David M. Goodrich

Partner

David M. Goodrich has represented bankruptcy trustees, large financial companies, distressed businesses, secured and unsecured creditors, unsecured creditor committees, receivers, and commercial litigants throughout California since 2000. David focuses on representation of fiduciaries in bankruptcy cases, receiverships and general assignments. David also represents companies and municipalities in chapter 9 and 11 bankruptcy cases. David also serves as a fiduciary in state and federal cases.

David is a member of the Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Panel of Trustees, appointed by the Office of the United States Trustee, serving in the Los Angeles Division of the Central District of California (2011 to present).

David is a certified bankruptcy law specialist (State Bar of California – 2010). David served as a commissioner on the Bankruptcy Law Advisory Commission which prepares, administers and grades examinations for lawyers seeking certification as bankruptcy law specialists from the State Bar of California (2017–2020).

David received the Central District Consumer Bankruptcy Attorney Association Calvin Ashland Trustee of the Year Award in November 2023 and the Orange County Bankruptcy Forum Honorable Peter M. Elliott Award in December 2024.

David serves on the board of directors for the Orange County Bankruptcy Forum (2011–present; President 2016–2017), the San Diego Bankruptcy Forum (2021–present) and is the president of the California Bankruptcy Forum (2022–2023), and the National Association of Bankruptcy Trustees (2024–2027). David is also a member of the National Association of Bankruptcy Trustees, the Orange County Bar Association, the Los Angeles Bar Association and the California Receivers Forum.

David is also Judicial Conference Lawyer Representative for the Ninth Circuit (2019–2025). David is Personal Affairs Editor for the NABT Talk, a national periodical sent to members of the National Association of Bankruptcy Trustees.

David graduated from the University of Arizona with a BA in political science and earned his JD from Whittier Law School.

  • Fiduciary services – bankruptcy trustee, receiver and assignee
  • Bankruptcy law and litigation
  • Corporate restructuring
  • Receiver representation
  • Assignee representation
  • Chapter 7 and 11 trustee representation
  • Chapter 11 debtor-in-possession representation
  • Unsecured Creditor Committee representation
  • California Receivers Forum
  • Orange County Bankruptcy Forum Board Member (2011 – 2020, 2021 to present)
  • San Diego Bankruptcy Forum Board Member (2021 to present)
  • California Bankruptcy Forum (Treasurer 2019; Secretary 2020; Vice President 2021; President-Elect 2022; Board Member 2017 and 2018)
  • Bankruptcy Law Advisory Commission (2017 – 2020)
  • 9th Circuit Judicial Conference Lawyer Representative (2019 to present)
  • National Association of Bankruptcy Trustees
  • Personal Affairs Editor – NABT Talk (2021 to present)
  • Orange County Bar Association
  • Los Angeles Bar Association
  • Involuntary Exposure – Do a Petitioning Creditor’s Losses End in the Bankruptcy Court?, Bloomberg BNA’s Bankruptcy Law Reporter (December 8, 2016)
  • The Pivotal Election of a Bankruptcy Appeal, Law360 (November 4, 2016)
  • Hiding Assets in California, Law Journal Newsletters (June 2017)
  • Bankruptcy Law Specialist – State Bar of California (2010)
  • Bankruptcy Law Advisory Board Commissioner – State Bar of California (2017 – 2019)
  • Southern California Super Lawyer (2016 – 2020)
  • Certificate of Appreciation – United States Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California (2017)
  • Pro Bono Volunteer Recognition (2016 – 2017)
  • University of Arizona (Bachelor of Arts in Political Science 1997)
  • Whittier Law School (Juris Doctor 2000)
  • California State Bar
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
  • United States District Court for the Central District of California
  • United States District Court for the Southern District of California
  • United States District Court for the Northern District of California
  • United States District Court for the Eastern District of California