Julia A. Chincheck

Julie Chincheck concentrated her practice on creditors’ rights and bankruptcy law,  financial services litigation and commercial and banking law.

Julie possesses a deep understanding of bankruptcy principles and law.  She has been the responsible attorney for litigation matters and transactions relating to all types of bankruptcy and insolvency issues, both from a commercial and a consumer perspective.  She served as co-counsel on West Virginia’s first Chapter 9 municipality bankruptcy.  While she primarily focused her practice on creditor and trustee representation, throughout her career she represented creditors, debtors, trustees and official committees in a broad range of bankruptcy, reorganization and workout matters, including related litigation and business transactions, and buyers in connection with sales arising out of bankruptcy cases. 

Outside of the courtroom, Julie regularly advised clients regarding pre-bankruptcy matters, as well as the benefits and burdens of a bankruptcy filing, whether the client is considering a bankruptcy filing or evaluating defensive positions in the event of a filing.

In addition to bankruptcy, Julie’s litigation practice focused on creditors’ rights and commercial disputes, in which she represented banks and financial institutions, corporate entities, business owners and individuals.  Representative cases involved claims of tortious interference, lender liability, bank officer wrongdoing, West Virginia Consumer Credit and Protection Act violations, judgment enforcement, mechanics’ lien perfection and enforcement, and lien priority disputes and enforcement.

Julie routinely handled commercial loan transactions and out-of-court workouts for banking and business clients.  Julie's experience included asset-based facilities, working capital facilities, floor plan financing, participating agreements and other finance projects. Clients also relied on her to review and negotiate their commercial contracts, including banking clients’ contracts with numerous national service providers.

Julie is a frequent lecturer on bankruptcy law, creditors’ rights and the Uniform Commercial Code, and she has authored numerous publications on bankruptcy and commercial law issues.

• Assisted in the drafting and review of local changes to Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code
• Former contributing author to the American Bankruptcy Institute’s Health Care Insolvency Manual
• Adjunct Professor, West Virginia University College of Law, Payment Systems, 2008-2013
• Authored The Effects of West Virginia’s Bankruptcy Exemption Statute on Resident Debtors, 86 West Virginia Law Review 227, 1983 (This article was cited in Sheehan v. Morehead, et al., 283 F.3d 199 (4th Cir. 2001)

Representative Matters

• Successful representation of a major Virginia bank seeking payment for losses stemming from loans backed by forged collateral under a financial institution bond issued by a major insurance company.
• Successful representation of a former bank director and officer in litigation brought by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
• Successful representation of banks in lender liability cases in state and federal courts.
• Successful representation of a West Virginia bank in RICO and fraud litigation in state court.
• Successful representation of West Virginia banks in cases alleging violations of the West Virginia Consumer Credit and Protection Act.
• Defense of a major West Virginia bank in an action involving numerous purchasers in a failed land development alleging breach of contract, negligence, joint venture, conspiracy and agency, negligent misrepresentation and punitive damages
• Successful resolution on behalf of a major West Virginia bank seeking insurance coverage for losses sustained as a result of a bank customer's fraudulent activity

• Elected a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation (2021)
• Recognized by Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business in the area of Corporate/Commercial Law - Banking & Finance (recognized since 2011)
• Named Best Lawyers’  Litigation - Bankruptcy Lawyer of the Year in southern West Virginia region, 2019
• Named Best Lawyers’  Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law Lawyer of the Year in southern West Virginia region, 2016, 2018 and 2021
• Recognized in Best Lawyers'  "Women of Influence" publication, 2016 and 2017
• Named to The Best Lawyers in America ® (Bankruptcy and Creditor-Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law:  2006-present; Bet-the-Company Litigation:  2014-present; and Litigation - Bankruptcy:  2011-present)
• Named Best Lawyers’  Litigation - Bankruptcy Lawyer of the Year in southern West Virginia region, 2015 and 2017
• Peer-Review Rated AV by Martindale-Hubbell
• Recognized by West Virginia Super Lawyers (Banking), 2007-present

• American Bar Association (Litigation and Arbitration; Debt Collection and Bankruptcy; Consumer Financial Services; Uniform Commercial Code; Payments, Letters of Credit; Secured Transactions; and Financial Regulatory Reform committees)
• West Virginia Bar Association (Bankruptcy Committee)
• American Bankruptcy Institute
• Served on Local Rules Committee of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of West Virginia
• Kanawha County Bar Association

• Children's Therapy Clinic (Director)
• West Virginia Symphony (Board of Directors)
• Buckskin Council, Boy Scouts of America (Board of Directors)