Matthew D. Lee

Partner

Matthew D. Lee is an experienced bankruptcy, restructuring, and real estate and business litigation attorney. He is a partner and a member of the firm’s Bankruptcy & Business Reorganizations and Business Litigation & Dispute Resolution Practices. Matt is based in the firm’s Madison, Wisconsin office and has practice experience nationwide.

Matt represents Chapter 11 debtors, secured and unsecured creditors, official committees of unsecured creditors, chapter 7 trustees and other estate fiduciaries, and defendants in avoidance actions. In addition to his bankruptcy experience, Matt counsels clients in out-of-court restructurings, workouts, assignments for the benefits of creditors including those filed under Chapter 128 of the Wisconsin Statutes, and other insolvency matters.

His real estate litigation practice encompasses eminent domain proceedings, land use and zoning disputes, foreclosure litigation, lease disputes and eviction actions, and other disputes involving real property interests. His business litigation practice encompasses, among other areas, construction disputes, and commercial contract disputes. He also counsels his clients before a dispute or insolvency arises on the issues of litigation avoidance, loss mitigation, and risk management.

Representative Experience

Representative Bankruptcy Experience

  • Represented a Madison-based developer and distributor of dietary supplements in its chapter 11 bankruptcy case in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Wisconsin, achieving the successful reorganization of the debtor
  • Represented chapter 11 debtors in the U.S. Bankruptcy Courts for the District of Delaware and the Central District of California
  • Represented the official committee of unsecured creditors of a manufacturer of powersports apparel and aftermarket parts and its affiliates in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware
  • Represented the official committee of unsecured creditors of a Kentucky-based coal company and its affiliates in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky
  • Represented the official committee of unsecured creditors of a Kentucky and West Virginia-based coal company in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky
  • Represented the official committee of unsecured creditors of an Ohio and West Virginia-based coal company in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Ohio
  • Represented the first priority secured lender of a chapter 13 debtor in an adversary proceeding to cram down the secured lender’s lien in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Wisconsin, winning a judgment in favor of the lender following a trial
  • Represented a nationwide restaurant franchisor in the chapter 11 cases of two of its franchisees in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Wisconsin

Representative Litigation Experience

  • Represented a Madison-area home products manufacturer against breach of contract and private nuisance claims, securing a judgment following trial and an award of attorneys’ fees under the fee-shifting provision in the parties’ contract
  • Represented condemnors and landowners in eminent domain matters, both in pre-condemnation negotiations and in condemnation appeals
  • Represented the owner and operator of a Southeastern Wisconsin dairy farm in a breach of contract and negligence case
  • Represented a Wisconsin-based manufacturer in a nationwide class action, defeating class certification and obtaining dismissal of the case on the merits
  • Represented secured creditors in complicated commercial foreclosure and Article 9 proceedings

Awards and Recognition

  • Named an “Up & Coming Lawyer” by the Wisconsin Law Journal (2012)
  • Selected for inclusion in Wisconsin Super Lawyers – Rising Stars® lists in the areas of bankruptcy & creditor/debtor rights and business litigation (2009, 2010, 2014 to 2016)

Affiliations

  • American Bankruptcy Institute
  • Turnaround Management Association
  • Bankruptcy, Insolvency, and Creditors’ Rights section of the State Bar of Wisconsin

Presentations and Publications

Matt has presented on bankruptcy-related topics, including the standards for discharging equitable claims, successor liability principles, preference litigation strategies, and the treatment of non-compete agreements under the Bankruptcy Code. His publications include:

  • Author, “Not The Pro Bono You’re Looking For,” Bankruptcy Law360, December 22, 2015
  • Co-author, “US v. Apex Oil: Will High Court Revisit Ohio v. Kovacs?” Bankruptcy Law360, June 30, 2010
  • Co-author, “Dealing with Insolvent and Bankrupt Distributors,” chapter 7, Product Distribution Law Guide, updated annually
  • Co-author, “Condemnation,” chapter 19, Wisconsin Law of Damages, updated annually
  • Co-author, The Law of Eminent Domain: Condemnation, chapter on Wisconsin law, published by the American Bar Association, updated periodically
  • Co-author, “Third Circuit Expands Insider Exposure,” American Bankruptcy Institute Journal, April 2009
25 May 2023 Deals and Wins

Foley Successfully Represents City Brewing Company and Wisconsin Brewing Company in Petition to Affirm Contract Manufacturing of Spirits in Wisconsin

On May 11, 2023, the Wisconsin Department of Revenue issued a declaratory ruling concluding that contract manufacturing (co-packing) and alternating proprietorship arrangements between properly permitted parties are legal in the State of Wisconsin.
15 September 2022 Events

ACC-WI CLE Program and Networking

Please join Foley and ACC-WI for an afternoon of CLE, followed by an outdoor Oktoberfest reception with traditional Bavarian fare and beverages, festive music, and fun.
14 September 2020 In the News

Lee Quoted in BizTimes About When Businesses Should Consider Bankruptcy as an Option

Partner Matt Lee was quoted in the BizTimes article, “When is it time to file for bankruptcy?” about when and why bankruptcy may be an appropriate option for businesses facing financial pressures due to the ongoing pandemic.
18-19 December 2019 Events

Madison CLE Days

Join us for two days of training programs covering a range of key business and industry topics and recent legal trends.
11 November 2019 Press Releases

Foley Attorneys Named 2019 Wisconsin Super Lawyers and Rising Stars

Foley & Lardner LLP is pleased to announce that 17 of its attorneys have been named 2019 Wisconsin Super Lawyers – a distinction limited to just 5 percent of the state’s attorneys.
24 October 2019

28th Annual Law of Product Distribution & Franchise Seminar – Dallas

For the past 27 years, Foley has offered more than 600 presentations to thousands of appreciative participants during its nationally attended Law of Product Distribution & Franchise Seminar, and the 28th annual seminar will continue that tradition this year.