South Florida has emerged as one of the nation’s primary centers for high-stakes bankruptcy litigation, large-scale fraud recovery actions, and multi-million-dollar corporate restructurings. The region’s unique position as a hub for international finance, real estate development, and investment activity has created a corresponding need for attorneys who specialize in navigating the aftermath when those ventures collapse.
Among the bankruptcy lawyers and commercial litigation attorneys practicing in the Southern District of Florida, Mark Roher has spent more than a quarter-century working on some of the most visible and legally complex matters to emerge from the region. With over 2,000 cases handled since beginning his practice in 1999, Roher’s career encompasses high-profile Ponzi scheme recovery litigation, celebrity-involved bankruptcy proceedings, and corporate reorganizations involving nationally recognized brands.
His background, case history, and professional credentials are documented across multiple legal directories, court records, and his official website, providing a comprehensive view of how one attorney built a practice focused on the intersection of bankruptcy law and financial fraud litigation.
The Foundation: Legal Education and Early Practice Development
Mark Stuart Roher earned his Juris Doctor degree, cum laude, from the University of Miami School of Law in 1999, where he served as an Articles and Comments Editor for the University of Miami Law Review. This editorial role provided early exposure to complex legal scholarship and the analytical skills necessary for dissecting complicated financial transactions—skills that would later prove essential in Ponzi scheme litigation and bankruptcy fraud cases.
Prior to law school, Roher graduated with honors from York University in 1995 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. Born in Toronto, Canada, Roher relocated to South Florida in 1996 and has remained in the region throughout his legal career, building deep familiarity with the federal bankruptcy court system in the Southern District of Florida.
Admitted to practice in Florida in 1999, Roher established the Law Office of Mark S. Roher, P.A., a boutique bankruptcy and commercial litigation firm based in Broward County. The decision to focus on bankruptcy law and creditors’ rights positioned him in a practice area that would see explosive growth in South Florida over the following decades, particularly as the region became ground zero for several massive Ponzi schemes and financial frauds.
The Scott Rothstein Ponzi Scheme: A Career-Defining Case
Few bankruptcy cases in American history have combined the scale, complexity, and regional impact of the Scott Rothstein Ponzi scheme that collapsed in Fort Lauderdale in 2009. The $1.4 billion fraud orchestrated by attorney Scott Rothstein through his law firm Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler became one of the largest Ponzi schemes in United States history, devastating hundreds of investors and sending shockwaves through South Florida’s legal and financial communities.
Mark Roher played a substantial role in the aftermath of the Rothstein collapse, representing a significant group of investors who had been defrauded by the scheme. The Rothstein case presented unique challenges that tested the limits of bankruptcy law and required attorneys to navigate intersections between criminal prosecution, civil recovery actions, and complex clawback litigation.
Understanding Clawback Actions in Ponzi Scheme Cases
In Ponzi scheme bankruptcies, clawback actions (also called fraudulent transfer or preference actions) allow trustees to recover money from investors who received distributions from the scheme, even if those investors had no knowledge of the fraud. The legal theory holds that in a Ponzi scheme, no investor receives legitimate returns—every dollar paid out comes from other investors’ principal, not from actual profits.
This creates devastating situations where innocent investors who thought they were receiving legitimate returns suddenly face lawsuits demanding that they return money they received years earlier. The Rothstein bankruptcy generated hundreds of such clawback actions, and attorneys representing defendants in these cases needed deep expertise in both bankruptcy law and securities fraud litigation.
Roher’s work on behalf of Rothstein investors involved defending clients against these clawback actions, negotiating settlements with the bankruptcy trustee, and working through the complex claims process to determine what, if any, recovery his clients might ultimately receive. The Rothstein bankruptcy has continued for more than a decade, with ongoing litigation, appeals, and distribution negotiations extending well into the 2020s.
The Broader Impact of the Rothstein Case
The Rothstein Ponzi scheme fundamentally changed bankruptcy practice in South Florida. It exposed vulnerabilities in attorney trust account monitoring, raised questions about law firm due diligence when accepting new clients, and demonstrated how sophisticated fraud could operate for years within the legal community itself.
For attorneys like Mark Roher who represented investors in the aftermath, the case provided intensive experience in handling emotionally charged, high-stakes litigation where clients had often lost their life savings. It also required managing cases that drew significant media attention and public scrutiny—experience that would prove valuable in subsequent high-profile matters.
Bernie Madoff Ponzi Scheme: International Fraud Recovery
While the Rothstein scheme devastated South Florida, the Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme represented financial fraud on a truly global scale. When Madoff’s $65 billion Ponzi scheme collapsed in December 2008, it became the largest financial fraud in world history, affecting thousands of investors across multiple countries and jurisdictions.
Mark Roher represented victims of the Madoff scandal, working within the complex bankruptcy proceedings overseen by the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. The Madoff bankruptcy presented unique challenges distinct from typical bankruptcy cases:
Multi-Jurisdictional Complexity
Madoff investors were spread across the globe, with claims filed from dozens of countries. The bankruptcy trustee, Irving Picard, filed hundreds of clawback lawsuits seeking to recover funds from investors who had withdrawn more money than they had deposited—regardless of whether those investors knew about the fraud.
For attorneys representing Madoff victims, the case required understanding not just bankruptcy law, but also securities regulation, international asset recovery, and the interplay between the bankruptcy court’s jurisdiction and parallel criminal prosecutions.
The SIPA Claims Process
Unlike typical bankruptcies, the Madoff liquidation proceeded under the Securities Investor Protection Act (SIPA), which provides some insurance coverage for investors but also creates a distinct claims process. Determining which investors qualified for SIPA coverage, how claims would be calculated, and what priority different classes of creditors would receive became central battles in the case.
Roher’s involvement in Madoff-related recovery efforts demonstrated his ability to handle cases operating at the intersection of multiple legal frameworks—bankruptcy, securities law, and criminal fraud prosecution—while managing clients facing devastating financial losses.
SunCruz Casinos Bankruptcy: Criminal Intrigue Meets Corporate Restructuring
The SunCruz Casinos bankruptcy brought Mark Roher into one of Florida’s most controversial and bizarre corporate collapse cases—a bankruptcy ultimately overshadowed by murder and political scandal.
Background of the SunCruz Case
SunCruz Casinos operated a fleet of offshore gambling ships based in Florida. In 2000, controversial Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff purchased the company from founder Konstantinos “Gus” Boulis in a leveraged buyout. The relationship between Abramoff and Boulis quickly deteriorated into bitter disputes over the purchase terms and control of the company.
In February 2001, Gus Boulis was murdered in a gangland-style hit in Fort Lauderdale—a killing that would later be connected to associates of Jack Abramoff, though Abramoff himself was never charged with the murder. The company subsequently filed for bankruptcy, and the case became intertwined with federal investigations into Abramoff’s lobbying activities and the circumstances surrounding Boulis’s death.
Legal Challenges in the SunCruz Bankruptcy
The SunCruz bankruptcy proceedings required attorneys to navigate extraordinary complications:
- Competing ownership claims stemming from the disputed sale between Boulis and Abramoff
- Regulatory issues surrounding gambling operations and maritime law
- Criminal investigations that limited what could be disclosed or negotiated
- Media attention that intensified as the Abramoff scandal expanded into a major Washington corruption investigation
The SunCruz case was later dramatized in the 2010 film “Casino Jack,” starring Kevin Spacey as Abramoff. The movie brought renewed attention to the bankruptcy proceedings and the web of fraud, political corruption, and violence surrounding the company’s collapse.
For Mark Roher, the SunCruz case provided experience handling a bankruptcy where criminal activity, regulatory complications, and intense media scrutiny created obstacles beyond the typical financial and legal challenges of corporate restructuring.
“If I Did It” by O.J. Simpson: Media Circus Meets Bankruptcy Law
Few bankruptcy cases have generated as much public fascination as the proceedings involving O.J. Simpson’s controversial book “If I Did It.” Mark Roher represented Lorraine Brooke Associates, the publisher behind the book, in bankruptcy proceedings that became a national news story.
The Backstory: A Book That Nearly Wasn’t
In 2006, ReganBooks (an imprint of HarperCollins) planned to publish “If I Did It,” a book in which O.J. Simpson provided a hypothetical account of how he would have committed the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman “if” he had done it. The book was to be accompanied by a Fox television special.
Public outcry was immediate and fierce. The Goldman family, who had won a $33.5 million wrongful death judgment against Simpson in civil court but had collected only a fraction of that amount, condemned the project as allowing Simpson to profit from murder. After widespread criticism, News Corp (which owned both Fox and HarperCollins) canceled the book and television special just before publication.
The Bankruptcy Angle: How the Goldman Family Got the Rights
The story took a dramatic turn when the rights to the book eventually transferred to a Florida bankruptcy court. A bankruptcy trustee sold the rights to Lorraine Brooke Associates, a company controlled by the Goldman family. The family’s attorney retitled the book, making “If I Did It” tiny print and “I DID IT” enormous on the cover, with “Confessions of the Killer” as the subtitle.
The bankruptcy proceedings involved complex questions about intellectual property rights, proceeds from book sales, and whether bankruptcy law could be used as a vehicle for the Goldman family to finally collect a portion of their judgment against Simpson.
Media Management in Legal Proceedings
Mark Roher’s representation of Lorraine Brooke Associates in these proceedings placed him at the center of a media firestorm. The case required not just legal expertise in bankruptcy and intellectual property law, but also the ability to function effectively while every development in the case was covered by national news outlets.
The “If I Did It” case demonstrated how bankruptcy law can intersect with celebrity litigation, wrongful death judgments, and public interest in high-profile criminal cases—even when the bankruptcy itself involves a relatively small publisher rather than the celebrity at the center of the controversy.
Major Corporate Bankruptcies: National Brands and Complex Restructurings
Beyond fraud-related bankruptcies and celebrity cases, Mark Roher has worked on corporate restructurings involving major national brands and companies whose bankruptcies affected thousands of employees, creditors, and consumers.
Sears Roebuck: The Slow Collapse of an American Icon
The bankruptcy of Sears Holdings Corporation represented one of the most significant retail failures in American history. Once the nation’s largest retailer and a company that helped define American consumer culture for more than a century, Sears filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in October 2018 with $6.9 billion in liabilities.
The Sears bankruptcy presented unique challenges:
- Massive scale: Hundreds of stores, tens of thousands of employees, and complex real estate holdings
- Competing stakeholder interests: Conflicts between secured creditors, landlords, vendors, and pension obligations
- Related party transactions: Controversial dealings between Sears and companies controlled by Eddie Lampert, the hedge fund manager who controlled Sears
- Asset disposition: Determining which stores could be sold as going concerns versus liquidated
Bankruptcy attorneys working on the Sears case needed to understand retail operations, commercial real estate, pension law, and the complex financial engineering that had preceded the bankruptcy filing. The case also involved substantial litigation over fraudulent transfer claims related to asset sales that occurred before the bankruptcy.
Takata Corporation: Global Supply Chain Bankruptcy
The bankruptcy of Takata Corporation in 2017 stemmed from one of the largest automotive safety scandals in history. Takata manufactured airbags that could explode when deployed, spraying metal shrapnel into vehicle cabins. The defect led to dozens of deaths worldwide and the recall of more than 100 million airbags—the largest automotive recall in history.
The Takata bankruptcy involved extraordinary complexity:
- Multi-jurisdictional proceedings: Simultaneous bankruptcy filings in the United States and Japan
- Product liability exposure: Billions of dollars in potential claims from injured consumers and automakers
- Global supply chain management: Ensuring critical airbag production continued for recall replacements while the company restructured
- Criminal penalties: Takata pleaded guilty to criminal charges and faced a $1 billion penalty related to the safety scandal
Attorneys working on the Takata bankruptcy needed expertise in international insolvency law, product liability, corporate criminal law, and supply chain management. The case required coordination between U.S. and Japanese courts, regulators in multiple countries, and dozens of automakers dependent on Takata components.
BurgerFi: Fast-Casual Dining Industry Restructuring
The bankruptcy of BurgerFi International, filed in 2024, represented a newer category of corporate restructuring—the collapse of fast-casual restaurant chains that expanded rapidly during the 2010s but struggled with debt loads and changing consumer preferences.
BurgerFi operated more than 100 locations and also owned the Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza & Wings chain. The company’s bankruptcy involved challenges common to restaurant chain restructurings:
- Franchise relationships: Balancing the interests of corporate-owned locations versus franchise operators
- Real estate issues: Dealing with dozens of commercial leases, some in favorable locations and others in declining markets
- Brand value preservation: Determining whether the BurgerFi brand retained value worth preserving through restructuring or whether liquidation made more sense
- Competition: Operating in an extremely competitive fast-casual dining sector with low margins
Restaurant bankruptcies require attorneys who understand franchise law, commercial real estate, hospitality industry operations, and rapid decision-making about which locations can be saved and which must close.
Bang Energy: Beverage Industry Collapse and Acquisition
Bang Energy’s bankruptcy in 2022 stemmed from explosive growth followed by equally dramatic collapse. The energy drink company built a devoted following and achieved massive retail distribution but faced crushing debt and fierce competition from established brands like Monster and Red Bull.
The Bang Energy bankruptcy involved:
- Intellectual property valuation: Determining the value of Bang’s brand, formulations, and marketing assets
- Distribution agreements: Managing relationships with national retailers and distribution partners
- Acquisition competition: Multiple potential buyers bidding for Bang’s assets, ultimately won by Monster Beverage Corporation
- False advertising litigation: Ongoing legal issues related to health claims made in Bang marketing
The case demonstrated how quickly fortunes can shift in the beverage industry and required attorneys capable of managing a fast-moving sale process while maintaining business operations.
Additional High-Profile Fraud Cases: Nevin Shapiro and Palm Beach Finance Partners
Mark Roher’s expertise in Ponzi scheme litigation extends beyond Rothstein and Madoff to other significant fraud cases that have impacted South Florida.
Nevin Shapiro: Sports Scandal Meets Ponzi Scheme
Nevin Shapiro, a convicted Ponzi scheme operator, became notorious both for his $930 million fraud through Capitol Investments USA and for his role in an NCAA scandal involving the University of Miami football program. Shapiro was a major booster who provided impermissible benefits to Miami Hurricane football players, leading to NCAA sanctions against the program.
The bankruptcy proceedings in the Shapiro case involved recovering assets from a wide range of sources, including examining transactions related to his support of the University of Miami athletic program. The intersection of sports, fraud, and bankruptcy created unique legal questions about asset recovery and clawback actions.
Palm Beach Finance Partners: Targeting Wealthy Investors
Palm Beach Finance Partners operated a Ponzi scheme that specifically targeted high-net-worth investors in South Florida, promising steady returns from real estate and other investments. The scheme’s collapse created a bankruptcy estate requiring sophisticated asset tracing and recovery litigation.
These cases share common elements that define Ponzi scheme bankruptcy litigation:
- Asset tracing: Following money through complex transactions to identify recoverable funds
- Clawback litigation: Suing investors who received more than they invested
- Fraudulent transfer actions: Recovering assets the Ponzi scheme operator transferred to family members or accomplices
- Claims administration: Processing claims from dozens or hundreds of defrauded investors
Attorneys specializing in this area must understand bankruptcy law, securities fraud, civil procedure, and the psychological dynamics of representing clients who are often simultaneously victims (of the original fraud) and defendants (in clawback actions).
South Florida’s Bankruptcy Bar: A Competitive and Specialized Legal Community
To understand Mark Roher’s position in South Florida bankruptcy practice, it’s helpful to understand the broader legal community and the other prominent attorneys who handle complex insolvency cases in the region.
The Structure of South Florida Bankruptcy Practice
The Southern District of Florida (which covers federal courts in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach) has developed one of the most sophisticated bankruptcy bars in the United States. Several factors contribute to this specialization:
Geographic concentration of wealth: South Florida’s high concentration of affluent individuals and international business creates corresponding opportunities for large-scale fraud and complicated financial failures.
Real estate cycles: Florida’s boom-and-bust real estate cycles generate waves of bankruptcy filings when development projects fail.
International connections: Miami’s position as a gateway to Latin America means many bankruptcies involve cross-border asset tracing and international insolvency issues.
Regulatory environment: Florida’s relatively relaxed regulatory environment has historically attracted both legitimate businesses and fraudulent schemes.
Notable Names in South Florida Bankruptcy
The bankruptcy bar in South Florida includes several nationally recognized attorneys and firms that regularly handle high-stakes cases:
Paul Singerman of Berger Singerman has been central to some of the region’s most significant bankruptcy cases, including playing a major role in the Rothstein Ponzi scheme aftermath. More recently, Singerman has represented Red Lobster in its 2024 bankruptcy case involving the casual dining chain’s struggles with hundreds of restaurant leases and changing consumer preferences. Berger Singerman is one of South Florida’s premier business law firms with a bankruptcy practice that attracts many of the region’s largest cases.
Chad Van Horn has built a diverse bankruptcy practice that includes both individual consumer cases and unusual business bankruptcies. Van Horn was involved in legal matters related to the NFL concussion settlement and has handled Florida’s first Chapter 11 Subchapter V filings—a relatively new bankruptcy option created for small businesses. His practice demonstrates the range of bankruptcy work available in South Florida, from individual debt relief to complex litigation.
Michael Goldberg of Akerman LLP served as the Liquidating Trustee in the dissolution of the Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler law firm, the vehicle through which Scott Rothstein operated his massive fraud. This role placed Goldberg at the center of recovering assets, managing litigation against banks and other entities that facilitated fraud, and distributing recovered funds to victims. The position required not just bankruptcy expertise but also the ability to manage one of the most complex and public liquidations in Florida history.
Adam Moskowitz represents a different category of bankruptcy expertise—emerging asset classes and cutting-edge legal issues. Moskowitz represents investors in the FTX cryptocurrency bankruptcy, a case that is shaping the future of digital asset law and crypto regulation. The FTX collapse represented billions in losses and raised novel questions about cryptocurrency custody, international regulation, and how bankruptcy law applies to digital assets.
What This Competitive Environment Means
In this environment of sophisticated, experienced bankruptcy specialists, Mark Roher’s repeated retention for high-profile fraud cases and major corporate bankruptcies reflects the reputation and relationships he has built over 25 years of practice.
The South Florida bankruptcy bar operates in many ways like a specialized professional community—attorneys often know each other, appear together in cases, and develop reputations for specific types of expertise. Being retained for high-visibility cases typically results from:
- Demonstrated expertise: A track record of handling complex matters successfully
- Referral relationships: Networks with other attorneys, accountants, and financial professionals who refer cases
- Judicial familiarity: Bankruptcy judges see the same attorneys repeatedly and form opinions about their competence and professionalism
- Media comfort: Many attorneys avoid high-profile cases because of media scrutiny; those willing to work under public attention become go-to choices
Why Complex Bankruptcy Cases Require Specialized Expertise
The cases in Mark Roher’s practice demonstrate why sophisticated bankruptcy and commercial litigation require attorneys with deep specialization rather than general practice lawyers who occasionally handle bankruptcy matters.
Multi-Layered Legal Frameworks
Complex bankruptcy cases operate under multiple overlapping legal frameworks simultaneously:
- Bankruptcy Code: Federal bankruptcy law governing the actual restructuring or liquidation
- State law: Contract law, property law, and business organization law from the relevant state(s)
- Federal securities law: When cases involve investment fraud or public companies
- Criminal law: When bankruptcy intersects with fraud prosecution
- International law: When assets or creditors span multiple countries
An attorney handling a major Ponzi scheme bankruptcy might need to understand fraudulent transfer law, securities fraud, international asset recovery treaties, and criminal forfeiture—all while navigating standard bankruptcy procedures.
Financial Complexity
These cases involve financial instruments and transactions that require substantial business knowledge:
- Structured finance: Understanding securitizations, derivatives, and complex financial products
- Corporate structures: Navigating multi-entity corporate structures, holding companies, and related-party transactions
- Forensic accounting: Working with financial experts to trace assets and reconstruct financial records
- Valuation disputes: Battling over the value of companies, intellectual property, real estate, and other assets
Attorneys in this field often work closely with accountants, financial advisors, turnaround consultants, and valuation experts—requiring the ability to understand and communicate complex financial concepts.
Stakeholder Management
Large bankruptcy cases involve dozens or hundreds of competing stakeholders:
- Secured creditors: Banks and other lenders with collateral protecting their claims
- Unsecured creditors: Trade creditors, bondholders, and others with unprotected claims
- Equity holders: Shareholders who are typically wiped out in bankruptcy but may have litigation claims
- Employees: Workers with wage claims and pension interests
- Government entities: Tax claims, regulatory compliance, and criminal investigations
- Customers: Those who are prepaid for goods or services, or who have warranty claims
Managing these competing interests, negotiating settlements, and building consensus for reorganization plans requires diplomatic skills alongside legal expertise.
Time Pressure and Crisis Management
Unlike typical litigation that can proceed for years, bankruptcy cases often move rapidly:
- Deadlines: Bankruptcy law imposes strict deadlines for filings, objections, and plan confirmations
- Business operations: Companies in Chapter 11 continue operating, requiring real-time decisions about contracts, financing, and asset sales
- Crisis situations: Cash shortages, employee departures, and vendor cutoffs create emergencies requiring immediate legal action
Attorneys handling these cases must be comfortable making high-stakes decisions quickly, often with imperfect information.
The Evolution of Bankruptcy Practice: From the Great Recession to Today
Mark Roher’s career has spanned significant changes in bankruptcy practice and the types of cases that dominate the field.
The Great Recession Era (2008-2012)
The financial crisis and Great Recession created an explosion of bankruptcy filings:
- Consumer bankruptcies: Individuals overwhelmed by mortgage debt, medical bills, and job losses
- Real estate development failures: Construction projects and condo developments abandoned mid-project
- Financial institution failures: Banks and investment firms collapsing under bad loans
- Automotive bankruptcies: General Motors and Chrysler restructuring through unprecedented government-supported bankruptcies
During this period, bankruptcy attorneys had more work than they could handle. South Florida, with its overheated real estate market, was particularly hard hit. Almost every major real estate developer in the region filed for bankruptcy or worked out distressed debt situations.
The Ponzi Scheme Wave (2008-2015)
Simultaneously, the financial crisis exposed numerous Ponzi schemes that had operated for years during good times:
- Madoff (2008): $65 billion fraud
- Rothstein (2009): $1.4 billion fraud
- Stanford (2009): $7 billion fraud
- Numerous smaller schemes: Dozens of regional Ponzi schemes collapsed
These cases created a specialized niche for bankruptcy attorneys who understood securities fraud and had the stomach for representing clients in emotionally difficult clawback litigation.
Corporate Restructuring Renaissance (2015-Present)
As the economy recovered, bankruptcy practice shifted toward:
- Retail apocalypse: The collapse of traditional retail chains unable to compete with e-commerce
- Energy sector restructurings: Oil and gas companies drowning in debt when energy prices crashed
- Healthcare bankruptcies: Hospitals, nursing homes, and healthcare companies failing under regulatory pressure
- Cryptocurrency and fintech failures: A new category of bankruptcy involving digital assets and novel business models
The Post-COVID Landscape
The COVID-19 pandemic created another wave of bankruptcy activity:
- Restaurant and hospitality failures: Businesses unable to survive extended closures
- Retail acceleration: The pandemic accelerated e-commerce trends, pushing more traditional retailers into bankruptcy
- Supply chain bankruptcies: Companies unable to adapt to supply chain disruptions
- Government intervention effects: PPP loans and other relief programs delayed but didn’t prevent many bankruptcies
Throughout these cycles, attorneys like Mark Roher who built expertise in complex commercial cases and fraud litigation found consistent demand for their services. While consumer bankruptcy work is sensitive to economic cycles, sophisticated business bankruptcy and fraud recovery work tends to remain steady—when times are good, fraud schemes operate; when they’re exposed or the economy turns, the bankruptcy work begins.
The Future of Bankruptcy Practice in South Florida
Several trends suggest South Florida will remain a center for complex bankruptcy litigation:
Continued Real Estate Cycles
Florida’s real estate market continues to experience boom-and-bust cycles. Current concerns about climate change, insurance costs, and coastal development sustainability suggest future waves of real estate-related bankruptcy work.
Cryptocurrency and Digital Assets
Miami has positioned itself as “Crypto Capital” with substantial cryptocurrency investment and blockchain business development. As crypto markets mature and inevitably produce failures and frauds, bankruptcy attorneys in South Florida will need to develop expertise in digital asset recovery and novel questions about how bankruptcy law applies to decentralized finance.
International Asset Recovery
Miami’s position as a financial hub for Latin America means bankruptcy cases increasingly involve international asset tracing, foreign court proceedings, and cross-border insolvency protocols. Attorneys who develop expertise in international bankruptcy will have significant competitive advantages.
Regulatory Changes
Ongoing debates about bankruptcy law reform could substantially change practice, particularly around issues like:
- Student loan discharge: Potential changes to student loan bankruptcy treatment
- Cryptocurrency treatment: How digital assets should be classified and recovered
- Small business bankruptcies: Modifications to Subchapter V and other small business restructuring tools
- Mass tort bankruptcies: Use of bankruptcy to resolve massive product liability claims (like opioid litigation)
What Makes an Effective Bankruptcy Litigator
The case types Mark Roher has handled over 25 years illustrate the characteristics that define effective bankruptcy and commercial litigation attorneys:
Technical Mastery
Bankruptcy law is extraordinarily technical with complex procedures, strict deadlines, and intricate rules about priority, avoidance actions, and claims administration. Effective bankruptcy attorneys must know the Bankruptcy Code, Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure, and local rules intimately.
Business Acumen
Understanding the underlying businesses in Chapter 11 cases is crucial. An attorney who doesn’t understand retail operations will struggle in a Sears bankruptcy; one who doesn’t understand manufacturing and supply chains will be lost in a Takata case.
Financial Sophistication
Reading balance sheets, understanding cash flow, analyzing capital structures, and working with financial advisors requires substantial financial literacy beyond what typical legal practice demands.
Negotiation Skills
Most bankruptcy cases are resolved through negotiated plans of reorganization or settlement agreements rather than litigation. Building consensus among competing creditor groups, finding creative solutions to distributional conflicts, and closing deals requires excellent negotiation skills.
Comfort with Public Attention
High-profile bankruptcies attract media coverage. Attorneys who are uncomfortable with reporters, television cameras, and public scrutiny find this work stressful. Those who can function effectively while their cases make headlines have competitive advantages.
Emotional Intelligence
Bankruptcy often represents the worst moments in clients’ lives—businesses failing, life savings lost, careers ending. Effective bankruptcy attorneys balance zealous advocacy with empathy for clients experiencing financial devastation.
Resources and Contact Information for Complex Bankruptcy Matters
For individuals and businesses facing potential bankruptcy situations, particularly those involving fraud recovery, high-asset cases, or complex commercial disputes, consulting with an experienced bankruptcy litigation attorney is essential.
The stakes in these cases—often involve millions of dollars, business survival, or the financial security of fraud victims—demand attorneys with substantial experience navigating the intersection of bankruptcy law, commercial litigation, and financial fraud.
Professional Background: Mark S. Roher
Full Name: Mark Stuart Roher
Practice Focus: Bankruptcy law, bankruptcy litigation, creditors’ rights, commercial litigation, and corporate reorganizations
Years of Experience: 26+ years (admitted 1999)
Estimated Matters Handled: 2,000+ bankruptcy and commercial cases
Education:
- J.D., cum laude, University of Miami School of Law (1999)
- B.A., with honors, York University (1995)
Representative Case Experience:
- Scott Rothstein Ponzi scheme ($1.4 billion fraud)
- Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme investor representation
- SunCruz Casinos bankruptcy
- “If I Did It” bankruptcy proceedings
- Sears Roebuck corporate restructuring
- Takata Corporation international bankruptcy
- BurgerFi restaurant chain bankruptcy
- Bang Energy beverage company bankruptcy
- Nevin Shapiro Ponzi scheme
- Palm Beach Finance Partners Ponzi scheme
Professional Associations:
- American Bankruptcy Institute
- Bankruptcy Bar Association
- Florida Bar Association
- Bankruptcy Section of the Broward County Bar Association
Professional Recognition:
- Super Lawyers selection (2020-2025)
- AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell
- 10.0 Avvo rating
Law Firm Information
Law Office of Mark S. Roher, P.A.
Pembroke Pines Office: 1806 N Flamingo Rd, Suite 300, Pembroke Pines, FL 33028
Naples Office: 5660 Strand Court, Unit #A51, Naples, FL 34110-3343
Phone: (954) 353-2200
Website: MarkRoherLaw.com
When to Consult a Bankruptcy Litigation Attorney
Individuals and businesses should consider consulting with a bankruptcy attorney specializing in complex litigation when:
- Facing potential insolvency: When debt obligations exceed available resources
- Defending clawback actions: If you received distributions from an investment that turned out to be a Ponzi scheme
- Pursuing fraud recovery: If you were defrauded and the perpetrator has filed bankruptcy
- Managing corporate restructuring: When a business needs Chapter 11 reorganization
- Dealing with secured creditor actions: When banks are threatening foreclosure or asset seizure
- Navigating creditor disputes: When competing creditors are fighting over limited assets
- Considering alternatives to bankruptcy: Exploring out-of-court workouts or assignments for benefit of creditors
The Importance of Early Consultation
In bankruptcy matters, timing is often critical. Certain transactions can be undone if they occurwithin specific time periods before bankruptcy filing. Assets can be protected or lost depending on pre-filing planning. Rights can be waived if deadlines are missed.
Consulting with an experienced bankruptcy attorney early—before filing, before crisis hits, or immediately when problems appear—can make enormous differences in outcomes.
Conclusion: Decades of Work in South Florida’s Most Complex Financial Cases
The landscape of bankruptcy and commercial litigation in South Florida represents one of the most challenging and sophisticated practice environments in the United States. The region’s unique position as a center for international finance, real estate development, and unfortunately, large-scale financial fraud, creates ongoing demand for attorneys who can navigate the most complex insolvency matters.
Mark Roher’s 25-year career handling cases from the Rothstein and Madoff Ponzi schemes to major corporate bankruptcies involving Sears, Takata, and Bang Energy demonstrates the breadth of expertise required to practice effectively in this field. With over 2,000 cases spanning consumer bankruptcies, business reorganizations, fraud recovery litigation, and celebrity-involved proceedings, Roher’s practice reflects the evolution of bankruptcy law from the Great Recession through the retail apocalypse and into the cryptocurrency era.
For those facing complex bankruptcy situations, understanding the landscape of available legal expertise, the types of cases that define the practice, and the qualifications that distinguish experienced bankruptcy litigators provides essential context for making informed decisions about legal representation.
The cases examined in this profile—from casino companies entangled in murder investigations to controversial celebrity book deals, from billion-dollar Ponzi schemes to the collapse of American retail icons—illustrate why sophisticated bankruptcy work demands not just legal expertise, but business acumen, financial literacy, and the ability to perform under intense public scrutiny.
As South Florida continues to evolve as a center for finance, real estate, technology, and unfortunately fraud, the bankruptcy bar that has developed to handle the aftermath of financial failures will remain critical to the region’s legal infrastructure. The attorneys who have built careers in this demanding practice area, including those who have worked on the most visible and complex cases to emerge from the region, represent a specialized professional community serving clients during some of their most challenging moments.
For more detailed information about bankruptcy representation, case history, or consultation regarding specific bankruptcy and commercial litigation matters, resources are available through the Florida Bar’s attorney directory, legal rating services including Super Lawyers and Martindale-Hubbell, and individual law firm websites that provide background on specific practice areas and representative matters.
