Deborah C. Swenson / Biography
Before retirement, Deb Swenson provided clients with practical, cost effective legal advice in the area of commercial bankruptcy and commercial litigation. In bankruptcy matters, she assisted clients who had customers that had filed bankruptcy matters no matter where they arose in the United States. Her philosophy is based upon the belief that clients shouldn’t have to pay the cost to reinvent the wheel to repeatedly educate attorney after attorney about a legal issue that is common to their business. Instead, she used her knowledge of her clients’ businesses to work as a team with a specially chosen local counsel to bring about positive results without the high cost of travel. Her practice was unique as over the last 20 years she developed relationships with counsel in all 50 states, enabling her to provide clients with a one-stop process to have their commercial bankruptcy and commercial litigation matters handled efficiently and effectively.
She enjoyed providing these services to clients across the country. Clients included Fortune 500 companies in the transportation, staffing and services industries. She also worked on appellate matters in the Minnesota Court of Appeals, the Minnesota Supreme Court and the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Of special interest to her is the defense of avoidance actions, including preference and fraudulent transfers. During her long legal practice she defended corporations in hundreds of avoidance actions in over 40 jurisdictions.
Deb also worked to protect her clients’ interests in bankruptcy through an active motion practice, including relief from the automatic stay and other motions in the bankruptcy courts throughout the United States. She also served as a liquidating trustee in a Minnesota Chapter 11 liquidation case involving former franchisee.
Deb is rated AV Preeminent® for the highest level of professional excellence by Martindale-Hubbell.
Education
- Stanford Law School, J.D., 1995
- University of Minnesota, B.A., summa cum laude, 1992
News + Articles
Kay Hunt Singled Out as Minneapolis Best Lawyers Appellate Practice Lawyer of the Year
Best Lawyers has named Kay Nord Hunt of Lommen Abdo as the “Minneapolis Best Lawyers Appellate Practice Lawyer of the Year” for 2012. Best Lawyers is one of the oldest and most respected peer-review publications in the legal profession. Steven Naifeh, President of...
Deb Swenson, on her creditors’ remedies practice.
Preference Prosecution and Defense Boot Camp
Deb Swenson presented a six hour seminar to Freeborn & Peters in Chicago, Illinois, on Preference Prosecution and Defense Boot Camp on September 23, 2011. Her topics included Statutory Defenses and Advance Preference Defenses.
Preliminary Approval Granted on 876 Bondholders/Port Authority Settlement
The Ramsey County District Court granted preliminary approval of a settlement agreement between Plaintiffs 876 Bondholders and the St. Paul Port Authority on September 23, 2011. Keith Broady of Lommen Abdo Law Firm, lead attorney for Plaintiffs, recommended approval...
Advanced Preference Defenses
Deb Swenson spoke at the 2011 Bankruptcy Institute on September 13, 2011 and presented by Minnesota CLE. Deb spoke with a panel on “Advanced Preference Defenses.” Panel description: This session will focus on several lesser used preference defenses and also discuss...
Lommen Abdo Client Wins Reversal of Summary Judgment in Watkins Case
The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals found that when the facts are developed at trial, a reasonable factfinder could reach one of several factual conclusions: (1) the Appellants were misled into believing that the terms of the 1988 Agreement would continue to govern...