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.

Caroline is a certified mediator and is serving by appointment to the Bankruptcy Mediation Program Panel for the U.S. Central District of California Bankruptcy Court. She is also an at-large member of the Ninth Circuit Conference Executive Committee and the president-elect of the Orange County Bar Association Commercial Law and Bankruptcy Section.

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, 2020-2022
• Banking and Finance Visionary, Los Angeles Times, 2021
• Southern California Super Lawyers, Bankruptcy, 2017-2021
• Southern California Super Lawyers Orange County Top 50, 2021
• Litigation - Bankruptcy Lawyer of the Year in Irvine, Best Lawyers®, 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, Bankruptcy, 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

• California