About David P
David P Leibowitz graduated from Northwestern University in 1966 with a B.A. in economics. He earned his J.D. from Loyola University Chicago School of Law in 1974. Those academic years set the course for a long career in bankruptcy and insolvency work across Illinois and Wisconsin.
Leibowitz began his legal career as a judicial clerk at the Illinois Appellate Court in 1975. He moved into private practice the following year, joining the Chicago firm of Schwartz Cooper Kolb & Gaynor in 1976. Over the next decade he handled matters that brought him into commercial bankruptcy work and related litigation.
In 1991 he joined Freeborn & Peters as a partner and served as the firm’s bankruptcy practice leader. He led bankruptcy teams on complex Chapter 11 and Chapter 7 matters and advised corporate and individual debtors, creditors and trustees. In 1999 he became managing member of Lakelaw, the firm where he continues to practice. The shift to firm leadership added administrative responsibilities to an already substantial caseload.
Leibowitz holds board certifications from the American Board of Certification in both Consumer Bankruptcy Law and Business Bankruptcy Law. Those certifications reflect a practice that spans consumer filings, business reorganizations and contested matters in bankruptcy courts. He is admitted to practice in Illinois and Wisconsin and has maintained Illinois State Bar Association membership since 1974.
He has been active in professional organizations that shape bankruptcy practice. Since 2009 he has served on the National Association of Bankruptcy Trustees’ board of directors and became editor of the group’s newsletter, NABTalk, in 2011. At the American Bankruptcy Institute he has served as co-chair of the Commercial Fraud Committee since 2010 and has held past leadership roles, including director and chair of the consumer committee. His involvement in these groups has kept him engaged in discussions about trustee practice, fraud issues and consumer protections.
Colleagues describe Leibowitz as a lawyer who combines courtroom experience with the procedural knowledge trustees and creditors expect. He has handled contested claims objections, adversary proceedings and restructuring negotiations over several decades.
As of 2026 he continues to practice at Lakelaw, carrying a caseload that includes both consumer and business bankruptcy matters and ongoing involvement in trustee and bankruptcy trade organizations.
