Eric J. Breithaupt
Christian & Small LLP
1800 Financial Center
505 North 20th Street
Birmingham, Alabama 35203

Tel:  205.250.6640
Fax: 205.328.7234
email: ejb@csattorneys.com

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PARTNER

Practice Areas
Bankruptcy
Trade Secrets
Business & Commercial
  Litigation

Admitted to Practice
Alabama, 1986
Tennessee, 2000

Education
University of South Alabama, 1983, B.A., English (Omicron Delta Kappa (honorary))

University of Alabama School of Law, 1986, J.D. (Law & Psychology Review, Assistant Editor)

Eric Breithaupt is a partner in the firm's Business & Commercial Litigation practice group. He prosecutes business and consumer finance issues before all ten Bankruptcy Judges in the State of Alabama and has appeared specially in cases in Delaware, Florida and Georgia. Mr. Breithaupt has an active state wide trial practice in the state courts, federal courts and in arbitration matters. Mr. Breithaupt's representation focuses on corporate governance matters, commercial litigation, bankruptcy, secured transactions and the enforcement of employee non-competition/trade secrets issues.

Of recent significance is Mr. Breithaupt’s role as prior local counsel for the bankruptcy trustee of what had been one of the nation’s largest footwear retailers. Through aggressive litigation of corporate governance, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty and accounting malpractice claims, Mr. Breithaupt served as a principal member of the team that resolved the matter on behalf of the bankrupt estate on terms reported by the Wall Street Journal.

Additionally, Mr. Breithaupt served as local counsel in the reorganization of a troubled steel manufacturer for the largest secured creditor of the company involving a nearly $250 million re-characterization of debt and equity in a recently confirmed pre-packaged plan.

Mr. Breithaupt’s representative clients include Nissan Motor Acceptance Corporation, Manheim Automotive Financial Services, Inc., General Electric Capital Corporation and Pomeroy Computer IT Solutions, Inc. Mr. Breithaupt routinely represents financial institutions, trustees and other official committees in bankruptcy.

Professional Honors and Affiliations

• American Bankruptcy Institute
• American Bar Association
• Alabama State Bar Association
• Tennessee State Bar Association
• Birmingham Bar Association
• 11th Circuit Judicial Conference

Representative Reported Decisions

• In re Bentley, 2006 WL 2285621 (Bkrtcy.S.D.Ala. 2006)
• Thompson Properties 119 AA 370, Ltd v. Birmingham Hide and Tallow Co., Inc., 897 So.2d 248 (Ala. 2004)
• Serra Chevrolet, Inc. v. Hock, 891 So.2d 844 (Ala. 2004)
• W.R. Huff Asset Management Co., LLC v. Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co, L.P., 234 F.Supp.2d 1218 (N.D.Ala. 2002)
• Thompson Properties v. Birmingham Hide and Tallow Co., Inc., 839 So.2d 629 (Ala. 2002)
• W.R. Huff Asset Management Co., LLC v. BT Securities Corp., 190 F.Supp.2d 1273 (N.D.Ala. 2001)
• In re Rivera, 280 B.R. 699 (Bkrtcy.S.D.Ala. 2001)
• In re Robinson, 240 B.R. 70 (Bkrtcy.N.D.Ala. 1999)
• Wyers v. Keenon, 762 So.2d 353 (Ala. 1999)
• In re Golden Mane Acquisitions, Inc., 243 B.R. 773 (Bkrtcy.N.D.Ala. 1999)
• In re Golden Mane Acquisitions, Inc., 221 B.R. 963 (Bkrtcy.N.D.Ala. 1997)
• In re Condra, 212 B.R. 987 (Bkrtcy.M.D.Ala. 1997)
• AmSouth Bank, N.A. v. J & D Financial Corp., 679 So.2d 695, 32 UCC Rep.Serv.2d 316 (Ala. 1996)
• In re Jove Engineering, Inc. v. Internal Revenue Service, 92 F.3d 1539 (11th Cir. 1996)
• City of Mobile v. GSF Properties, Inc., 531 So.2d 833 (Ala. 1988)

Court Admissions

• Alabama State Bar
• Tennessee State Bar
• United States Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit
• United States District Court, Northern District of Alabama
• United States District Court, Middle District of Alabama
• United States District Court, Southern District of Alabama

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