Jerry Markowitz is a founding shareholder of Markowitz Ringel Trusty + Hartog, P.A. He concentrates his practice in the areas of creditors’ and debtors’ rights, including workouts, bankruptcy, asset recovery, insolvency, receiverships, reorganization, restructuring and mediation.

Representative Matters

• Counsel to liquidating trustee in a confirmed chapter 11 case where creditors have been paid in full and equity will receive more than $25 million.
• Counsel to chapter 11 debtors consisting of real estate holding company, skilled nursing facility, and a hospital where all of the assets were sold, which will result in plans providing payment in full to creditors and significant amounts payable to equity.
• Co-counsel to a creditor in a large Ponzi-scheme bankruptcy case and recovered over $20 million for the creditor.
• Counsel to a large real estate developer and successfully resolved $110 million in debt.
• Mediated sale of all assets of a large regional law firm in a chapter 11 bankruptcy case.

Reported Decisions

• In re Saleh v. Triton Container Intern., Ltd., 175 B.R. 422 (Bankr.S.D.Fla. 1994)
• In re Cascade Intern., Inc., 147 B.R. 1003 (S.D.Fla. 1992)
• In re Jet Florida System, Inc., 841 F.2d 1082 (11th Cir. 1988)
• In re Airlift Intern., Inc., 92 B.R. 550 (Bankr.S.D.Fla. 1988)
• In re Century Mach. Tools, Inc., 37 B.R. 811 (Bankr.S.D.Fla. 1984)
• In re Davidson Lumber Co., 19 B.R. 871, (Bankr.S.D.Fla. 1982)
• In re Belize Airways Ltd., 7 B.R. 601, (Bankr.S.D.Fla. 1980)

Awards and Recognition

• AV Preeminent® Rating, Martindale-Hubbell
• Best Lawyers in America, 1999 – 2025
  • Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law – Miami – Tier 1
• Florida Super Lawyers, 2006 – 2025
  • Top 100 Lawyers in Florida, 2015 – 2017, 2021 – 2022
  • Top 100 Lawyers in Miami, 2015 – 2025
• Chambers USA, Bankruptcy and Restructuring, 2015 – 2025
  • Senior Statespeople
• Lawdragon 500, Leading Global Bankruptcy and Restructuring Lawyer, 2020 – 2025
• Florida Trend Legal Elite, 2022 – 2023
  • Hall of Fame, 2016 – 2023
• South Florida Legal Guide, Top Lawyer, 2019 – 2021
• Daily Business Review, featured in “YouFit Health Clubs’ Bankruptcy Petition Is Another Hit to Mall Operators,” November 2020
• Recipient, Mark G. Stingley Leadership Award, American Bankruptcy Institute, 2018
• South Florida Business Journal, Best of the Bar, 2016
• Lifestyle Media Group’s Leaders in Law Award, Winner, 2015

Publications

• Quoted, “Bankruptcies Expected to Be ‘Like an Open Faucet’ When Pandemic-Related Restrictions Ease,” Daily Business Review, August 17, 2021
• Co-Author, “Civility and Professionalism in the Courtroom—A Needed Guide for Politicians?,” Daily Business Review, October 30, 2020
• Co-Author, Mediation, American Bankruptcy Institute, 2016
• Co-Author, “ADR and Bankruptcy,” ADR Deskbook for the Business Lawyer, Business Law Section of the American Bar Association, 2016
• Author, “Contracting to Avoid Assumption: A Review of the Availability of Certain Contractual Provisions That May Be Employed to Assist Landlords in Asserting and Enforcing Bargained-for Rights”, Journal of Bankruptcy Law and Practice, January/February 2002

Speaking Engagements

• Speaker, “Prepping for Success: The Keys to Maximizing the Mediation Process,” American Bankruptcy Institute, 2021
• Speaker, “Hollywood Squares: Bankruptcy History & Trivia,” American Bankruptcy Institute, 2021
• Speaker, “WWJGD (What Would Judge Glenn Do)?,” American Bankruptcy Institute, 2020
• Speaker, “Leading Issues in Ethics and Civility In and Out of the Courtroom,” American Bankruptcy Institute, Annual Spring Meeting, 2019
• Speaker, “Be Financially Aware: How To Build and Protect Your Credit,” University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, February 2019
• Speaker, “Chapter 11 Pre-Confirmation Issues: Motions to Dismiss – Is Phoenix Piccadilly Still Alive?“, American Bankruptcy Institute, 2016
• Speaker, “Somewhere Beyond the Sea, The Challenges of Mediation, Cross Border and in the Caribbean,” American Bankruptcy Institute, 2016
• Speaker, “Ethics Session: Say Hello to My Little Friend, LLC: Ethical Issues related to ‘Aggressive’ Asset-Protection Planning and Lying Client,” American Bankruptcy Institute, 2015
• Speaker, “Disclosure? We Don’t Need No Stinking Disclosure! Rule 2014 and Ethical Conflicts of Interest,” American Bankruptcy Institute, 2014
• Speaker, “Mediation,” American Bankruptcy Institute, 2014
• Speaker, “Boris Badenough CSI? Ethical and Civility Issues in Cases Tainted by Crime,” American Bankruptcy Institute, 2012
• Speaker, “Referees Between Thieves?  In Pari Delicto and Insurance Coverage Issues,” American Bankruptcy Institute, 2011
• Speaker, “Making Money in a Downturn: Ponzi Schemes and Other Scams for Bilking Money, from Madoff to Consumer Rip-Offs,” American Bankruptcy Institute, 2010
• Panelist, Executory Contracts, American Bankruptcy Institute, Twentieth Annual Spring Meeting, 2002

Professional and Community Activities

• American Bankruptcy Institute, Member
  • Vice President of Membership – 2021 – Present
  • Executive Committee – 2021 – Present
  • Board of Directors, 2015 – Present
  • Co-Chair, Mediation Committee & Regional Chair of the ABI Endowment
• University of Miami Bankruptcy Skills Workshop
  • Faculty
  • Co-Chair Business Bankruptcy Committee and Continuing Education Committee
• American Bankruptcy Institute Southeast Bankruptcy Workshop and Caribbean Insolvency Symposium
  • Advisory Board Member
• American Bankruptcy Institute/St. John’s University School of Law’s Mediation Training Program
  • Faculty 
  • Graduate
• American Bar Association, Business Law Section, Member
• Bankruptcy Bar Association of the Southern District of Florida, Member and Past President
• Certified Mediator in Florida
• Commercial Bar Association, Honorary Member
• Commercial Law League of America, Member
• Florida Academy of Professional Mediators, Member
• Florida Bar Mentor Pilot Program
• Florida Bar Unlicensed Practice of Law Committee
  • Chairperson, 11th Judicial Circuit
• Florida Fiduciary Forum, Founding Member
• John W. Kozyak University of Miami Law School Mentoring Program, Mentor
• National Association of Bankruptcy Trustees, Member
• St. Thomas University, Pro Bono Clinic, Mentor
• University of Miami School of Law, Pro Bono Clinic, Mentor
• University of Miami School of Law Alumni Association, Past President
• University of Miami, Library Visiting Committee
• Unlicensed Practice of Law Committee, 11th Judicial Circuit, Chair