Dennis T. Lewandowski
Member • Chair of Bankruptcy, Creditors’ Rights & Business Restructuring
Admissions: Virginia
Biography
Dennis is Chair of the Firm’s Bankruptcy, Creditors’ Rights and Business Restructuring Group. His litigation practice involves representation as lender’s counsel, as well as general and commercial bankruptcy representation, including plans of reorganization; adversary proceedings, including preference defense and the prosecution of stay motion reliefs; and the filing of proofs of claims. His practice also specializes in creditor’s rights matters dealing with creditor’s bankruptcy, real estate receiverships, commercial collections, mechanic’s liens, attachments, and fraudulent conveyance litigation. As part of his representation, Dennis assists in commercial foreclosure as well.
Representative Matters
- Served as local counsel for Liquidating Trustee of large commercial bankruptcy
- Served as local counsel for bankruptcy of mortgage loan subsidiary whose parent was taken over by the Federal Deposit insurance Corporation
- Counsel for creditors committee in massive fraud case
- Represented creditor with respect to $1.8 million preference defense
- Initiated over 25 commercial real estate receiverships (many of which sold the property through the receivership)
- Represented site contractor in a substantial complex mechanic’s lien matter involving a residential subdivision
Recognition & Honors
- Best Lawyers in America, 2002–2025
- Top Lawyers; CoVaBIZ, 2017-2024
- Lawyer of the Year; Best Lawyers in America, 2023
- Virginia Super Lawyers; Law & Politics, 2008–2012, 2018, 2020-2024
- Norfolk Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law Lawyer of the Year; Best Lawyers in America, 2012
- Virginia Super Lawyers Corporate Counsel Edition; Law & Politics, 2009-2010
- Virginia’s Legal Elite; Virginia Business Magazine, 2008-2024
- AV® Rated; Martindale-Hubbell
- University Scholar; University of Pittsburgh
Associations
- American Bar Association
- American Bankruptcy Institute
- The Up Center; Board of Directors
- Virginia State Bar; Past President, Bankruptcy Bar Association
- Virginia Bar Association; Past President, Bankruptcy Bar
- Tidewater Bankruptcy Bar Association; Co-Founder, Past President
- Norfolk-Portsmouth Bar Association
Education
- University of Pittsburgh; B.A., summa cum laude, 1979
- University of Notre Dame; J.D., 1982
Press & Publications
- 51 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named to Virginia Business Magazine’s “Legal Elite” 2024
- 55 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named Best Lawyers in America 2025, 7 Named “Lawyer of the Year,” and 13 Named “Ones to Watch”
- 15 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named as Super Lawyers & 5 Named as Rising Stars 2024
- 36 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named as Top Lawyers 2024 in CoVaBIZ Magazine
- 53 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named Virginia Business Magazine’s “Legal Elite” 2023
- 54 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named Best Lawyers in America© 2024, 6 Named “Lawyer of the Year,” and 10 Named “Ones to Watch”
- 16 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named as Super Lawyers and 4 Named as Virginia Rising Stars 2023
- 44 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named as Top Lawyers 2023 in CoVaBIZ Magazine
- 53 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named Virginia Business Magazine’s “Legal Elite” 2022
- 48 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named Best Lawyers In America© 2023, 5 Named “Lawyer of the Year” and 8 Named “Ones to Watch”
- 17 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named as Super Lawyers & 3 Named as Rising Stars in Virginia Super Lawyers & Rising Stars 2022
- Bankruptcy Alert – When PPP Wasn’t Enough: Considerations for Lenders When PPP/EIDL Borrowers File for Bankruptcy
- 40 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named as Top Lawyers 2022 in CoVaBIZ Magazine
- 52 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named Virginia Business Magazine’s “Legal Elite” 2021
- Commercial Real Estate Receiverships: The Closing of the Action and Miscellaneous Matters
- Commercial Real Estate Receiverships: The Sale Process Itself
- Commercial Real Estate Receiverships: The Receiver’s Duties
- Commercial Real Estate Receiverships: History, Factors, and Types of Receiverships
- 48 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named Best Lawyers in America© 2022, 4 Named “Lawyer of the Year” and 8 Named “Ones to Watch”
- 19 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named as Super Lawyers & 3 Named as Rising Stars in Virginia Super Lawyers & Rising Stars 2021
- Bankruptcy & Creditors’ Rights Alert – February 2021
- 40 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named as Top Lawyers 2021 in CoVaBIZ Magazine
- 53 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named to Virginia Business Magazine’s “Legal Elite” 2020
- 46 Attorneys Named “Best Lawyers in America 2021”, 5 Named “Lawyer of the Year” and 7 Named “Ones to Watch”
- 18 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named as Super Lawyers 2020 and 4 Named As Rising Stars 2020
- Credit Union Alert – CARES Act Bankruptcy Law Changes Affecting Credit Unions
- Creditor Client Alert: Coronavirus Infects New Bankruptcy Law
- Lender Client Alert – January 2020
- 45 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named CoVaBIZ Magazine’s “Top Lawyers” 2020
- 48 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named Virginia Business Magazine’s “Legal Elite” 2019
- 45 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named Best Lawyers in America 2020 and 3 Named “Lawyer of the Year”
- 48 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named Virginia Business Magazine’s “Legal Elite” 2018
- Commercial Real Estate Receiverships – An Alternative to Foreclosure?
- 40 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named as Top Lawyers 2019 in CoVaBiz Magazine
- 43 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named “Best Lawyers in America 2019” and 8 Named “Lawyers of the Year”
- 31 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named as Super Lawyers and 5 Named As Rising Stars 2018
- 31 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named as Top Lawyers 2017/18 in CoVaBIZ Magazine
- 46 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named Best Lawyers in America 2018
- 48 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named Virginia Business Magazine’s Legal Elite 2017
- 48 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named to Virginia Business Magazine’s Legal Elite 2016
- 40 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named Best Lawyers in America 2017
- 44 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named Virginia Business Magazine’s Legal Elite 2015
- 42 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named to Best Lawyers in America 2016
- 45 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named to Virginia Business Magazine’s Legal Elite 2014
- 42 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named to Best Lawyers in America 2015
- 54 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named to Virginia Business Magazine’s Legal Elite 2013
- 42 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named to Best Lawyers in America 2014
- 55 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named to Virginia Business Magazine’s Legal Elite 2012
- 41 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named to Best Lawyers in America 2013
- 40 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named as Super Lawyers 2012 and 14 Named as Rising Stars 2012
- 53 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named Virginia Business Magazine’s Legal Elite 2011
- 9 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named Best Lawyers’ 2012 Lawyers of the Year
- 40 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named to Best Lawyers in America 2012
- 36 K&C Attorneys Named as Super Lawyers 2011 and 14 Named as Rising Stars 2011
- 39 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named Virginia Business Magazine’s “Legal Elite” 2010
- 36 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named to Best Lawyers in America 2011
- 4 K&C Attorneys Named in Corporate Counsel Edition of Super Lawyers 2010
- 31 K&C Attorneys Named as Super Lawyers & 11 Named as Rising Stars 2010
- 35 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named to Best Lawyers in America 2010
- The New Bankruptcy Law and the Business Creditor