Increasing Efficiency in the Courtroom,” California Bankruptcy Forum, May 2013
- “Orange County Korean American Bar Association, Fifth Annual Community Law School,” April 2010
- “A Discussion of Ethical Issues in Bankruptcy Cases,” Los Angeles Paralegal Association, January 2009
- “What Is Bankruptcy?” Loyola Law School Business Law Society, March 2008