Catherine Hopkin is a Member with significant experience successfully representing clients in commercial and individual Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings, as well as commercial litigation. Her representations in insolvency cases have resulted in successful plan confirmations, confessed judgment actions, commercial foreclosures, workouts, collection actions, guarantor litigation, tax sale foreclosures, and a wide variety of other creditors’ rights actions. Ms. Hopkin filed and confirmed the first Small Business Reorganization Act case in Maryland in 2020.
Ms. Hopkin is a Fellow of the Maryland State Bar Foundation (Class of 2020). Membership is, recognition of “outstanding dedication and contribution to maintaining the honor and integrity of the legal profession, the improvement and facilitation of the administration of justice, the work of the organized Bar of Maryland and civic leadership.” Membership is limited to not more than 2.5% of MSBA membership. Invitations are extended only after nomination by a current Fellow and endorsement by the Board of Directors of the Foundation.
Leadership
Ms. Hopkin is a past-president (2021-2022) and a prior member of the Board of Directors of the Bankruptcy Bar Association of Maryland; for which she has also served on various committees, including as a member of the complex Chapter 11 committee, and chair of the Small Business Reorganization Act committee.
She is Co-Chair of the International Women’s Insolvency and Restructuring Confederation – Greater Maryland Network (IWIRC) (2022-2023), where she also serves on the board of directors, and was previously the Co-Chair of Communications and a co-editor of its newsletter. Between 2017 and 2020, she served on the board of directors of the Pro Bono Resource Center of Maryland.
Each year since 2016, Chambers USA recognized Ms. Hopkin as a leader in the Maryland bankruptcy/restructuring field. Additionally, each year since 2013, Maryland Super Lawyers Magazine has named Ms. Hopkin to its list for her bankruptcy practice.
In addition to her professional activities, Ms. Hopkin provides pro bono services through various legal outreach programs and coaches select/travel youth soccer. She also serves as a mentor through a mentorship program between IWIRC and the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law.
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University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, 2006
- J.D. cum laude
Law Review: Journal of Health Care, Law, & Policy , Associate Editor
University of Maryland, 2003
- B.A. in Journalism
- Tydings & Rosenberg LLP, Partner, 2015 – 2018
- Tydings & Rosenberg LLP, Associate, 2006 – 2014
- Professor Kenneth C. Kettering, Research Assistant
American Bankruptcy Institute Mid-Atlantic Bankruptcy Workshop August 2019: “Bankruptcy Trends: Contracts and Plans”
Maryland Bankruptcy Bar Association 2019 Spring Break: “Blockchain for Bankruptcy Lawyers; Categorizing Digital Assets and Emerging Issues Regarding Security Interests”
Anne Arundel County Bar Association Bar Weekend 2019: “Cryptocurrency: Emerging Issues in Business and Law”
Co-Debtor’s Counsel in Archdiocese of Baltimore
Acting as co-debtor’s counsel with Holland & Knight in the chapter 11 bankruptcy proceeding for the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Baltimore (the Archdiocese of Baltimore), in which client is the oldest archdiocese in the United States.
Representation in commercial post-foreclosure litigation.
Acting as the primary substitute trustee and counsel for various foreclosing lenders in commercial foreclosures of properties located throughout Maryland and Washington, D.C.; many properties have sold for several million dollars, and Ms. Hopkin has also successfully represented lenders in subsequent post-foreclosure litigation, including interpleader actions and successful dismissal of the borrower/owner’s appeal of a foreclosure.
Counsel for commercial foreclosing lender.
Serving as the primary substitute trustee and counsel for foreclosing lender in commercial foreclosures of multiple apartment complexes located in the District of Columbia and Maryland, that each respectively sold for several million dollars.
Trustee and Counsel for SBA foreclosure matters.
Acting as primary substitute trustee and counsel for several different foreclosure matters involving the Small Business Association and its 504 Loan and secondary market pooling program.
Sole workout counsel for multiple commercial borrowers/guarantors.
Representing clients as sole workout counsel to multiple commercial borrowers and individual guarantors located through the Eastern Shore of Maryland, Delaware and Virginia, involving multiple hotel/motel properties, retail stores and an office condominium.
Counsel in federal collection action that was overturned.
Serving as sole counsel for a defendant/guarantor of commercial debt in a federal collection action, which resulted in the court overturning a seven-figure default against the individual that was obtained prior to Ms. Hopkin’s involvement.
Counsel to financial institution in Wisp Ski Resort bankruptcy.
Representing a secured creditor/financial institution in all aspects of the Wisp ski resort bankruptcy proceedings.
Sale of Baltimore company in Chapter 11 proceeding for $26 million.
Playing a key role in the representation of a Chapter 11 proceeding involving a Baltimore company that resulted in the sale of the debtor’s business for $26 million; the deal was recognized by Global M&A Network. Ms. Hopkin’s involvement included high-level coordination and negotiation with the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation regarding termination of the debtor’s pension plan.
New financial legislation passed through assistance of counsel.
Assisting debtors in a Chapter 11 reorganization involving the pre-emption of a local statute. Ms. Hopkin was a member of the team that worked with the county government to enact new legislation that now permits a financial hardship exception to the existing legislation. As a result, the debtors were able to successfully reorganize. The creditors are projected to receive 100 cents on the dollar, and even the county, which had previously opposed the reorganization, will receive substantial revenue from the fees associated with the new legislation.
Negotiation of Section 363 sale in Howard County.
Negotiating a Section 363 sale of all of a debtor’s assets in a liquidation of a restaurant in Howard County with nearly 50 employees.
Negotiation of leases in reorganization of wholesale electric distribution supply company.
Negotiating and treating leases with third parties, including numerous electrical supply contracts with government agencies and national entities, in a reorganization of a wholesale electric distribution supply company.
American Bankruptcy Institute
Maryland Bankruptcy Bar Association, Board Member 2013-2019, Chapter Events Chair 2017, Treasurer 2018-2019, President Elect 2020
District of Columbia Bar Association
International Women’s Insolvency & Restructuring Confederation (IWIRC) , Board of Directors 2015-Present; Newsletter Co-Editor 2015-Present; Communications Committee 2013-Present, Communications Committee Co-Chair 2018-Present
Advisory Committee, Academy of Law, National Academy Foundation-Baltimore (NAF-Baltimore) (former member)
Baltimore Academies, Inc., former Board Member
Leader in the Maryland bankruptcy/restructuring field, Chambers USA
Super Lawyers, Super Lawyers Magazine, since 2013
Pro Bono Services, Debtor Assistance Project (DAP), Bankruptcy Clinic
Member of Inaugural D.C. Metro Committee – Tina’s Wish
In re Shkor, 644 B.R. 410 (Bankr. D.C. 2023) (matter of first impression regarding lien priority and replacement of mortgages, and equitable subrogation doctrines)
In re Prince Frederick Inv., LLC, 516 B.R. 778, 783 (Bankr. D. Md. 2014) (litigation pertaining to equitable subrogation of a claim).
The Baltimore Barrister, Spring 2019, Vol 8 No. 3; “Top 5 Commercial Bankruptcy Issues for Trade Creditors”
Firstrust Bank v. Industrial Bank (In re Essex Construction, LLC), 591 B.R. 630 (Bankr. D. Md. 2018) (case of first impression in 4th Circuit wherein Ms. Hopkin successfully defended attack on client’s lien in an action to determine priority of security interests, arguing that the “freeze rule” protected client from a post-petition lapse of its financing statement).
Dang v. Quicken Loans, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 54836 (D. Md., Apr. 17, 2013), aff’d In re Dang, 544 Fed. Appx. 205 (4th Cir. 2013) (one of the first cases in this district to discuss the issue and application of Stern v. Marshall in the District of Maryland)
LBCMT2007-C3 Urbana Pike, LLC v. Sheppard, U.S. Dist. LEXIS 49522 (D. Md. 2014) (landmark case involving pleading standard for affirmative defenses in the District of Maryland)
In re Carter, 500 B.R. 739 (Bankr. D. Md. 2013)
Coler v. Draper, U.S. Dist. LEXIS 152476 (D. Md. 2012)