Laura Day Delcotto - a Lexington, United States Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Lawyer

Lexington Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Lawyer

Updated: 02/16/2026

Areas of Practice

Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
Commercial Loan Restructures and Workouts
Individual Debtors
Litigation
Municipal

Attorney Information

Overview

Laura Day DelCotto is the founding member of Gartland Thacker DelCotto PLLC, a boutique firm with its primary location in Lexington, KY. She has a broad base of experience in representation of debtors-in-possession, borrowers in distressed financial situations, secured and unsecured lenders, committees, trustees, DIP lenders, lessors and asset purchasers. Ms. DelCotto’s primary practice is in Chapter 11 commercial bankruptcy as well as state court and out-of-court debtor/creditor related litigation, negotiations and workouts. She is nationally certified as a Business Bankruptcy Specialist by the American Board of Certification, a member of the American College of Bankruptcy, and rated A-V by Martindale – Hubbell.

She was selected as Lawyer of the Year 2024 by her peers in the 30th Edition of The Best Lawyers in America® in the area of Litigation – Bankruptcy, for Lexington, Kentucky and again in 2025 as Lawyer of the Year 2025 in the area of Bankruptcy/Debtor-Creditor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization. She has been named as a Top 10 Kentucky Super Lawyer since 2017.

Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

SubChapter V Debtor representations in various industries
Committee Co-counsel in $190 million hemp industry cases leading to asset sales and confirmed plan
Petitioning creditors and putative debtor representations in multiple involuntary chapter 11 cases
DIP counsel in mattress industry retail cases with over 140 store locations in multiple states, leading to confirmed consensual plan
Counsel to an eastern Kentucky marina and houseboat manufacturing company in a Chapter 11 case resulting in contested confirmed plan
Counsel to debtor in a successful multi-million dollar reorganization of a northern Kentucky gasoline company with multiple c-store locations
Representation in multiple coal industry Chapter 11 cases in Eastern District of Kentucky as debtor in possession counsel. Successful chapter 11 plans and assets sales. Cases involved complex issues including permitting, bonding, reclamation, WARN, and corporate control
Representation in coal industry Chapter 11 cases as Unsecured Creditors Committee counsel. Liquidation proceedings and multiple asset sales with related permits and bonding issues involved
Committee Counsel for franchise fast food restaurants with multiple locations, chains and national franchisors involved
Committee Counsel to multi-location retail fashion company. Counseled going-out-of-business (GOB) sales, auction and bidding process and negotiations with national liquidators. Case also involved inventory and secured creditor lien dispute, franchise licenses, multi-location leases and fee properties
Debtor representation in commercial real estate case resulting in confirmed plan with multiple bank lenders
Debtor representation for multi-location US franchisee (food industry) resulting in confirmed plan
Debtor representations across multiple industries – construction; hotel; trucking; agricultural; healthcare and others
Committee counsel in Special Purpose Governmental Entity case

Commercial Loan Restructures and Workouts

Representation of real estate developer guarantors and “springing guaranty” issues in Central Kentucky multi-lender development project in excess of $50 million dollars

Successful out-of-court restructure of historic Kentucky brand including related insider litigation involving alleged wrongdoing of insiders and counsel

Representation of closely held insurance company/insiders restructure and state court litigation involving third party high net worth guarantors and complex tax issues. Related lien issues involving status of renewal commissions for insurance

Successful restructures for numerous small and middle-market companies with large national and regional banks

Successful restructures in residential real-estate projects, including multi-location and multi-bank capital structures

Franchisee/Franchisor workouts and restructures

Hotel/Motel workouts and restructures

Numerous wind-downs/liquidations and friendly foreclosure work-outs to maximize recoveries for creditors

Restructures of multi-location franchise fast-food chain operations, including but not limited to dealings with national franchisors such as Popeye’s; Arby’s; Ruby Tuesday; Fazoli’s; Long John Silvers and YUM Brands

Successful restructure of locally-served meat processing and retail operations/family-transition issues

Multi-generational, family-served business restructures and transitions

Crisis-setting liquidations and emergency cash-flow situations

Receiverships – friendly and hostile, state court and federal court proceedings

Multi-limited and master limited partnership workouts (oil and gas industry)

Fiduciary duty and corporate officer/director dispute workouts, including control disputes

Co-counseling assistance on pre-filing analysis of feasibility, liabilities and cost of possible Chapter 11 case and plan confirmation options and issues as work-out or litigation strategy/options. Extensive plan formulation outside Chapter 11 as part of work- out analysis and strategy

Extensive cash- flow and operational review and development as part of services provided in analysis of options

Crisis management communications

Internal investigations and crisis management in relation to debtor/creditor complex structures

Individual Debtors

Representation of several high net worth/high-profile individual debtors in personal Chapter 7 proceedings including press relation management and successful discharge of exposures and guaranties in excess of $10 million

Represented numerous Chapter 11 plan confirmations for individual debtors with closely-held, multi-corporate entities issues, numerous bank lenders and other LLC members/guarantors; multi-rental property ownership cases

Representation of “innocent-spouse” clients, including issues involving embezzlement; criminal issues; non-discharge, in both state and bankruptcy courts

Of counsel in numerous cases representing shareholders/insiders in closely-held corporate Chapter 11 filings, including litigation resolution and defense; director and officer exposure issues, and valuations involving shareholder equity interests

Complex Chapter 7 and Chapter 11 debtors with more serious issues and obstacles to discharge including fraud, fraudulent transfer, criminal, tax, embezzlement/theft, Directors and Officers insurance issues, and other complex challenges to emergence and fresh start

Husband/wife debt liability litigations and workouts

General partner/personal exposure in multi-entity complex entity-structure commingling/SPE issues

Complex auto dealership issues/out of trust exposure and resolutions

Litigation

Oversight and case management for large-case/multi-million dollars and multiple avoidance litigation adversary proceeding matters for plaintiffs/estate representatives

All types of bankruptcy litigation experience, including but not limited to: preferences; non discharge; contested plan confirmations and valuations; fraud and fraudulent transfers; adversary proceeding trials; contested lease assumptions/assignment; stay violations; injunctions and third party stay/releases

Chapter 7 trustee representation in large converted Chapter 11 case/administrative insolvency/lengthy mediation and successful resolution including payment on administrative and priority claimants

Dealing with numerous state and regulatory agencies and claims

Corporate Chapter 7 – large for-profit college shut down

Assignments for Benefit of Creditors (Kentucky state district courts)

D & O coverage and exposure issues

Construction/construction bonding disputes and projects completion issues

State court receiverships; pre-judgment remedies and ex parte efforts to enforce liens/control issues involving corporate management

Electronic information management/corporate records salvage

Corporate governance disputes

Expert witness consultation and testimony for other attorneys and/or insurance carries on bankruptcy – related disputes

Lender liability litigation

E-discovery disputes and resolution.

Trial plans and case management over large complex multi- party and multi- count litigation matters

Fraud, Ponzi, asset protection, and numerous other debtor/creditor disputes

Receiver representation in large agricultural federal litigation

Municipal

Chapter 9 Municipal/City Debtor representation leading to consensual resolution and dismissal of the case
Chapter 9 Bank/Bond notes representation in hospital industry cases leading to confirmed plan
Kentucky Special Purpose Governmental Entity (SPGE) – Committee counsel
Presented to the Kentucky League of Cities regarding pending debt restructure/possible Chapter 9 cases in Kentucky
Revenue bond and general obligation bond issues in Kentucky Chapter 9 case
Kentucky state law/municipal debt obligations and municipal collections issues
Special Purpose Governmental Entities (SPGE) in Kentucky – financial restructuring issues
Pension and joint and several issues
State entity rehabilitation matters /Franklin Circuit Court

Awards and Honors

Super Lawyers® Selectees

Laura Day Delcotto included in a Super Lawyers® list

Honors

Colvin Rouse Kentucky Law Journal Best Note Award “Jurisdictional Uncertainties Under the Bankruptcy Code”
Fellow, American College of Bankruptcy
Phi Beta Kappa, Order of the Coif, and Order of the Gownsmen
KY Fellow - American Bar Foundation
The Best Lawyers in America
Kentucky Super Lawyers, Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights
Top 25 Female Attorney in Kentucky Super Lawyers
Leading Women of Central Kentucky, Business Lexington
Bar Register of Preeminent Women Lawyers, (Martindale Hubbell) Inaugural Edition
Martindale Hubbell “AV” Peer Review Rated
Leadership Kentucky
Leadership Lexington
UK College of Law Alumni Professional Achievement Award
Top 50 Attorney in Kentucky Super Lawyers
Kentucky Super Lawyers, Business Bankruptcy
Lawyer of the Year, Lexington Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Best Lawyers
Best Lawyers List, Lexington Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law and Litigation – Bankruptcy, The Best Lawyers in America ®, 23rd Edition
Top 10 Attorney in Kentucky, Super Lawyers
2022 Women in Law Award, Lawyers Monthly
2023 Kentucky Attorney for ‘The Bankruptcy Lawyers’ directory/publication
2024 Lawyer of the Year, Litigation – Bankruptcy, The Best Lawyers in America ®, 30th Edition

Other Sources of Feedback About Laura Day Delcotto

Included on the 2026 Kentucky Super Lawyers list

Past Lists

2025 Kentucky Super Lawyers list
2024 Kentucky Super Lawyers list
2023 Kentucky Super Lawyers list
2022 Kentucky Super Lawyers list
2021 Kentucky Super Lawyers list
2020 Kentucky Super Lawyers list
2019 Kentucky Super Lawyers list
2018 Kentucky Super Lawyers list
2017 Kentucky Super Lawyers list
2016 Kentucky Super Lawyers list
2015 Kentucky Super Lawyers list
2014 Kentucky Super Lawyers list
2013 Kentucky Super Lawyers list
2012 Kentucky Super Lawyers list
2011 Kentucky Super Lawyers list
2010 Kentucky Super Lawyers list
2009 Kentucky Super Lawyers list
2008 Kentucky Super Lawyers list
2007 Kentucky Super Lawyers list

Education

Legal Education
- University of Kentucky College of Law, Lexington, Kentucky
  J.D., Doctor of Jurisprudence
  Honors: With Distinction
  Honors: Colvin Rouse Best Note Award
  Honors: Order of the Coif
Non Legal Education
- University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee
  B.S., Bachelor of Science
  Honors: magna cum laude
  Honors: Order of the Gownsmen; Phi Beta Kappa

Current Employment Position(s)

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Founding Member
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Classes and Seminars

Panel Presenter, Kentucky Law Updates [2024]
Panel Presenter, ABI SE, Consumer Ethics [2024]
Panel Presenter, TMA S/NKY Chapter, SubV Bankruptcies [2024]
Panel Presenter, ABI CLEX, Wind Downs of Corporate Entities [2022]
Panel Presenter, ABI Southeast, 363 Sale Issues [2021]
Panel Presenter, ABI Southeast, Ethics Issues for Consumer Attorneys [2024]
Panel Presenter, IWIRC Spring Meeting, Building your Brand [2023]
Panel Presenter, ABI Winter Leadership Conference, Confirming a Chapter 11 Plan [2017]
Panel Presenter for various Ethics CLEs involving Wellbeing for Attorneys: Fayette County Bar Association [2022, 2024]; KY Legislative Research Commission Seminar [2022]; Central KY American Inns of Court [2022]; Kentucky Bar Association On-demand Convention [2024], IWIRC in the Blue Ridge [2023, 2024]; Forensic Accounting for Attorneys [2024]; Kentucky Law Updates (multi-regional) [2024]
Panel Presenter, Medical Practices and Health Care Facilities Insolvencies Bankruptcy, 18th Biennial Judge Joe Lee Bankruptcy Institute
Panel Presenter, Bankruptcy for Beginners, Introduction to Forms of Bankruptcy and Choice of Form of Bankruptcy
Panel Presenter, National Diversity Council, Women in Leadership Symposium
Presenter, Kentucky League of Cities Conference, Municipal Bankruptcy
Panel Presenter, National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges

Pro Bono Activities

Kentucky Bar Association, Chair, Well-being Committee [2023-2025]
Kentucky Bar Foundation, Life Member
Fayette County Bar Foundation, Founding Fellow and Founding Firm
American Heart Association, Board Member
Mary G. Copeland Home, Board Member
Bellewood Presbyterian Home for Children, Board Member
Ordained Elder, Presbyterian Church
Central Kentucky Section of the Credit Abuse Resistance Education Program, Volunteer Presenter
Don Jacobs Financial Literacy Program, Volunteer Presenter
100 Women
LFUCG Ethics Commission
Commerce Lexington, Advisory Board Member
Junior Achievement Miss Biz Sponsor/Presenter
Habitat for Humanity (Local Board RD Committee)
Trustee, Judge Joe Lee UK Scholarship Fund
‘United Way’, Women United Member

Published Works

Articles

Jurisdictional Uncertainties Under the 1984 Bankruptcy Amendments Kentucky Law Journal, Vol. 75, No. 129, 1986
Strategic Alternatives for and Against Distressed Businesses(2016-2025 editions) (Kentucky Chapter) detailing the receivership process in Kentucky and weighing significant pros and cons of receivership from various perspectives
American Bankruptcy Institute Journal (Jan. 2023 ed)

Bar Admissions

Kentucky, 1986
Supreme Court of Kentucky, 1986
U.S. District Court Eastern District of Kentucky, 1986
U.S. District Court Western District of Kentucky, 1991
U.S. Court of Appeals 6th Circuit, 1988
U.S. Supreme Court, 1993
U.S. District Court Southern District of Indiana, 2002
U.S. Court of Appeals 7th Circuit, 2012

Specialties and Certifications

Certified in Business Bankruptcy Law, American Board of Certification

Other Affiliations

IWIRC KIT Network- Board Rep 2022-23; Co-Chair 2024-25
Fayette County Bar Association (Board of Directors, 1999 to 2002)
Kentucky Bar Association, Bankruptcy Section (Chair, 2002 to 2003)
Kentucky Bar Association, Well-Being Committee Chair, 2023-2025
American Bar Association
American Bankruptcy Institute
Turnaround Management Association (Board Member 2022-2024)
IWIRC Central KY Chapter (Co-founder and Chair, 2013)
NAWBO, Public Policy Committee (Board of Directors and Chair, 2013 to 2016)
Sixth Circuit Judicial Conference (Life Member)
National Association of Professional Women
Central Kentucky American Inns of Court (Master/Team Leader)

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Contact

Lexington, KY

200 North Upper Street
Lexington, KY 40507

Directions

Phone: 855-649-8289

Fax: (859) 281-1179

Email: Send a message

Websites:

Credit Cards Accepted
Free Consultations

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Laura Day Delcotto - Lexington, KY