Ronald E. Barab

Mr. Barab's lender clients include AgFirst Farm Credit Bank and other Farm Credit institutions, Commercial Finance of Atlanta, Inc., and KBC Commercial Finance NV (a Belgian financial institution.  He also advises clients taking part in transactions involving sales, leases, and pledges of equipment negotiable instruments, bank deposits, documents of title, investment securities, and other personal property.

Mr. Barab’s practice also includes the representation of debtors and creditors in chapter 11 cases and out-of-court workouts and the representation of lenders, factors and other parties in connection with distressed debt, both in and outside the context of bankruptcy proceedings, and, in general, a variety of other types of commercial transactions.  His representation of debtors in chapter 11 cases has been concentrated in the airline industry and has included serving as lead bankruptcy counsel in cases concerning international and domestic airlines.

In addition, Mr. Barab provides representation and advice concerning Borrower Rights and other regulatory matters to clients subject to the supervision of the U.S. Farm Credit Administration (FCA) and has, for the benefit of such clients, conducted internal investigations, both mandated by the FCA and voluntary at the request of their boards of directors

Following graduation from law school, Mr. Barab began his law practice with the Atlanta firm of McClain, Mellen, Bowling & Hickman, and in 1981 he joined Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP.  As a member of the Committee on Agriculture and Agri-business of the ABA Section of Corporate, Banking and Business Law, he served on the Task Force on Revisions to Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code. Mr. Barab has also participated as a featured speaker on cross border insolvency in Bogotá, Colombia at an International Seminar sponsored by, among others, the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) and the Bogotá Chamber of Commerce. He was also a lecturer on bankruptcy and cross border insolvency for a course on International Contracting at the Universidad Externado de Colombia and has served as an adjunct professor at Emory Law School and, as a member of the UCC Committee of the State Bar of Georgia, has given presentations on various UCC subjects at its periodic continuing legal education programs.

Ron's Practice

Representative Matters

• Represented lenders and borrowers in financing accounts receivable, syndicated loans, and leveraged buyouts.
• Advised a foreign airline on a $40 million tender offer and $75 million securitization of credit card receivables.
• Served as lead bankruptcy counsel for Trans World Airlines in its prepackaged chapter 11 case in the Eastern District of Missouri.
• Led Avianca Airlines’ successful reorganization in the Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York.
• Handled the chapter 11 case of Skybus Airlines in the Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.
• Represented System One Corporation in its chapter 11 case in the Bankruptcy Court for District of Delaware.
• Represented an indenture trustee in in re Savin Corp. and an ad hoc committee of bondholders In re Towle Manufacturing Company in the Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York.
• Represented Knology Broadband in its chapter 11 case and represented the principal secured creditor in In re Air Atlanta, Inc. in the Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Georgia.
• Represented AgSouth Farm Credit, ACA as the principal secured lender and debtor in possession lender in the chapter 11 cases concerning Cagles, Inc. in the Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Georgia.