Lisa is a commercial litigator focusing her practice in the areas of bankruptcy & creditors' rights. She is experienced in representing creditors in a variety of cases, including claims of lender liability, fraudulent transfers and breach of fiduciary duty, as well as filing involuntary bankruptcy petitions. She also advises lawyers on how to avoid or defend against legal malpractice claims related to bankruptcy practice, and advises clients regarding asset purchases from a receivership or bankruptcy estate.
Clients seek Lisa’s counsel to appoint receivers on behalf of creditors or for guidance in out-of-court workouts such as deeds in lieu of foreclosure, loan modifications or substitution of collateral. She advises farm credit clients and compliance and special asset recoveries. She represents federal student loan guarantors in cases where the debtor seeks discharge of student loan debt, and pursues collection of unsecured and secured debts, by means of:
- Collection lawsuits
- Claim and delivery
- UCC sales
- Foreclosure
- Judgment execution
- Attachments
Duke University, J.D., 1994
University of North Carolina, B.A., 1991, magna cum laude
North Carolina
South Carolina
Virginia
- Member, Bar of the Supreme Court of the United States
- Co-Chair, Executory Contracts, American Bar Association, Business Law Section, Committee on Business Bankruptcy
- Immediate Past President, Turnaround Management Association, Carolinas Chapter
- Former Council Member, North Carolina Bar Association, Bankruptcy Section
- Former President, Carolinas Network, International Women's Insolvency & Restructuring Confederation (IWIRC)
- Recognized by Chambers USA, Bankruptcy/Restructuring, North Carolina 2014-2019
- Listed in Best Lawyers in America for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/ Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Since 2013;
- Listed in Best Lawyers in America for "Lawyer of the Year" for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law in Raleigh in 2016
- Ranked among Super Lawyers magazine's North Carolina "Super Lawyers" (Bankruptcy), 2014-2020; "Rising Stars" (Bankruptcy and Creditor/Debtor Rights), 2009; Top 50 Women North Carolina "Super Lawyers", 2016-2018
- Ranked in Business North Carolina magazine's "Legal Elite" (Bankruptcy), 2010-2012, 2014, 2015, 2017-2019
- ABA Section of Business Law, Kathryn R. Heidt Memorial Award recipient, 2012
Overview
Lisa is a commercial litigator focusing her practice in the areas of bankruptcy & creditors' rights. She is experienced in representing creditors in a variety of cases, including claims of lender liability, fraudulent transfers and breach of fiduciary duty, as well as filing involuntary bankruptcy petitions. She also advises lawyers on how to avoid or defend against legal malpractice claims related to bankruptcy practice, and advises clients regarding asset purchases from a receivership or bankruptcy estate.
Clients seek Lisa’s counsel to appoint receivers on behalf of creditors or for guidance in out-of-court workouts such as deeds in lieu of foreclosure, loan modifications or substitution of collateral. She advises farm credit clients and compliance and special asset recoveries. She represents federal student loan guarantors in cases where the debtor seeks discharge of student loan debt, and pursues collection of unsecured and secured debts, by means of:
- Collection lawsuits
- Claim and delivery
- UCC sales
- Foreclosure
- Judgment execution
- Attachments
- Member, Bar of the Supreme Court of the United States
- Co-Chair, Executory Contracts, American Bar Association, Business Law Section, Committee on Business Bankruptcy
- Immediate Past President, Turnaround Management Association, Carolinas Chapter
- Former Council Member, North Carolina Bar Association, Bankruptcy Section
- Former President, Carolinas Network, International Women's Insolvency & Restructuring Confederation (IWIRC)
- Recognized by Chambers USA, Bankruptcy/Restructuring, North Carolina 2014-2019
- Listed in Best Lawyers in America for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/ Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Since 2013;
- Listed in Best Lawyers in America for "Lawyer of the Year" for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law in Raleigh in 2016
- Ranked among Super Lawyers magazine's North Carolina "Super Lawyers" (Bankruptcy), 2014-2020; "Rising Stars" (Bankruptcy and Creditor/Debtor Rights), 2009; Top 50 Women North Carolina "Super Lawyers", 2016-2018
- Ranked in Business North Carolina magazine's "Legal Elite" (Bankruptcy), 2010-2012, 2014, 2015, 2017-2019
- ABA Section of Business Law, Kathryn R. Heidt Memorial Award recipient, 2012
Speaking & Writing
- Christy Myatt and Lisa Sumner named to Top 50: 2019 Women North Carolina Super Lawyers list
January 24, 2019 - Nexsen Pruet announces 2018 Julian Nexsen Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year Award recipient
January 7, 2019 - Pro Bono Champion: Lisa Sumner - Legal Aid of North Carolina's Lawyer on the Line
October 11, 2018 - 2018 Legal Elite: Eight Nexsen Pruet Attorneys Selected
January 5, 2018 - Nexsen Pruet Continues Raleigh Expansion
May 2, 2017
- Will Bankruptcy Preference Lawsuits Decline due to Statutory Changes?
November 12, 2019 - Multiple Factors to Drive Increase in Family Farmer Bankruptcy Filings
October 28, 2019 - Involuntary Bankruptcy: Creditor’s Tool to Be Used with Caution
October 16, 2018 - Comparison: Chapter 11 vs Chapter 12 vs Chapter 13
January 8, 2018
Presentations:
"Go Your Own Way" v. "I Fought the Law and the Law Won" - Intercreditor Agreements and the Bankruptcy Code, NC Bar Association, 41st Annual Bankruptcy Institute (November 2018)
"From Franchise Disclosure Agreements to Chapter 11 Disclosure Statements" Program Chair, ABA Section of Business Law, Spring Meeting (April 2018)
"Target Practice: Lenders in the Crosshairs" - NC Bar Association 2015 Bankruptcy Institute (October 2015)
"Legal Malpractice Landmines" - Lawyers Mutual CLE series, Spring 2015
Student Loan Debt: Innovative Solutions in Bankruptcy, 2015 Festival of Legal
Learning, UNC Chapel Hill (February 13, 2015)
This Could Happen to You: Avoidance and Mitigation of Malpractice Claims in
Bankruptcy, NC Bar Association, Annual Bankruptcy Institute, Asheville, NC (November
2014)
Second Annual Constitution Day Legal Forum, Student Loan Law, Columbia, South Carolina (September 17, 2014)
"Risk Management and Best Practices for Lenders in Real Estate Workouts" (USLAW EduNet Telephone Seminar, 2014)
Publications:
Student Loan Primer and Flowchart, U. S. Bankruptcy Court, District of South Carolina website, court Initiative on Financial Education (Launched March, 2015)
Once Bitten, Twice Shy: Restructuring Payment of Past Due Accounts to Avoid Bankruptcy Preference Liability (USLAW Magazine, 2012, pg 34)
Outside Nexsen Pruet
When not feeding or playing taxi-mom for my three teenagers, you'll most likely find me outside, whether it's walking the dogs, yard work, hiking trails or on horseback. After a lengthy hiatus, I'm learning horse jumping again and am a confirmed hippophile. I'm also an audiobook addict - ask me what's on my "shelf" this week.
