Hubbard & Biederman LLP
Robert W. Biederman
rwbiederman@hblawfirm.com
Mr. Biederman is a founding partner in the Firm. Mr. Biederman was born in Chicago, Illinois on October 22, 1952. He attended Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York (B.A. 1973) and Loyola University of Chicago School of Law (J.D. 1978). Mr. Biederman has been admitted to practice in Illinois since 1978; in Texas since 1985; in Massachusetts since 1992; and in California since 1995. He also is admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court for the Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western Districts of Texas, the Central District of California, and the District of Massachusetts, and the U.S. District Court of Colorado and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
Mr. Biederman's practice has included insolvency work, both in bankruptcy and insurance receiverships. In the bankruptcy field, Mr. Biederman's practice has included an array of cases ranging from the successful reorganization of $50,000,000 plus real estate assets in Colorado; the representation of Executive Life Insurance Company Estate in the complex consensual reorganization of its publicly traded parent corporation; and the successful dismissals of multiple bankruptcies which sought to impede either the liquidation or reorganization of insurance receiverships. Mr. Biederman has spoken widely in the area involving bankruptcy and federal banking laws as well as bankruptcy and insurance receiverships. Most recently, he spoke at the International Association of Insurance Receivers, 2006 Insolvency Workshop, on the topic of "What You Don’t Know Can Definitely Hurt You! The New Bankruptcy Code." Additionally, he has published several articles: Co-Author, "Cases of First Impression: Prosecuting and Defending Against Motions for Temporary Restraining Order," Vol. 70, No. 9, Illinois Bar Journal, (May 9, 1982); Author, "Classification in Single Assets Bankruptcy Cases: Debtor and Lender Strategies", Real Estate Workouts and Asset Management (December 1994); Author, "Taming the Beast: Creditor Strategies Under Section 105(a) of the Bankruptcy Code," Bankruptcy Litigation, Vol. 3, No. 4, (Fall 1995).
In the insurance receivership cases, Mr. Biederman has focused principally on litigation involving asset recovery including the National County Mutual Fire Insurance Company and the Executive Life Insurance Company cases. This work has included handling lawsuits involving claims against officers, directors, and professionals. These lawsuits have resulted in judgments and settlements resulting in tens of millions of dollars of recoveries to various insurance receivership estates.
Mr. Biederman’s reported decisions in the area of insurance receivership and bankruptcy include Missouri Life and Health Ins. Guarantee Ass’n. v. Cameron Mut. Ins. Co., 991 S.W.2d 676 (Mo. App. W.D. 1998); Checker Motors Corp. v. Superior Court, 13 Cal. App. 4th 1007, 17 Cal. Rptr. 618 (Cal. App. 1993); and In re Friendship Medical Center, Ltd., 3 B.R. 304 (Bktcy. N.D. Ill. 1980).
Mr. Biederman also has applied his insurance litigation background as co-counsel in the class actions principally involving life insurance marketing and other practices, many of which have resulted in court approved nationwide settlements. Among those cases in which Mr. Biederman and his firm have been involved as class counsel are the following: In re Great Southern Life Ins. Sales Practices,192 F.R.D. 212 (N.D. Tex. 2000); In re Prudential Insurance Company of America Sales Practices Litigation, 975 F. Supp. 584, 597 (D.N.J., 1996), aff’d in part, remanded in part, 148 F.3d 283 (3rd. Cir. 1998), cert. den. 525 U.S. 1114 (1999); Duhaime et al. v. John Hancock Mut. Life Ins. Co., 177 F.R.D. 54 (D. Mass. 1997); and Gelfman v. Weeden Investors L.P., 859 A2d 89 (Del. Ch. 2004). Mr. Biederman’s other reported opinions include Speakman v. Allmerica Financial Life Ins. & Annuity Co., 367 F. Supp.2d 122 (D. Mass. 2005); Woodhaven Homes v. Alford, 143 S.W.3d 202 (Tex. App.-Dallas 2004); Belgian American Investments & Trade Inc. v. Federal Sav. & Loan Ind. Corp., 717 F. Supp. 462 (N.D. Tex. 1989); Blue Cross Assoc. v. 666 North Lake Shore Drive Associates, 100 Ill. App.3d 647, 427 N.E.2d 270 (Ill. App. 1981).