James C. Moon
Partner

James “Jim” Moon has extensive experience representing sophisticated national and international clients in complex civil and cross-border litigation in both state and federal courts. He has handled all aspects of litigation from inception through trial and appeals to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. Jim has handled a wide variety of litigation matters including prosecuting and defending foreclosure actions, and pursuing contract and tort claims against large financial institutions and their professionals. Jim has successfully pursued, and defended against all manner of fraudulent transfer and preference litigation in both state and federal courts.

Jim also represents debtors, trustees, official and ad hoc committees, and individual creditors in complex chapter 11 and chapter 7 bankruptcy cases.

A recognized leader and activist in the LGBTQ community, Jim is a past Vice-Chair and national board member of “A Wider Bridge,” a civil rights organization advocating for LGBTQ rights in Israel and international support for Israel. Jim is also a past Chair of the SAVE Foundation, and Board Member of SAVE, Inc., South Florida’s leading organizations dedicated to protecting LGBTQ against discrimination, and has served on the board of the Outshine Film Festival. Jim has been recognized by AIPAC as a leading progressive advocate for Israel, lecturing and writing about the progressive case for support for the State of Israel. Jim is also a past board member of the Kozyak Minority Mentoring Foundation, which supports diversity in the legal profession through mentoring programs, networking, and fellowships and a past member of the Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee for the Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida.

Prior to his legal career, James served for nearly a decade in the United States Navy aboard ballistic missile and fast-attack submarines as a communications and cryptographic specialist. He also is a Gulf War veteran.

AWARDS & RANKINGS

  • Lawdragon, 500 Leading Global Bankruptcy & Restructuring Lawyers, 2025
  • AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell
  • The Best Lawyers in America, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law, 2022-2026
  • Florida Super Lawyers, 2011-2025
  • Distinguished Service Award, Business Law Section of The Florida Bar, 2025
  • Florida Trend Legal Elite, 2016
  • Winner, Alva P. Loiselle Moot Court Competition, 1998

PUBLICATIONS & PANELS

  • Panelist, “The FAILLA Fallout: What Consumer Bankruptcy Practitioners Need to Know About Surrender,” 25th Annual Central Florida Bankruptcy Law Association Seminar, May 2017.
  • Surrender, Reaffirmation and Right to Defend a Post-Discharge Foreclosure Action,” American Bankruptcy Institute Journal, December 2015.
  • One Size Does Not Fit All: Information Sharing Requirements for Official Committees Pursuant to Section 1102(b)(3),” Annual Survey of Bankruptcy Law, September 2007.
  • When a creditor is not a creditor: Failure to file a proof of claim may jeopardize party in interest standing,” Pratt’s Journal of Bankruptcy Law, December 2005.
  • Fifth Amendment Apogee: How the Supreme Court’s Ruling in United States v. Balsys Checked American Ideas of Personal Liberty at Our Borders,” 32 Conn.L.Rev. 351 (1999).

EDUCATION

  • University of Connecticut, School of Law, J.D. with honors, 2000
  • International Law Programme, Leiden University, Leiden, NL, 1999
  • University of Connecticut, B.G.S, 1995

BAR ADMISSIONS

  • Florida
  • New York
  • Connecticut
  • Southern District of Florida
  • Middle District of Florida
  • Southern District of New York
  • Eastern District of New York
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit

MEMBERSHIPS

  • Past Vice-Chair, A Wider Bridge
  • Past Chair, SAVE Foundation
  • Past Member, Diversity Equity And Inclusion Committee for the Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida
  • Past Chair, Judicial Liaison Committee of the Business Law Section of the Florida Bar
  • Past Chair, Pro Bono Committee of the Business Law Section of the Florida Bar
  • Past Chair, Inclusion/ Mentoring/ Fellowship Committee of the Business Law Section of the Florida Bar
  • Past Chair, Bankruptcy/UCC Committee of the Business Law Section of the Florida Bar
  • Board Member, Kozyak Minority Mentoring Foundation
  • Member, American Bankruptcy Institute
  • Member, American Bar Association
  • Member and Past President, Bankruptcy Bar Association for the Southern District of Florida
  • Member, Business Law Section of the Florida Bar
Representative Matters

Representative Matters

Bankruptcy

Served as Chapter 11 counsel to IT’SUGAR LLC, a specialty candy retailer with approximately 100 stores and over 700 employees across 28 states. Through extensive negotiations with dozens of landlords, IT’SUGAR was able to obtain millions of dollars in pre and post-petition rent relief, restructure vendor debt, and successfully confirm a Chapter 11 plan of reorganization.

Represented multiple Chapter 7 Trustees in avoidance and turnover actions.

Represented Marvel-Schebler Aircraft Carburetors as special litigation counsel in the bankruptcy case of AVStar Fuel Systems, Inc. in dispute involving trademark violations.

Represented Airline Container Leasing in defense of action alleging preferences and fraudulent transfers of over $1 million.

Represented Pescanova, Inc., one of the top 50 seafood commerce companies in the United States, as creditor in the bankruptcy case of The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, Inc.

Represented Presidential Homeowners Association, Inc. in bankruptcy cases of Presidential Club, LLP and Presidential Golf Maintenance Association, Inc. Sought and obtained dismissal of the bankruptcy cases of the debtors.

Represented 21 Asset Management Holding, LLC in bankruptcy case of 2638 Singer Island, LLC. Sought and obtained bad faith dismissal of the bankruptcy case of the Debtor.

Bankruptcy and Restructuring, Corporate

Represented 1433 Collins, LLC, the purchaser of the senior secured loan in the chapter 11 bankruptcy of The Carlton Hotel which loan 1433 successfully sold during the bankruptcy case.

Bankruptcy and Restructuring, Financial Fraud, Commercial Litigation, Creditors’ Rights

Represented largest victim in Ponzi scheme perpetrated by Scott Rothstein and Rothstein Rosenfeldt & Adler, P.A. law firm in Fort Lauderdale.

Commercial Litigation

Represented Turks & Caicos corporation defendant through appeal to the Eleventh Circuit in a dispute involving allegations of fraud and corruption.

Represented multiple individual and corporate plaintiffs, including Berjaya Group (Cayman) Limited and Prime Gaming Philippines, Inc. in litigation against Duffy’s Holdings, Inc. involving allegations of breaches of a stock purchase agreement regarding the multi-national restaurant chain of Roadhouse Grill, Inc.

Commercial Litigation, Financial Fraud

Represented EMI Resorts, Inc. and 20 related company defendants through two appeals to the Eleventh Circuit in action alleging wire fraud, money laundering, and other violations of RICO in the amount of $170 million. Successfully defended the action through the ultimate dismissal of the action by the plaintiffs.

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