Reliable real estate transactional and bankruptcy counsel
Amelia Valenzuela advises her clients on real estate transactional and bankruptcy matters. She advises both lenders and borrowers on commercial loan transactions and also focuses on all aspects of distressed loan representation, including loan restructurings, bankruptcy reorganizations, creditor’s rights and other commercial workouts. She is experienced with bankruptcy proceedings under Chapters 7, 11 and 13 of the Bankruptcy Code, representing:
- Real estate investment companies
- Large lending institutions
- Private equity groups
- Loan servicers and debt funds
- Non-traditional lenders
- All other classes of secured and unsecured creditors
Amelia’s previous in-house experience gives her a well-rounded view of her clients’ needs, allowing her to better understand and help address the challenges they face. With this in mind, she prioritizes being responsive, creative and efficient as she strives to solve their problems.
Before joining Quarles, Amelia worked in-house for a national diversified real estate company with complementary businesses that included residential investments, loan assets, commercial investments, brokerage, escrow and more. During law school, she was a legal intern at Consejo Nacional de Rehabilitación y Educación Especial, a government agency in Costa Rica.
Amelia is the California office chair of the Bankruptcy and Creditors’ Rights Group.
Experience in Action
- Advises lending institutions and corporate borrowers from origination through restructuring and other workout solutions.
- Enforces creditor contract rights in bankruptcy proceedings.
- Structures and directs real estate transactions for sellers, purchasers, developers, lenders and borrowers.
Successes
- Represented national banking institutions and other commercial lenders in connection with pre-bankruptcy loan restructurings, state court litigation, receivership actions and foreclosures in connection with commercial loans.
- Represented an in-flight magazine company in a Chapter 11 proceeding.
- Represented creditors in non-dischargeability, preference and fraudulent conveyance actions.
- Represented creditors in connection with the negotiation and use of cash collateral and forms of adequate protection.
- Represented creditors in stay relief proceedings in connection with diverse types of collateral.
- Represented creditors in appellate proceedings before the Bankruptcy Appellate Panel of the Ninth Circuit and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
- Represented municipalities in connection with district court litigation and bankruptcy proceedings.
Capabilities
Professional & Civic Activities
- Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, pathfinder, 2018
- Maricopa County Bar Association, member
- Charles W. & Patricia S. Bidwill Foundation, board member
- Judicial Extern to the Honorable Michael Daly Hawkins, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
News & Insights
Education
- Arizona State University College of Law (J.D., magna cum laude, 2013)
- Arizona State Law Journal, executive note and comment editor; Order of the Coif, member
- National Association of Women Lawyers Outstanding Graduate Award; William H. Pedrick Scholar
- Center for Law and Global Affairs Fellow; Women Law Students’ Association, executive board member
- Chicano-Latino Law Student Association, member; Homeless Legal Assistance Program
- Wheaton College, Massachusetts (B.A., magna cum laude, 2007)
- Majors: English and Hispanic Studies
- Dean’s List
- Balfour Scholar; Presidential Scholarship
- High Achievement in Spanish; Academic Advising Center, preceptor
Bar Admissions
- Arizona
- California
Court Admissions
- U.S. Bankruptcy Appellate Panel of the Ninth Circuit, 2017
- U.S. Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit, 2017
- U.S. District Court, District of Arizona, 2013
- U.S. District Court, Central District of California, 2018
Languages
- Spanish