Chief Judge Maureen Tighe Honored by Bankruptcy Attorneys in Valley

Chief Judge Maureen Tighe will be honored this year at cdcbaa’s Calvin Ashland Awards Dinner. The dinner will be November 4, 2021 at the Sheraton Universal Hotel in the San Fernando Valley.

Judge Calvin Ashland and His Legacy

The cdcbaa will honor Judge Tighe with the organization’s honor of Judge of the Year award, named after Judge Calvin Ashland. Judge Ashland served from 1976 through 1997. He also was chief judge in the Central District of California, administering cases in that role from 1991 through 1996. Like Judge Tighe, Calvin Ashland was a beloved jurist known for his practicality, innovation, and fairness. He introduced automated systems for the court. Also, he increased the number of bankruptcy judges in Calif’s Central District. Further, he established divisional courts in Santa Barbara, as well as in the San Fernando Valley, where Judge Tighe has ruled from the bench since appointment in 2003.

Judge Tighe’s Record and Accomplishments

Background

Maureen Tighe has served on the bench for almost twenty years. After her appointment in 2003, she earned reappointment for a new term in 2017.  She graduated from Rutgers Law School in 1984, and clerked for a district court judge before entering private practice for Sullivan and Cromwell in New York. In 1988, she worked as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, and was Deputy Chief of the Major Frauds Section. She also was the Chair of the Bankruptcy Fraud Task Force. In 1998, the Department of Justice promoted Maureen Tighe to U.S. Trustee for the Central District of California. The CDCA is one of the busiest districts in the nation as measured by case filings. She held this role until the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals appointed her to the bench in 2003.

In a recent interview, Judge Tighe said, “A good consumer bankruptcy lawyer knows consumer bankruptcy law, understands the goals of the client, is candid with the court when needed, can usually resolve disputes cost-effectively, and has the ability to explain the law and hard choices to the client in a way they can understand.”  Judge Tighe is efficient, organized, and has her thumb on the pulse of court and economy, and anticipates problems for which she can formulate solutions.

Recent Initiatives

In 2019, Chief Judge Tighe called for a local Small Business Task Force. The goal was to have sufficient outreach and public education to ensure that businesses in financial distress are aware of bankruptcy laws, referral resources, and bankruptcy-related fraud schemes to which business owners should be aware. Little did she know that months later when the Small Business Task Force finalized its presentation, that there would be global pandemic which would impact countless small business owners in the San Fernando Valley and beyond.

Later, in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, she asked the Bar Advisory Board to work with the bankruptcy court to help identify which emergency measures should stay in place once things return to normal. With the help of cdcbaa, over 400 responses from San Fernando Valley bankruptcy lawyers and those around the Southland were submitted. The feedback was valuable to the court, with overwhelming support for remote 341(a) meetings and court hearings, as well as doing away with court copies.

This is just a small sampling of Chief Judge Tighe’s initiatives and accomplishments. With compassion and integrity, she has earned the respect of her colleagues and counsel who appear before her.

Judge Tighe will be passing the chief judge gavel to Judge Theodor Albert in January 2022, and retiring in June 2022. She will be staying available to be recalled to hear cases as circumstances merit.

Background on the cdcbaa, the Event’s Organizers

The cdcbaa is an association with a mission to advance the interests of of consumer debtor attorneys and their bankruptcy clients in the Central District of California. Its founders formed it in 2004. Additionally, each year the group presents over a dozen hours of continued legal education programs to its bankruptcy attorney members. These programs inform cdcbaa’s bankruptcy lawyers on the latest legal developments. Also, each year the association honors a judge, trustee, or attorney in the bankruptcy field. These three roles form the pillars that enable the bankruptcy system to function fairly and efficiently. The bankruptcy attorneys of cdcbaa voted  Hale Andrew Antico as the respected organization’s President for both 2020 and again in 2021. Mr. Antico will be proud to share the podium this year with Judge Maureen Tighe honored for her long career and many accomplishments.