Pasadena’s Oldest Law Firm Adds Bankruptcy Practice to Repertoire

Looks like you can teach an old law firm new tricks.

Pasadena’s Hahn & Hahn, which started in 1899, has added its first bankruptcy and financial restructuring group.

“It’s a new, enlightened approach,” Managing Partner Christianne Kerns said. “I became managing partner March 1, and within a day or two, it arose and I said absolutely, I want to follow this up.”

Kerns, whose background is in finance, told Pasadena Now she’s been thinking about this for a while, and it’s coincidental it happened during the COVID-19 pandemic and economic crisis.

“I have a special understanding of this and I have an understanding of how it can be quite helpful to a business community,” Kerns said. “I just want to be there for this business environment. It’s going to be difficult.”

The two attorneys who joined Hahn & Hahn to run the new practice area were previously with Anglin Flewelling Rasmussen Campbell & Trytten, also in Pasadena.

A Hahn & Hahn statement said Dean G. Rallis Jr. has functioned as lead counsel for secured creditors, debtors, creditors’ committees, purchasers, trade creditors and shopping center landlords in the bankruptcy, restructuring and liquidation of companies, and has extensive experience in real estate, business and commercial transactions and workouts in the manufacturing, retail, healthcare and transportation industries.

Matthew D. Pham clerked for four bankruptcy judges prior to entering private practice.

“They’ll be handling new matters for debtors and creditors in the bankruptcy and insolvency arena,” Kerns said. “But I’m also interested in helping our existing clients acquire assets from, from distressed businesses. I think that could be very beneficial to our existing clients.”