Francis C. Morrissey joins New England Law as a visiting professor of practice after many years in an adjunct professor role. He brings more than 30 years of experience in private practice, where he focused on commercial litigation, insolvency and distressed acquisitions and divestitures. During his career, Morrissey has had the opportunity to represent stakeholders at almost every level of the capital structure, both in court and in connection with out-of-court restructurings, liquidations and other distressed transactions. Among other things, Morrissey has the distinction of being the first person appointed in the District of Massachusetts to serve as the receiver for commercial real estate that secured a failed CMBS financing.
More recently, Morrissey argued – and won – a precedent-setting appeal, in which the First Circuit vindicated bankruptcy courts’ power to establish deadlines for creditors to join involuntary bankruptcy petitions. Drawing on his experience in practice, he teaches courses that address corporate governance, insolvency and commercial law, including such topics as secured transactions, structured finance, leveraged buyouts, loan-to-own strategies and mergers and acquisitions.
Long active in pro-bono matters, Morrissey has served, by appointment of the Supreme Judicial Court, as Vice Chair of the Clients’ Security Board (“CSB”) and served two terms on the Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers Oversight Committee. In addition, for many years, Morrissey served as a hearing committee member for the Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers (“BBO”). He has also represented parties on a pro bono basis before the BBO, CSB and Board of Bar Examiners, as well as acted a commissioner in bar discipline cases.
In addition, Morrissey led the Massachusetts Bar Association’s (“MBA”) successful efforts to lobby the General Court to update Massachusetts’ version of the Uniform Commercial Code. He also helped launched the MBA’s Student Loan Bankruptcy Assistance Project (“Project”). In a case of first impression that he handled for the Project, Morrissey obtained a ruling from the Bankruptcy Appellate Panel for the First Circuit that a student borrower’s ownership of exempt property is not a per se bar to an undue hardship discharge. Morrissey was also one of the principal drafters of the MBA’s successful amicus brief in In the Matter of Gregory M Olchowski, a case before the Supreme Judicial Court that concluded that unidentified funds in IOLTA accounts should be remitted to the Massachusetts IOLTA Committee. These efforts have made broad and lasting changes in the laws of the Commonwealth.
Morrissey was recognized for these efforts with the MBA’s President’s Award. In addition, the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Massachusetts honored Morrissey with its Pro Bono Publico Award. And in 2019, the Editorial Board of Massachusetts Weekly selected Morrissey as one of its “Lawyers of the Year”. At Boston University School of Law, Morrissey earned the John S. Bearst Award for Excellence in Teaching, as well as the Silver Shingle Award.