Merrill R. Francis

Merrill R. Francis is Of Counsel in the firm’s Los Angeles office. Mr. Francis joined Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton in 1959 and became a partner in January, 1965 and retired in January, 2001. He is the past Chair of the firm’s Finance and Bankruptcy Practice Group and has specialized in commercial law, bankruptcy, and secured and unsecured creditor representation since 1960.

Areas of Practice

Mr. Francis has represented national and international banks, asset based lenders and other commercial lenders in the documentation of complex financial secured and unsecured transactions. He has practiced extensively in Bankruptcy Court since 1960 representing secured creditors, unsecured creditors, creditors' committees, and trustees in Chapter 11 corporate reorganization proceedings. Most recently, he has represented the Official School and College Districts Subcommittee in the Orange County Chapter 9 Bankruptcy proceeding where the schools had over one billion dollars invested in the Orange County Pool. Mr. Francis is a frequent lecturer on bankruptcy, workouts, uniform commercial code, and debtor/creditor relations for the California Continuing Education of the Bar, Business Bankruptcy Committee of the American Bar Association, Bankruptcy Judges Conference, California Bankers Association, Farm Credit Banks, various sections of the Los Angeles County Bar Association, Financial Lawyers Conference, and Practicing Law Institute.

Education

• J.D., Stanford University, 1959 (Order of the Coif)
• B.A., Pomona College, 1954 magna cum laude, phi beta kappa

Admissions

• California Bar
• U.S. Supreme Court

• Financial Lawyers Conference, Board of Governors (1970--); President (1972-73)
• Los Angeles County Bar Association, Executive Committee, Commercial Law and Bankruptcy Section (1968-); Chair (1976-77); Real Property Section, Executive Committee (1970-80)
• American Bar Association, Section of Business Law, Business Bankruptcy Committee (1970 --); Chair, Secured Creditors' Subcommittee (1981-85); Chair, Business Bankruptcy Committee (1985-89); Ad Hoc Committee on Bankruptcy Court Structure and Insolvency Processes (1990-), Chair (1990-93) and (2001--) Chair, Senior Lawyers Division, Senior Housing and Real Estate Practice Committee (2001 --); Member of Council (1991-95); Chair, Ad Hoc Committee on Brown Bag Programs (1994-96)
• State Bar of California, Debtor/Creditor Committee, Business Law Section (1978-79)
• American College of Bankruptcy, Board of Directors (1995--); Chair, Board of Regents (1995-01); Chair Ninth Circuit Admissions Council (1992-95)

Honors

• Fellow, American Bar Foundation