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Richard L. Costella is a principal in the firm�s Baltimore office, where he is a member of the Bankruptcy and Creditors' Rights group. Mr. Costella's practice focuses primarily on bankruptcy and commercial litigation matters. In this respect, he represents a wide variety of lenders and financial institutions in virtually all aspects of consumer and commercial bankruptcy cases. He has experience in pursuing motions for relief from the automatic stay, as well as litigating confirmation, dischargeability, preference, cash collateral, DIP financing and avoidance actions. Mr. Costella also represents numerous lenders in consumer finance litigation involving the Truth in Lending Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Mr. Costella is a regular speaker at legal education seminars sponsored by the Bankruptcy Bar Association for the District of Maryland. In recent years, his presentations at these seminars have included Truth in Lending litigation in bankruptcy, lien avoidance litigation in bankruptcy and the discovery process in bankruptcy litigation.Mr. Costella is a member of the Maryland bar and is also admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and the United States Supreme Court. Mr. Costella has also co-authored several briefs and presented oral argument on appeal in both the United States District Court for the District of Maryland and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Mr. Costella graduated from the West Virginia University School of Law in 1998 where he was a member of the Order of the Coif and the Executive Editor of the West Virginia Law Review. Mr. Costella received his B.S. from Towson University in 1987, and his M.S.B., with honors, from Johns Hopkins University in 1994. After graduation from law school, Mr. Costella clerked for the Honorable L. Edward Friend, II in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of West Virginia.Practice Areas:Bankruptcy & Creditors' Rights Bankruptcy & Creditors� Rights Litigation Debtor Representation Distressed Loan & Asset Acquisitions Secured Creditor Representation Commercial & Business Litigation Commercial Litigation Financial Institution Litigation Real Estate Litigation & Title Insurance Defense Bar Admissions/Court Admissions:Maryland United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit United States District Court for the District of Columbia United States District Court for the District of Maryland United States Supreme Court Education:West Virginia University College of Law, J.D. 1998, Order of the Coif and Executive Editor, West Virginia Law Review.Johns Hopkins University, M.S.B. 1994, with Honors. Towson University, B.S 1987. Affiliations, Associations and Special Achievements:American Bankruptcy Institute American Bar Association Bankruptcy Bar Association for the District of Maryland, At-large Director (2006-2008) Commercial Law League of America Maryland Bar Association Turnaround Management Association, Chesapeake Chapter, Board of Directors (2007-2010) Publications:"Substantially Prevailed Damages: Fee Shifting in West Virginia Insurance Law," West Virginia Law Review (1997). "West Virginia Landlord and Tenant Law: A Proposal for Legislative Reform," West Virginia Law Review (1998). Speaking Engagements:"Electronic Discovery in Bankruptcy Cases," Bankruptcy Bar Association for the District of Maryland, Annapolis, Maryland (May 2007). "Lien Avoidance Litigation in Bankruptcy," Bankruptcy Bar Association for the District of Maryland, Annapolis, Maryland (May 2001). "The Discovery Process in Bankruptcy Litigation," Bankruptcy Bar Association for the District of Maryland, Annapolis, Maryland (May 2003). "TILA Litigation in Bankruptcy," Bankruptcy Bar Association for the District of Maryland, Annapolis, Maryland (May 2002). "Understanding The Bankruptcy Reform Act Of 2005," Bankruptcy Bar Association for the District of Maryland, Annapolis, Maryland (May 2005). | 