Lea chairs the Bankruptcy & Financial Restructuring practice and serves as co-chair of the Banking Litigation practice. She practices principally from Stoll Keenon Ogden’s Louisville office, focusing on business insolvency matters and commercial litigation. Lea’s practice includes business bankruptcy and restructuring, informal liquidations, commercial foreclosures, conduit loan issues, lender liability matters, loan participation disputes, and other credit facility disputes and commercial litigation in Kentucky and around the United States. She assists creditors and debtors in industries including energy, healthcare, construction, manufacturing, automotive, retail, mining, entertainment, restaurant, equine and others.

Lea is AV Preeminent® Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell®, listed in The Best Lawyers in America®, and ranked among the nation’s “Top 250 Women in Litigation” by Benchmark Litigation.

Recent representative engagements include:

• Fifth Third Bank, National Association v. Cole Kepro International (2024) – represents principal secured creditor in manufacturing receivership action (Nevada)
• In re Sleep Galleria (2024) – represents major supplier in retail Chapter 11 (Georgia)
• In re Morsey Constructors (2024) – Represents principal secured lender in construction Chapter 7 (Kentucky)
• In re Inmet Mining, LLC (2023)-Represents principal utility creditor (Kentucky)
• Fifth Third Bank, National Association v. Alsaab, et al. (2022) – represents plaintiff in prosecution of bank fraud and RICO claims (Texas)
• In re Penta State LLC et al (dba Diax Labs) (2022)-Represents principal secured creditor and plaintiff in related fraud litigation (Texas)
• In re BHCosmetics Holdings, LLC (2022)-Represents principal secured creditor (Delaware)
• In re White Stallion Energy, LLC (2021)-Represents major coal supply agreement counter-party (Delaware)
• In re Exide Holdings, Inc. (2020)-Represents supplier and preference claim defendant (Delaware)
• In re Shiloh Industries, Inc. (2020)- Represented equipment lessor and contract assumption counterparty (Delaware)
• OGGUSA, Inc., et al v. Southern Tier Hemp, LLC (In re GenCanna) (2020)-Represents defendant in business tort and contract action (Kentucky)
• In re Hartshorne Holdings, LLC (2020)—Represents principal customer of Chapter 11 coal operator in major dispute re assumption of coal supply contract (Kentucky)
• In re Americore Holdings, LLC (2020)—Represented principal secured creditor in multi-hospital Chapter 11 (Kentucky)
• In re Fairn & Swanson, LLC (2020)—Represents a major international beverage vendor to a cruise industry distributor in Chapter 7 (California)
• In re Murray Energy Holdings Co. (2019)—Represents a major utility provider (Ohio)
• In re Fusion Connect (2019)—Represents a telecommunications provider in contract assumption negotiations (New York)
• In re Innovative Mattress Solutions, LLC (2019)—Represented DIP lender and 363 sale buyer, Tempur Sealy International (Lexington, Kentucky)
• In re Blackjewel, LLC, et al. (2019)—Represented major utility provider (West Virginia)
• In re Armstrong Coal (2018)—Represented Debtor’s largest customer concerning complex supply contract assumption and rejection in Chapter 11 (St. Louis, Missouri)
• In re Sears Holding Corp. (2018)—Represents a national brand vendor and preference target (New York)
• In re Arch Coal, Inc. (2017)—Special counsel to Debtor and counsel to utility creditor in Chapter 11 (St. Louis, Missouri)
• In re CRS Reprocessing, LLC (2017-18)—Represented Chapter 11 Debtor in obtaining successful 363 sale (Louisville, Kentucky)
• In re Rosenbaum Feeder Cattle, LLC (2017-18)—Represents Chapter 11 Debtors, with plan confirmed (Virginia)
• In re CC Operations, LLC (2018)—Represents equity holder in payment processor liquidation case (Louisville, Kentucky)
• In re The Roomstores of Phoenix (2018)—Defending multinational manufacturer/distributor from bankruptcy preference claims) (Phoenix, Arizona)
• In re hhgregg, Inc. (2018)—Defended multinational manufacturer/distributor from bankruptcy preference claims (Indianapolis, Indiana)
• In re The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. (2018)—Represents national vendor (Delaware)
• In re Corinthian Colleges, Inc. (2017-18)—Defending national communications provider in bankruptcy preference action (Delaware)
• In re American Apparel, LLC (2017-18)—Defending national communications provider in bankruptcy preference action (Delaware)
• Post Confirmation Committee of Integrity Feeds, LLC v. Lakeland Animal Nutrition(2015)—Defended a multinational manufacturer against post-acquisition fraudulent conveyance claim (Tampa, Florida)
• In re Shreibman (2012)—Represented largest secured lender in $60 million individual Chapter 11 (Nashville, Tennessee)
• In re Prajna, Inc., Bankruptcy Court, W.D. Ky. (2009) (represented principal warehouse mortgage lender in a mortgage fraud case) (Louisville, Kentucky)
• In re Jockeys’ Guild, Inc., Bankruptcy Court, W.D. Ky. (2007) (represented debtor-in-possession, confirmed plan of reorganization) (Louisville, Kentucky)