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Jennifer J. West

Attorney, Shareholder

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Areas of Practice

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Jen West serves on Spotts Fain's executive committee and is president of the firm. She focuses her practice on creditors' rights, commercial litigation, insolvency, workouts and foreclosure. She primarily represents banks and other lending institutions, with a particular focus on community banks.

In 2019, Jen was appointed to the Panel of Chapter 7 Trustees for the Eastern District of Virginia, Richmond Division. In this role, she is responsible for the administration of Chapter 7 cases to which she is assigned.

Jen also dedicates a significant portion of her practice to bankruptcy, representing creditors in Chapter 11, Chapter 7, Chapter 12, and Chapter 13 proceedings. She primarily handles matters involving commercial debtors, but also represents creditors in consumer matters. She has experience representing Chapter 7 Trustees in fraudulent conveyance actions, avoidance actions, and liquidation of various types of real and personal property.

Education

  • The College of William and Mary, Marshall-Wythe School of Law (J.D., 2001) Law Review: Environmental Law & Policy Review, Articles Editor and Business Editor, 2000 - 2001 Law Journal: William and Mary Bill of Rights Journal, Member
  • Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Blacksburg, VA (B.A., Political Science and Sociology, cum laude, 1996)

Bar Association

  • Virginia
  • U.S. District Court Eastern District of Virginia
  • U.S. District Court Western District of Virginia
  • U.S. Bankruptcy Court Western District of Virginia
  • U.S. Bankruptcy Court Eastern District of Virginia
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 4th Circuit

Representative Experience

  • Represented community bank in workout of multi-million dollar commercial development loan, including sale of a portion of the loan portfolio and restructuring and refinance of remaining debt relationship
  • Represented large national telecommunications company in the defense of alleged automatic stay and other consumer protection violations in a chapter 7 bankruptcy proceeding
  • Represented Fortune 50 company in acquisition of intellectual property assets from a Chapter 11 Debtor
  • Represented a Chapter 7 bankruptcy trustee in recovery of fraudulently transferred life insurance policies and prosecution of related claims
  • Represented agricultural lender in motion to convert Chapter 12 bankruptcy to Chapter 7 proceeding on the basis of fraudulent activity of the debtor, and liquidation of assets and recovery of amounts owed in close cooperation with Chapter 7 trustee
  • Represented Fortune 500 company in defense of significant preference claim in large Chapter 11 retail bankruptcy

Representative Cases

  • Compass Chem. Int'l, LLC v. Failon, 2016 Bankr. LEXIS 976 (U.S. Bankr. E.D. Va. 2016)
  • Iles v. North Carolina Agricultural Finance Authority, 249 Fed. Appx. 304; 2007 U.S. App. LEXIS 22837 (Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals 2007)
  • Parker v. North Carolina Agricultural Finance Authority (U.S. Dist. E.D. Va. 2006)
  • Phillips v. Rinehart (In re Rinehart, 352 B.R. 427; 2005 Bankr. LEXIS 3028 (U.S. Brankr. E.D. Va. 2005)
  • Richards v. Rapid Funding, LLC (In re Richards), 336 B.R. 722; 2004 Bankr. LEXIS 2418 (U.S. Bankr. E.D. Va. 2004)
  • Wells Fargo v. Kroeger (U.S. Dist. E.D. Va. 2003)
  • Kepley Broscious, PLC v. Ahearn (In re Ahearn), 318 B.R. 638; 2003 Bankr. LEXIS 2103 (U.S. Bankr. E.D. Va. 2003)

Professional Associations and Memberships

  • Virginia Law Foundation, Fellow (Class of 2023)
  • Richmond Bar Association
    • Board of Directors, 2012-2016, 2018-2022
      • Secretary/Treasurer 2022-2023
    • Membership Committee, 2006-2009; Chair 2008-2009
    • Administration of Justice Committee, 2009-2012; Chair 2011-2012
    • Bankruptcy Section Executive Board Member, 2009-2016; Chair 2015-2016
    • Bankruptcy Section Member, 2001-Present; Long Range Planning Committee Chair, 2019-2021
  • Virginia Creditors Bar Association
  • National Association of Bankruptcy Trustees 2019-Present, DE&I Committee Member 2021-Present
  • American Bankruptcy Institute
  • Virginia Bar Association

Honors and Awards

  • Influential Women of Law Honoree, Virginia Lawyers Weekly, 2022
  • Virginia Business magazine's "Legal Elite" 2015, 2018-2022 for Bankruptcy/Creditors' Rights
  • Best Lawyers in America, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law 2022 and 2023
  • Rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell

Pro Bono Activities

  • Director of Firm Pro Bono and Community Outreach Activities
  • Central Virginia Legal Aid Society, Pro Bono Hotline Project
  • Greater Richmond Bar Foundation Pro Bono Triage Project, Bankruptcy Practice Champion, 2017-2019

Community Involvement

  • Virginia Tech Athletic Fund Board of Directors; Member, Privileges and Benefits Committee
  • VSB Discipline Committee Member, 2015-2012
  • VSB Committee on Lawyer Discipline 2021-Present
    • Chair Oversight Committee, 2022-Present

Publications

Seminars Taught

  • "Bankruptcy: Now What?" Virginia Trial Lawyers Association 2021 Tort Law Seminar, May 11, 2021 at The Westin Richmond and online.
  • Best Practices in Consumer & Commercial Bankruptcy, Richmond Bar Association Bankruptcy Section Virtual CLE Seminar, October 20, 2020. Jen spoke on a panel discussing the best practices for attorneys representing debtors, creditors, Trustees, and other participants in the bankruptcy system.

Off the Clock

Jen and her family live in Chester, Virginia. She and her husband are season ticket holders for Virginia Tech football games.