Lauren A. Helbling comes to the Chapter 13 world from private practice where she served as a Chapter 7 panel trustee. Helbling was appointed as a Chapter 13 Standing Trustee for the Northern District of Ohio on October 1, 2017. Helbling was appointed subsequent to the retirement of Craig Shopneck who served the Cleveland district for fifteen years.
Helbling is an Ohio State graduate, receiving a B.S. in finance, cum laude. She received her juris doctorate from Cleveland Marshall College of Law in 1987. She began her legal career as a ‘gator’ (litigator) for the law firm of Porter, Wright, Morris & Arthur. She served consecutive Law Clerkships. One for the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas and one for the Honorable Judge Randolph Baxter.
After earning her stripes, so to speak, she opened her own practice in 1997 and was appointed as a Chapter 7 Panel Trustee. She was also appointed Chapter 11 Operating Trustee in the A.E.M.M. Properties, Inc. bankruptcy.
Helbling was awarded as one of The Best Lawyers in American, Bankruptcy Law, for 2016 and 2017.
She is co-author with the Honorable Christopher M. Klein of The Emerging Harmless Innocent Omission Defense to Nondischargeability Under Bankruptcy Code Section 523(a)(3)(A): Making Sense of the Controversy Over Reopening Cases and Amending Schedules to Add Omitted Debts. And she is the author of What Constitutes a Timely Response to a Complaint? A Close Review of Bankruptcy Rules 7004, 7012 and 9006.
Helbling is a frequent speaker at continuing legal education seminars on bankruptcy law issues for a variety of professional groups including the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, United States Trustee, and the Ohio Association of Magistrates.
In her personal life, Helbling is a speed freak . . . no, not drugs . . . boats and motorcycles. She is married to her husband Ken. They spend much of their free time boating on Lake Erie and the Keys. Perhaps we can persuade them to bring the boat to Miami for NACTT 2018! When getting to the water is an obstacle, they hop on their motorcycles and go wherever the wind takes them.
Welcome to the Chapter 13 world, Lauren.