40+ Years of History

Forman Holt members have a rich history in the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area practicing in the fields of insolvency and commercial litigation. Rooted in the late 1970’s with Rodino & Forman, Charles M. Forman has evolved iterations of the firm as Forman Holt & Eliades in the mid-1990s and Forman Holt Eliades & Youngman in the 2000s. After migrating with several members of that firm to practice under the roof of LeClairRyan in 2016, the Forman Holt firm was established in June 2017.

Managing Member Charles M. Forman has served as counsel to major national corporations, debtors in insolvency proceedings and, in 1982, was appointed as a Panel Trustee by the United States Department of Justice.

More than 40 years ago we moved into private practice with the vision of establishing a formidable commercial litigation and insolvency law firm. We succeeded.
– Charles M. Forman, Founder

Erin Kennedy obtained a solid reputation in the mid-1980s  as a commercial litigator and as counsel for trustees. In the late 1980s, Forman and Kennedy moved to Newark and connected with Michael E. Holt, who became well known for his skills in the liquidation and reorganization of complex insolvency matters.

Meanwhile, Forman’s stature as a trustee continued to grow and he received the Director’s Award for Outstanding Achievements by a Private Trustee. Along the way was a move to Bergen County, New Jersey where our client base expanded into the areas of telecommunications, manufacturing, real estate, employee benefits, health care and securities law.

Members of the firm have achieved enviable status among their peers. It is no small feat that  all members of the firm have been recognized as Super Lawyers in the Bankruptcy area in 2020 and 2021. No other firm in this region can make that claim.

Read more about the firm’s Practice Areas here.

Charles M. Forman Recognized by Chambers and Partners

It is Mr. Forman’s ninth consecutive year receiving the honor of being ranked in “Band 2” of Chambers’ Bankruptcy/Restructuring category.

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Charles M. Forman Recognized by Chambers and Partners Charles M. Forman Recognized by Chambers and Partners

Trustee Charles Forman Makes Major Distribution to Asbestos Claimants

After a claim review process developed by the Trustee, approximately 4,000 claims asserted against NSI were approved in a single Chapter 7 proceeding.

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Trustee Charles Forman Makes Major Distribution to Asbestos Claimants Trustee Charles Forman Makes Major Distribution to Asbestos Claimants

Forman Holt Named to "Best Law Firms" 2023

Forman Holt has been ranked in the 2023 U.S. News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” list for the New Jersey region in two bankruptcy-related practice areas. 

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Forman Holt Named to Forman Holt Named to

Forman Holt Members Confirm Ammon Labs Chapter 11 Plan

The Chapter 11 Plan of Reorganization for Ammon Labs was confirmed in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey.

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Forman Holt Members Confirm Ammon Labs Chapter 11 Plan Forman Holt Members Confirm Ammon Labs Chapter 11 Plan

Charles M. Forman Named to 2023 Best Lawyers List

Managing Member of the firm Charles M. Forman, awarded the prestigious Lawyer of the Year recognition in back-to-back years (2020 & 2021), has been named to The Best Lawyers in America® list for 2023.

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Charles M. Forman Named to 2023 Best Lawyers List Charles M. Forman Named to 2023 Best Lawyers List

NJBLF Recognized by Legal Services of NJ

The New Jersey Bankruptcy Lawyers Foundation, led by the Foundation’s President Charles M. Forman, received the William J. Brennan, Jr. Citation for Justice from Legal Services of New Jersey for providing emergency funds that support LSNJ’s clients through challenging times.

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NJBLF Recognized by Legal Services of NJ NJBLF Recognized by Legal Services of NJ

All Forman Holt Members Recognized by Super Lawyers

All of the firm’s members have been named to the prestigious Super Lawyers list in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023, an honor reserved for only 5% of lawyers in each state.

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All Forman Holt Members Recognized by Super Lawyers All Forman Holt Members Recognized by Super Lawyers

Charles M. Forman Appointed to NJIT Board of Overseers

The New Jersey Institute of Technology has appointed Forman Holt attorney Charles M. Forman, an alumnus of the University, to its Board of Overseers.

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Charles M. Forman Appointed to NJIT Board of Overseers Charles M. Forman Appointed to NJIT Board of Overseers

Charles M. Forman Receives Lifetime Achievement Award

The NJ Law Journal named Charles Forman as recipient of their 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award. The committee considers which individuals helped to shape the law in NJ, through their work on the bench, in-house or building a firm.

Charles M. Forman Receives Lifetime Achievement Award Charles M. Forman Receives Lifetime Achievement Award