Michael Jay Berger

Work Experience

39 years of experience representing debtors and creditors in all types of bankruptcy proceedings. Attorney with the 50 lawyer Beverly Hills firm Rifkind & Sterling from 1981-1983. Started his own firm in 1983. His clients include accountants, actors, advertising agencies, ambulance companies, bail bond companies, book stores, car washes, churches and synagogues, clothing companies, construction companies, construction supply companies, contractors, cosmetic companies, dentists, designers, doctors, entrepreneurs, film companies, gas stations, hospitals, hotels, insurance agencies, insurance sales people, investors, landlords and tenants, landscape companies, lawyers, lenders, magazines, manufacturing companies, musicians, nightclubs, pawn shops, physical therapists, radio stations, real estate brokers, real estate developers, real estate investors, restaurants, retail stores, schools, screenwriters, security guard companies, shopping centers, song writers, stock brokers, students, teachers, television stations, trucking companies and veterinarians.

Served as Judge Pro Tem for the Beverly Hills Municipal Court, an Arbitrator for the Beverly Hills Bar Association, and an Editor of the Beverly Hills Bar Association Journal. Active member of the Beverly Hills Bar Assocation Bankruptcy Section, The Los Angeles Bankruptcy Forum, The California Bankruptcy Forum, Central District Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys' Association, and the American Bankruptcy Institute.

Area Served

I serve the entire Southern California area with the majority of my cases being in the Central District of California downtown Los Angeles, San Fernando Valley, Santa Ana, Santa Barbara, and Riverside branch courts.

Interests

Mr. Berger is also an accomplished runner, having completed 44 Marathons and 12 ultramarathons.  Mr. Berger’s most recent marathon was the Moab Trail marathon on November 3, 2018 in Moab, Utah. His most recent ultramarathons were the Umstead 50 Mile Endurance Run on April 1, 2017, the Orange Curtain 50K on February 25, 2017 (finishing time 5:57:17, a new PR), OTHTC High Desert 50K on December 4, 2016 (finishing time 6:29:33), the Gu Run 3 TransRockies Run, a 58 mile race in Colorado, on August 9, 2016, the Javelina 100, a 100 Kilometer trail race in Arizona on November 1, 2014, and Comrades Marathon, a 56 mile road race in South Africa on June 1, 2014 (finishing time 11:28:38).  Mr. Berger is an active member of Track Club Los Angeles, and was its Most Improved Runner in 2002 and its Volunteer of the Year in 2013.
For a detailed record of the more than 244 races that Mr. Berger has participated in, see his profile on Athlinks . Mr. Berger is the first person ever to receiv the USATF Gold Phidippipides Award “For  Outstanding Performance and Endurance in Long Distance Running” for ten years in a row, from 2009 through 2018.

Mr. Berger is also the rhythm guitar player and lead singer for the rock and roll band DTF.