Charles Tatelbaum: Lessons from a 60-Year Legal Career

In this episode of the Corporate Law Lab, Neil Taylor speaks with Charles Tatelbaum, one of the country’s most experienced and respected bankruptcy lawyers. Over nearly sixty years in practice, Tatelbaum has handled major Chapter 11 matters, advised corporate counsel navigating distressed situations, and contributed to the evolution of modern bankruptcy law.

The conversation covers:

• How bankruptcy practice changed after the Bankruptcy Code was adopted

• Major cases that shaped his career, including representing high-profile individual Chapter 11 debtors

• The business judgment required to advise clients wisely in distressed situations

• How to evaluate when to push, when to negotiate, and when to walk away

• The realities of creditor-side and debtor-side work

• His international legal work after the breakup of the Warsaw Pact

• Unexpected parts of his career, including writing as a food critic, attending Clown College, and the football legend who became a longtime client and close friend

• Advice for young lawyers entering a rapidly changing profession

Tatelbaum combines deep expertise, clear judgment, and decades of perspective—making this conversation valuable for students, practitioners, and anyone interested in the evolution of corporate and bankruptcy practice.