EDUCATION:
University of Iowa College of Law
Iowa City, Iowa
J.D., Summa Cum Laude, 1979
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina
B.A., 1975
ADMISSIONS:
Virginia
MEMBERSHIPS:
- Virginia State Bar
- Journal of Corporation Law, Editorial Board, 1978 - 1979
- Virginia Bar Association, Executive Board, Bankruptcy Section, 1988 - 1990
- National Conference of Bar Examiners, 1991 - 1993
- Multi-State Essay Exam Drafting Committee, 1991-1993
- President, Harrisonburg Rockingham County Bar Association, 2005
Bill Shmidheiser
Shareholder
Harrisonburg
Phone: 540-437-3137
E-mail: wes@lolawfirm.com
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At Lenhart Obenshain
Bill Shmidheiser specializes in complicated financial messes, including disputes among shareholders and partners in businesses, divorces, real estate disputes, and representation of creditors in foreclosures, difficult collections, bankruptcies and workouts. Mr. Shmidheiser has substantial trial experience as lead counsel in scores of commercial cases, both jury and non-jury trials.
Experience
CASE RESULTS DEPEND ON A VARIETY OF FACTORS UNIQUE TO EACH CASE AND DO NOT GUARANTEE OR PREDICT A SIMILAR RESULT IN ANY FUTURE CASE.
- Tried cases in federal courts in Harrisonburg, Roanoke, Lynchburg, and Charlottesville, Virginia; in the Virginia state courts of the Counties of Albemarle, Arlington, Augusta, Clark, Culpeper, Frederick, Greene, Highland, Loudon, Madison, Montgomery, Orange, Page, Prince William, Roanoke, Rockbridge, Rockingham, Shenandoah, Spotsylvania, and Warren, and the Cities of Charlottesville, Fredericksburg, Lynchburg, Staunton, Waynesboro, and Winchester; and federal bankruptcy courts in Alexandria, Charlottesville, Harrisonburg, Lynchburg, Richmond, and Roanoke, Virginia
- Admitted pro hac vice to try commercial cases in federal courts in Washington, DC; Philadelphia, PA.; Pittsburgh, PA.; Greensboro, NC; Trenton, NJ; and state courts in Pensacola, FL; Bristol, TN; and Moorefield, WV
- Represented over forty different banks and other lenders in difficult collections involving bankruptcies, lender liability claims, collateral with significant legal issues, and just plain hard-to-collect-from people
- While he primarily represents creditors, Mr. Shmidheiser has also served as debtor's counsel in dozens of successful Chapter 11 bankruptcy cases resulting in confirmed Plans of Reorganization, and drawing upon that experience has also represented debtors in dozens of successful out-of-court workouts with creditors
- Negotiated where possible and successfully litigated where necessary, dozens of hard-fought business disputes among business and property owners: brother v. brother; parents v. children; partner v. partner; husband v. wife; and every other variation of business, property and family relationships that may become entangled in complicated legal disputes
- Expertise in litigation involving complicated accounting, appraisal, and business valuation issues
- Conducted more than 100 foreclosure sales of every kind of property, including residences large and small, and businesses of every description, including auto dealerships, restaurants, factories, dairy, poultry, and cattle farms, a glass table top factory, a wood stove factory, a Tilapia fish farm, and, in one never-to-be-forgotten case, a villa on five acres in Montego Bay, Jamaica
Recognitions
- Best Lawyers in America®
Bankruptcy and Creditor-Debtor Rights - 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011
Bankruptcy and Creditor-Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law and Bankruptcy Litigation - 2012 - "Legal Elite," Virginia Business Magazine
Family/Domestic Relations - 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2010
Bankruptcy - 2007 and 2011 - AV®* Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell®*
More than Lenhart Obenshain
Bill Shmidheiser is the father of five children ages 22 to 31, plays soccer in three rec leagues, and an occasional rock climber with his law partner, Brian Brake.
*AV® Preeminent™ and BV® Distinguished™ are certification marks of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell is the facilitator of a peer review rating process. Ratings reflect the anonymous opinions of members of the Bar and the Judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings fall into two categories - legal ability and general ethical standards.
Legal Assistant
Mary Hall
540-437-3136
mhall@lolawfirm.com
Areas of Practice
Creditor Rights
Collections and Repossessions
Commercial Litigation
Family Law