Overview

Michelle has over 13 years of experience assisting clients with debt relief and debt management. Her primary practice focuses on Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. She also has expertise in loan modifications, mortgage foreclosures, reverse mortgages, homeowner association litigation, and taxes. Michelle’s passion for her clients, attention to detail, proactive nature, and ability to quickly adapt to new situations and environments allow her to deliver exceptional service to the firm’s clients, as exemplified by the beneficial and positive outcomes she obtains on their behalf.

After receiving her Bachelor’s degree in International Relations and Japanese Studies from the University of Pennsylvania, Michelle studied law at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.  In addition to her studies, she was selected as a member of Georgetown’s Criminal Justice Clinic, where she advocated for impoverished clients before the District of Columbia Superior Court and the United States Parole Commission. Michelle was one of seven law students chosen for a competitive in-house counsel internship with Sodexho Inc., a Fortune 500 Company. She also completed a prestigious judicial clerkship with the Honorable Frederica Massiah-Jackson, President Judge Emeritus, in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas.

Michelle has presented at PBI’s 19th, 21st, and 22nd Annual Bankruptcy Institutes and Eastern District of Pennsylvania Bankruptcy Conference’s 27th and 31st Annual Forums. She is a member of the NBA Women’s Lawyer Division, National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys (“NACBA”), Eastern District of Pennsylvania Bankruptcy Conference, and a Board Member of the People’s Emergency Center.

Outside of her law practice, Michelle is an accomplished double bassist. She has performed with the University of Pennsylvania Orchestra, toured China performing Beijing opera, continuing her devotion to the arts.

Representative Experience

  • Sligh v. North Point I Condo. Ass’n (In re Sligh), 542 B.R. 723 (Bankr. E.D. PA 2015) 
    Successfully argued that a homeowner association lien could be bifurcated under 11 USC 506 and 1322(b)(2) as a statutory lien.
  • Jones v. Carisbrook Asset Holding Trust, 19-00247 mdc, docket 18 (13-page Order Denying Motion to Dismiss Adversary Proceeding)
    Successfully argued that a matured, defaulted mortgage could be modified under 11 USC 506, 1322(b)(2) and 1322(c).
  • In re Anthony Parks, 14-18004, mdc, docket 48 (11-page Order Denying Motion for Relief)
    Successfully argued that a reverse mortgage could be modified under 11 USC 506, 1322(b)(2) and 1322(c).

Professional & Community Activities

Bankruptcy Related:

  • Consumer Education Chair, Eastern District of PA Bankruptcy Conference (EDPABC)
  • National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys (NACBA), Member
  • Turnaround Management Association (TMA), Philadelphia/Wilmington Chapter Member
  • South Jersey Bankruptcy Practitioners Group (SJBPG), Member
  • National Association of Student Loan Lawyers (NASLL), Member
  • American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI), Member

Selection/Rules Committees:

  • Eastern District of PA Bankruptcy Court Local Rules Committee, 2020 to present
  • Judicial Selection Committee for Eastern District of PA, Bankruptcy Reading Position, 2019

Community:

  • West Mt. Airy Neighbors (WMAN) Zoning Committee, Board Member
  • HopePHL formerly People’s Emergency Center, Board Member, 2019 to present
  • National Society Daughters of American Revolution (DAR) Independence Hall Chapter
  • South Jersey Legal Services, Volunteer, 2024
  • Classix 107.9, Weekly Sunday Host

Bar Associations:

  • National Bar Association’s Women Lawyer’s Division, (former Public Relations Officer)
  • Barristers’ Association of Philadelphia, Member
  • Philadelphia Bar Association, Member

Speeches & Presentations

PBI Presentations:

  • PBI’s 2023 Bankruptcy Institute, Presenter 
  • Bankruptcy Institute 2022: Chasing the American Dream in the Shark Tank: Bankruptcy Version, Presenter/Preparer
  • Bankruptcy Fundamentals and Tips for Avoiding Common Pitfalls, 3/2021, Presenter/Preparer
  • Bankruptcy in a Pandemic What you Need to Know 2020, Course Planner/Presenter/ Preparer
  • 22nd Annual Bankruptcy Institute – Claims Objections, Presenter/Preparer
  • 21st Annual Bankruptcy Institute, Presenter/Preparer
  • 19th Annual Bankruptcy Institute – Top Consumer Cases, Presenter/Preparer

Eastern District of PA Bankruptcy Presentations:

  • 32nd Annual Conference
  • 31st Annual Conference
  • 27th Annual Conference

American Bankruptcy Institute Presentation, 8/2021:

  • Subchapter V Recent Case Law Updates and Issues: Navigating the New Small Business Roadmap to Reorganization, Presenter

Representative Experience

  • Sligh v. North Point I Condo. Ass’n (In re Sligh), 542 B.R. 723 (Bankr. E.D. PA 2015) 
    Successfully argued that a homeowner association lien could be bifurcated under 11 USC 506 and 1322(b)(2) as a statutory lien.
  • Jones v. Carisbrook Asset Holding Trust, 19-00247 mdc, docket 18 (13-page Order Denying Motion to Dismiss Adversary Proceeding)
    Successfully argued that a matured, defaulted mortgage could be modified under 11 USC 506, 1322(b)(2) and 1322(c).
  • In re Anthony Parks, 14-18004, mdc, docket 48 (11-page Order Denying Motion for Relief)
    Successfully argued that a reverse mortgage could be modified under 11 USC 506, 1322(b)(2) and 1322(c).

Insights