Education
Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, J.D.
Canisius College, B.A.
Bar Admission
Supreme Court of New Jersey
United States District Court, District of New Jersey
United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois
Memberships
American Bankruptcy Institute
New Jersey State Bar Association
Middlesex County Bar Association
Turnaround Management Association
Honors
"New Jersey Rising Star" by New Jersey Monthly Magazine and Law & Politics Magazine, 2007 and 2008
Speaking Engagements
2019 PBI Bankruptcy Institute - Panel: Avoidance Actions – Philadelphia, PA (September 25, 2019)
“Issues Arising from the Debtor’s Ownership of an Interest in a Limited Liability Company” – Twenty-First Annual Honorable William H. Gindin Bankruptcy Bench-Bar Conference, Atlantic City, NJ (April 5, 2019)
“Discharging Taxes in Bankruptcy,” – New Brunswick, NJ (January 22, 2015)
“Obligations for Debtors in Bankruptcy: Filing and Paying Taxes; Tax Obligations which Survive a Bankruptcy Filing,” Fox Rothschild, LLP: CPEs for CPAs – Fall, 2010, Ewing, NJ (November 29, 2010)
Publications
Co-author, Issues Arising from the Debtor’s Ownership of an Interest in a Limited Liability Company, for the Twenty-First Annual Honorable William H. Gindin Bankruptcy Bench-Bar Conference (April, 2019)
Co-author, Requirements for Filing and Proceeding with a Pre-Packaged Chapter 11 Case, for the Sixteenth Annual Honorable William H. Gindin Bankruptcy Bench-Bar Conference (May, 2014)
Co-author, Payment of Foreclosure Judgments Through A Chapter 13 Plan, for the First Annual Honorable William H. Gindin Bankruptcy Bench-Bar Conference (April, 1999)
Biography
Mr. Zapata has over 20 years experience in bankruptcy law and bankruptcy related litigation, representing debtors and creditors in all aspects of Chapter 7, Chapter 11 and Chapter 13 cases, creditors in Chapter 15 bankruptcies and trustees in Chapter 7 and Chapter 11 cases. He has served as lead counsel to numerous post-confirmation trusts. His practice includes representations of trustees, debtors-in-possession, official creditors committees, secured lenders, post-confirmation fiduciaries, landlords and other parties in complex proceedings. Prior to becoming an attorney, Joe served as an intern for the Honorable William H. Gindin, Chief Bankruptcy Judge, District of New Jersey and teacher’s assistant for the Honorable Stuart M. Bernstein, Chief Bankruptcy Judge, Southern District of New York. In 2007 and 2008, Mr. Zapata was selected as a New Jersey Rising Star by New Jersey Monthly Magazine and Law & Politics Magazine.
Major Representations:
Mr. Zapata has served as lead counsel to the creditors’ committees in the Foxtons, Inc., and Allstate Excavating Inc. bankruptcy cases, and counsel to the debtors in the successful reorganization of DDOH Family Partners, et al. and KidsPeace Corporation. In addition, Mr. Zapata was lead counsel responsible for receivership and receivership-related litigation in the matter of SEC v. Antar, resulting in $10,000,000 being recovered for disbursement to defrauded investors; as well as primary counsel to the New Jersey Turnpike Authority in the bankruptcy cases of WorldCom, Adelphia, 360Networks, Global Crossing and Metromedia.