Joseph M. Welch
Orange County, California
Associate
phone (949) 224-6257
fax      (949) 224-6404
email jwelch@buchalter.com
vCard


PDF version

Biography

Joseph M. Welch is an Associate in the firm’s Insolvency and Financial Solutions Practice Group in Orange County. His focus is primarily in the areas of bankruptcy, litigation and real estate.

Mr. Welch represents corporate and individual creditors, debtors and trustees in all aspects of Chapter 11 and Chapter 7 bankruptcy proceedings including: preparation of first day or emergency motions authorizing continued use of cash collateral and/or cash management systems, payment of prepetition payroll obligations and/or prepetition critical vendors, developing business strategies regarding restructuring of businesses, negotiating the purchase and sale of assets free and clear of encumbrances, preparing and defending avoidance actions, objecting to and defending claims against the estate, abandoning and compromising estate assets, compelling lease assumption/rejection, and assisting with preparing plans of reorganization and disclosure statements.

He also represents clients in all aspects of commercial litigation and bankruptcy court litigation, including case assessment, initiating adversary proceedings or other actions, conducting Rule 2004 examinations and other discovery, instituting pre- and post-judgment remedies, drafting motions, preparing cases for trial, attending procedural and substantive hearings, and settling adversary disputes on negative notice. In 2009, Mr. Welch successfully first-chaired a trial for revocation of discharge.

Mr. Welch co-authored "Understanding a Utility's Rights and Responsibilities in Bankruptcy" for the Public Law Journal (an official publication of the State Bar of California Public Law Section), published Winter 2010.

Prior to practicing law, Mr. Welch was executive vice president of a mortgage corporation, and principal of a real estate and mortgage brokerage. Mr. Welch is fluent in Spanish.

Mr. Welch earned his J.D. cum laude at Loyola Law School in 2008, where he was a member of the Order of the Coif. While in law school, he was president of the St. Thomas More Law Honor Society, co-chair of the J. Reuben Clark Law Society and a member of Alpha Sigma Nu. He was honored by the Alumni Association Board of Governors at graduation for significant contributions to the law school and society. He received his B.A. at Brigham Young University in 1998, where he was a member of the Golden Key International Honor Society and the youngest member in his graduating class at age 19.

Areas of Practice

• Insolvency
• Bankruptcy
• Litigation
• Real Estate

Bar Admissions

• California
• U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit
• U.S. District Court Northern District of California
• U.S. District Court Eastern District of California
• U.S. District Court Central District of California
• U.S. District Court Southern District of California