Dahl Law

Walter R. Dahl

Mr. Dahl has specialized in the practice of bankruptcy, workouts, reorganizations and debtor/creditor rights since 1981.  During this time, he was the responsible attorney for hundreds of cases representing debtors, creditors, and creditor committees, under Chapters 7, 11, 12, and 13.  Mr. Dahl was the responsible attorney handling contested matters and litigation in areas including appointment of professionals, use of cash collateral, post-petition financing, co-debtor stays, appointment of trustees, relief from stay, trustee’s avoiding powers, sale and use of property of the estate, lien validity and priority, compromise and settlement, plan and disclosure statement formulation, plan confirmation, dismissal of cases, federal law and motion practice, as well as a variety of other matters. 

Walter R. Dahl earned his Juris Doctor degree in 1981 from the University of California at Los Angeles where he was a member of the UCLA Law Review.  His undergraduate education was at University of the Pacific, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1978.   Walter is admitted to practice in all federal courts in California, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court.  Mr.  Dahl holds an “AV” rating from the Martindale-Hubbell National Legal Directory.

Walter has significant experience in bankruptcy, business reorganization, real estate, secured transactions and commercial law matters and has represented individuals and entities in various capacities under Chapters 7, 9, 11, 12 and 13 of the Bankruptcy Code.  His extensive experience includes handling contested matters and litigation in areas including appointment of professionals, use of cash collateral, post-petition financing, co-debtor stays, appointment of trustees, relief from stay, trustee’s avoiding powers, sale and use of property of the estate, lien validity and priority, compromise and settlement, plan and disclosure statement formulation, plan confirmation, dismissal of cases, federal law and motion practice, as well as a variety of other matters.

From 1998 through 2020, Walter was an Adjunct Professor at Pacific McGeorge School of Law, teaching Bankruptcy, Secured Personal Property Transactions and Sales & Leases of Goods.  In early 2020, Walter was selected by the United States Trustee for Region 17 to serve as a Trustee in Chapter 11 cases filed under the new Subchapter V small business reorganization law.  He has served an Associate Editor of the American Bankruptcy Trustee Journal, and as a Director of the Sacramento Valley Bankruptcy Forum (Secretary, 2020).  Walter has been a long-time member of the Bankruptcy & Commercial Law Section of the Sacramento County Bar Association, and prior to Covid-19, served as an active volunteer at the Pro Se Help Desk at the Bankruptcy Court, a resource available to debtors and creditors who have not retained an attorney.

Walter has served as a Resolution Advocate (mediator) for the Bankruptcy Dispute Resolution Program since 2008, and frequently presents at various seminars on bankruptcy, secured transactions and commercial law.  He also served as a member of the California Continuing Education of the Bar Business Law Subcommittee from 1988 to 1994.

In December, 2001, Mr. Dahl was engaged by the National Registration Agency of Secured Transactions, a newly-formed department of the Ministry of Justice, Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, and traveled to Ho Chi Minh City and Ha Noi to assist the Agency with the establishment of Viet Nam’s first personal property secured transactions filing system.

Walter is a long-standing member of the Rotary Club of Sacramento including serving as its President during the 2006-2007 term and Assistant District Governor of Rotary District 5180 from 2013-2015.  He has also been active in the Golden Empire Council, BSA, and the Serene Lakes Property Owners Association (President, 2016-2017).

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