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Trent Cornell is a member of the firm concentrating in the areas of complex commercial litigation and bankruptcy/creditors’ rights. Including his previous practice with two large national law firms, Trent has significant experience representing corporations, partnerships, creditors, retiree committees and individuals in breach of contract, trade secret, breach of fiduciary duty, shareholder derivative, bankruptcy, RICO, ERISA and other claims before courts and arbitration panels throughout the United States. An aggressive litigator, Trent is also committed to finding the best business solution for his clients. As Trent's clients have grown, he is increasingly called upon to give general business and strategic advice, drawing from the talent and expertise of other attorneys in the firm if necessary to give his clients answers that make sense legally and practically.In the area of commercial litigation, Trent has negotiated, litigated, arbitrated, settled and/or tried cases involving, among other things, complex breaches of contract, fiduciary relationships, securities, trademark and employment matters on behalf of corporations (from start-ups to Fortune 100 companies), partnerships and individuals in several states throughout the country. Trent has achieved significant victories for his clients in these and other areas, sometimes winning cases that were left for dead when he took them over. Trent has also been called upon to litigate temporary restraining orders on behalf of his clients, often in the context of trade secret and restrictive covenant matters. Trent's clients return because he works with them to devise a strategic plan up front rather than just reacting to the other side. This helps keep litigation manageable and keeps his clients informed at all critical stages as the case moves forward in or out of court.
In the area of bankruptcy/creditors’ rights, Trent focuses his attention on representing creditors and creditor groups, such as retiree committees. Trent is committed to returning all value possible to his clients in situations that are difficult, complex and sometimes contentious. Trent spends a great deal of his time representing retiree committees (appointed pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 1114) in large bankruptcies and working on issues related to Section 1114 issues. Trent's thorough and effective work representing retiree committees has been recognized on many occasions, not just by the committees themselves, but also by judges, U.S. bankruptcy trustees and by other attorneys. Trent has been counsel to the Retiree Committees in FV Steel (Keystone), Intermet (Wagner Castings) and currently represents the Retiree Committee in the Dana Corporation bankruptcy.
In addition to being a member of the the American Bar Association (including its Litigation Section) and the Chicago Bar Association (including its Commercial Litigation subcommittee), Trent is a member of the American Bankruptcy Institute and the Turnaround Management Association. In September 2006, Trent participated on a panel to discuss retiree issues in bankruptcies at the American Bankruptcy Institute's annual Southwest Conference.
