RILEY C. WALTER
Attorney
RILEY C.
RILEY C.
WALTER
Mr. Walter joined Wanger Jones Helsley in 2019 as a shareholder after over 20 years of leading his own firm. Mr. Walter has a statewide reputation in insolvency matters and has focused most of his practice on troubled businesses, restructuring, insolvency and reorganization cases. Mr. Walter has handled many cases involving large farming entities, agribusinesses, dairies, wineries, developers, retail businesses, medical groups, oil and gas matters, transportation companies and gold mines. He has developed subspecialty practices working with financially distressed hospital districts.
REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS
- Mr. Walter has represented clients in many complex cases involving Chapters 11, 12 and 9 in the Eastern District of California, including Riverbend International, Property Development Group, Tulare Local Health Care District, Sierra Kings Health Care District, Coalinga Regional Medical Center, Madera Community Hospital, TriValley Growers, California Bean Growers Association, and Running Horse. He has represented borrowers in out-of-court resolutions, workouts and receiverships. Mr. Walter has also represented borrowers and creditors with respect to the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act and Packers and Stockyards Act.
Awards & Recognition
- Northern California “Top 100” Super Lawyer, 2011-2014, 2016, 2018-2022
- Northern California Super Lawyer, 2004-2023
- Av rating by Martindale-Hubbell since 1995
- Annual Panelist at the Agricultural Lending Institute
- Panelist at National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges
- Ninth Circuit Lawyer Representative
Admissions
- Supreme Court of the United States
- United States Court of Appeals for 9th Circuit
- United States District Courts for the Northern, Eastern, Central and Southern Districts of California
- All California courts
Education
- J.D., Western State College of Law, Fullerton, 1980
- M.S., California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, 1974
- B.A., California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, 1973
- Certified Business Bankruptcy Specialist, American Board of Bankruptcy Certification
- California Agribusiness Executive Program, University of California – Davis, 2008 and 2012
HONORS & PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
- American College of Bankruptcy, Fellow, Class XIII
- American Bankruptcy Institute
- Central California Bankruptcy Association, Former President
- American Agricultural Law Association
- Fresno County Bar Association
- San Joaquin Chapter of the Federal Bar Association, Former President
- Litigation Counsel of America, Fellow
- Co-Chair, State Bar of California, Agribusiness Committee
Community Involvement
- Mr. Walter was a founding board member of the Central Valley Business Incubator and is past board chair of the Lyles Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and the Laval Entrepreneur Mentorship Program at Fresno State. He served as Vice Chair of the City of Fresno Charter Review Commission. Mr. Walter served on the Valley Children’s Hospital Board of Trustees on its Finance, Investment, Master Site Committees and its Hospital and Medical Foundation Boards. In addition, he has been a trustee or director of many cultural and historical organizations. He was formerly an associate professor of agricultural business management at Cal Poly Pomona, a lecturer at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and has taught agricultural law at San Joaquin College of Law and entrepreneurship at Fresno State.