Our Lawyers
J.L. Saffer, P.C. has of counsel, contractual, and other relations with a variety of top-notch attorneys who share our client-oriented philosophy, as well as our aggressive, yet reasoned and realistic approach to the law. Our team of skilled, well-versed, tough attorneys permits us to keep our overhead—and rates—low, while still maintaining the highest standard of excellence. J.L. Saffer, P.C. taps members of our team when necessary to provide you the representation you require. This arrangement allows J.L. Saffer, P.C. to represent you in large, complex, labor-intensive matters in an efficient and cost-effective way that few other firms can. At the same time, it lets us pursue even your smaller matters in an economic, efficient, and effective maner.
The following is a sampling of our team.
Jennifer L. Saffer (Shareholder)
Primary Practice Areas: Bankruptcy & Creditors’ Rights, and Litigation & Appeals
Jennifer L. Saffer, the founder of J.L. Saffer, P.C., is a litigator. Jen advises clients with respect to and litigates on their behalf in bankruptcy cases, corporate restructurings, civil litigation, and appeals.
Jen has over 15 years of experience as a litigator, with a particular emphasis on matters involving bankruptcy and creditors’ rights. She advises and litigates in bankruptcy cases in contested matters of all kinds—including, for example, those involving plan and disclosure statement issues; claims objections; leases, executory contracts, and license rights; debtor-in-possession financing; cash collateral; and asset purchases. Jen also represents clients in all kinds of adversary proceedings— including, for example, avoidance litigation; subordination litigation; litigation involving the validity and priority of liens, mortgages, and security interests; and adversary proceedings centered on non-bankruptcy issues. In this connection, she is experienced dealing with issues and litigation concerning removal/remand, and withdrawal of the reference.
In addition, Jen litigates across the spectrum of civil litigation in federal and state courts. Her experience includes advising on and litigating matters involving, for example, structured finance products; issues involving other securities; lending disputes; civil RICO; securities fraud and other kinds of fraud and misrepresentation; breach of fiduciary duty and corporate governance disputes; employment and compensation issues; real estate issues; disputes involving wills, trusts and estates; breach of contract; and general business disputes. Her practice also includes arbitration and mediation, as well as appeals of all kinds.
Jen’s experience in writing appellate briefs and arguing appeals is diverse. In addition to appeals from chapter 11 bankruptcy cases and civil litigation, her appellate practice includes appeals involving complex individual chapter 7 and chapter 13 issues. Among other things, Jen was one of the authors of the amici curiae brief filed on behalf of a group of law school professors in support of the respondent in a seminal bankruptcy case decided by the United States Supreme Court, State of Florida v. Piccadilly Cafeterias, Inc. Jen was one of the attorneys who represented, pro bono, the petitioners in Maron, et al. v. Silver, et al., an Article 78 and declaratory judgment proceeding seeking salary relief for New York State Court Judges, and was a principal author of the briefs submitted on behalf of the Judges.
This varied experience allows Jen to help clients to decide if the best course of action in a given situation at a given time is litigation, alternative dispute resolution, or informal negotiation, as well as if and when to settle a matter, and whether an appeal is appropriate.
Jen's current and past representations in bankruptcy cases include advising, negotiating, and litigating on behalf of clients in In re AMCORE Financial Corp.; In re Enron Corp. ,et al; In re Adelphia Business Solution, Inc; In re NextWave Personal Communications, Inc., et al.; In re Good Times Entertainment, Ltd., et al.; In re PSINet Inc.,et al.; In re General Motors, et al.; In re BH S&B Holdings LLC, et al. [the Steve & Barry’s stores]; In re General Growth Properties, Inc, et al.; In re Cross Media Marketing, Corp; In re Aerovias Nacionales de Colombia S.A. Avianca., Inc.; In re Claridge Hotel and Casino; In re Concord Resort Hotel; In re Frank's Nursery & Crafts, Inc.,et al.; In re Dana Corp.; In re Air Canada, et al.; Caldor, Inc. NY, et al.; and In re Scores Entertainment, Inc.
Jen has been an attorney for official committees of unsecured creditors in several cases around the country, including In re Hedstrom Holdings, Inc. and In re American Pad & Paper LLC; and In re eLOT, Inc. Her experience also includes representing chapter 11 debtors in, for example, In re Okura & Co. (America), Inc., as well as numerous smaller chapter 11 cases, and she has represented court-appointed chapter 11 trustees.
This combined experience gives Jen the advantage of viewing bankruptcy and creditors’ rights issues from all perspectives, allowing for creative insights and practical, efficient results in the complex, fast-moving, multi-party chapter 11 process.
An experienced, versatile, tough, sophisticated, and insightful litigator, Jen works with clients in a wide variety of civil litigation matters. Her practice runs the gamut from complex commercial matters to disputes involving wills and estates, and nearly everything in between. For example, she currently represents the holder of trust preferred securities in the chapter 11 case of a bank holding company in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Illinois, in which the FDIC had closed the debtor’s bank. She recently represented equity holders in a multi-party interpleader action in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York involving the proper interpretation of indentures governing CDOs. Her other recent representations include civil RICO litigation and securities fraud litigation, as well as representing defendants in large, complex avoidance actions. At the other end of the spectrum, Jen recently helped the common law spouse of a decedent in a proceeding in New York County Surrogate’s Court to establish the common law wife’s right to share in the decedent’s estate and obtained a seven-figure settlement for her client.
Jen has served as a guest lecturer at St. John's University School of Law Bankruptcy LL.M. program, and is often a member of thesis defense panels for Bankruptcy LL.M. candidates at St. John's. She has published articles journals such as the Annual Survey of Bankruptcy Law, the Norton Journal of Bankruptcy Law and Practice, and the Norton Bankruptcy Law Advisor. For a list of Jen’s published articles, and to read them, please click here.
Jen received her B.A., with high distinction, from the University of Kentucky, where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. She received her J.D., cum laude, from the Boston University School of Law, where she was the Executive Editor of the Annual Review of Banking Law, and received multiple honors. Before starting J. L. Saffer, P.C., Jen practiced at firms including Kronish Lieb Weiner & Hellman (n/k/a Cooley Godward Kronish); Whitman Breed Abbott & Morgan; Winston & Strawn; and Jenkens & Gilchrist Parker Chapin.
Jen is admitted to practice law in the State of New York, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit; the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York; the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York; and the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York. She is a member of the American Bar Association; the New York State Bar Association, the Association of the Bar of the City of New York; the New York County Lawyers’ Association; the American Bankruptcy Institute; and the Turnaround Management Association.
Elliot L. Schaeffer (Senior of Counsel to J.L. Saffer, P.C.)
Practice Areas: Civil Litigation and Appeals; Commercial Transactions; and Bankruptcy and Creditors’ Rights
Elliott L. Schaeffer, Senior of Counsel to J.L. Saffer, P.C., has practiced law for over 35 years, and brings a wealth of diverse experience to our clients.
Elliot’s experience includes extensive complex transactional work, as well as civil litigation and appeals, and bankruptcy and creditors’ rights. His increasingly unique background in these days of micro-specialization, gives Elliot an invaluable perspective on disputes (in bankruptcy and other federal courts, and in state court) over even the most complex and cutting-edge transactions.
Unlike most transactional lawyers, his strong litigation skills give him the edge when representing clients in transactions. Elliot’s vast and diverse litigation experience allows him to quickly identify and resolve potential litigation issues in the early stages of a deal, putting our clients in the best possible posture in the event litigation arises from the transaction and often altogether obviating the need for litigation down the road.
Elliot represents clients in both transactions and litigations concerning corporate and commercial law. His practice has a particular emphasis on transactions and litigation involving, among other things, mergers and acquisitions; intellectual property; investments in and financing provided by primary, secondary and other lenders and equity holders; secured transactions of all kinds; asset based and receivables financing; and corporate buy-outs.
Elliot has extensive experience litigating in state and federal courts He represents clients in a wide variety of matters stemming from business related disputes, including, for example; litigation involving majority/minority equity holder disputes; shareholders’ rights; corporate dissolutions, restructurings, work-outs and bankruptcies; claims by/against officers and directors for fraud, malfeasance and waste; breach of contract; non-payment of receivables; and claims of third party lenders. Elliot’s practice also encompasses sophisticated real estate transactions including commercial real estate leasing; purchase and sale of commercial property; real estate swaps; and various types of related financing arrangements.
He frequently litigates on behalf of, and advises shareholders, directors and officers with respect to their fiduciary and other duties to and rights in and to commercial entities; employment, severance, and related agreements; fraud of all kinds and other corporate and commercial agreements.
Elliot’s sophisticated and far ranging experience with complex transactions and sophisticated litigation generally, and particularly, his substantial experience representing creditors and other parties in workouts, restructurings and bankruptcy cases, makes him an invaluable member of JLSPC’s Bankruptcy & Creditors’ Rights practice as well. His experience representing allows him to effectively and efficiently deal with the many multi-discipline issues that are inherent in most bankruptcy cases.
Elliot received his B.A. from Syracuse University in 1968 and his law degree from Brooklyn School of law. Early in his career, Elliot served as Law Secretary to the Honorable Duncan S. McNabb in the Supreme Court for the State of New York. Before entering private practice, he worked for the United States Department of Justice in the anti-trust division.
Elliot is admitted to practice law in the State of New York, the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, and the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York.