Lucas Curtis

Overview

Lucas Curtis is a Managing Associate in Benesch’s Litigation Practice Group who represents various stakeholders in complex commercial disputes, including businesses, creditors, trustees, litigation fiduciaries, directors, and officers. His practice spans business disputes, civil litigation, and bankruptcy litigation, with significant experience guiding clients through high-stakes matters involving distressed companies, risk management, and cross-border issues.

With experience leading large-scale litigation matters and developing case strategy in close collaboration with clients and senior business leaders, Lucas represents both domestic and international clients in federal courts, handling all phases of litigation, including dispositive motion practice, discovery, depositions, evidentiary hearings, settlement negotiations, and trial preparation. His experience involves representing both plaintiffs and defendants in complex commercial disputes and pre-suit investigations, including breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract, business tort, fraudulent transfer, and preferential transfer claims.

Lucas approaches litigation with a focus on aligning legal strategy with client objectives. Known for his thoughtful, practical approach, he works to simplify complex legal issues, maintain clear communication, and develop efficient strategies that advance clients’ business goals. A former collegiate baseball player, he brings a competitive mindset, strong teamwork skills, and a disciplined approach to solving challenging legal problems.

Prior to joining Benesch, Lucas practiced as a commercial litigator at an international law firm, where he played a key role in some of the country’s most significant bankruptcy and restructuring-related litigation matters. He served on the team representing the litigation fiduciary for the Celsius Network LLC post-bankruptcy estates, helping manage and prosecute thousands of claims on behalf of creditors and the estate. He also served as litigation counsel to debtors, creditors’ committees and other stakeholders in large Chapter 11 proceedings across a variety of industries.

Before entering private practice, Lucas served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable David S. Doty of the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, where he gained valuable insight into litigation strategy and approaches from the court’s perspective.

*Matter completed prior to joining Benesch.

Representative Experience:

• Represented plaintiff litigation fiduciary for the post-confirmation bankruptcy estates of a cryptocurrency-based finance platform in filing and prosecuting simultaneously over 2,500 lawsuits for the benefit of creditors and the estate, including preferential transfer, fraudulent transfer, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract, and tort claims, resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars recovered and distributed to eligible creditors. *
• Represented unsecured creditors committee of a cryptocurrency-based finance platform as litigation counsel, which involved investigating the company’s conduct to develop causes of action to be pursued for the benefit of creditors, resulting in the successful confirmation of the company’s chapter 11 plan of reorganization and billions of dollars of value distributed to eligible creditors. *
• Represented defendant energy companies as special litigation counsel in breach of contract, fraudulent transfer, and business tort litigation, resulting in their dismissal and an order to strike the complaint in its entirety. *
• Represented defendant Italian pharmaceutical manufacturer in civil RICO litigation, resulting in its dismissal on jurisdictional grounds. *
• Represented debtor equipment companies as litigation counsel in the successful sale of substantially all of the companies’ assets for over $65 million in chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. *
• Represented individuals imprisoned in Virginia challenging solitary confinement practices in a class action suit seeking damages and declaratory judgment of unconstitutionality, resulting in the certification of the class. *