A Fresh Start
With Bankruptcy

A Fresh Start
With Bankruptcy

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Stephen J. Zayler

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Practice Areas

  • Bankruptcy Law
  • Probate & Estate Administration

Biography

Stephen J. Zayler graduated from the University of Tyler in 1979 where he was on the President's Honor Roll from 1978-79 as well as Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities in 1978. After Graduating from the University of Tyler, he attended the Texas Tech University School of Law and graduated in 1982.  He has been practicing law ever since.  

Steve has over 30 years experience as a practicing attorney and over 20 years experience as a Chapter 7 Trustee for the Eastern District of Texas.  He has handled over 20,000 cases as a Chapter 7 Trustee with some of the cases being consumer bankruptcies and other being very complex business bankruptcies.

In addition to his busy practice, Steve has served on the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Texas Local Rules Committee from 1993 to 1995 and then from 2010 to present.

Steve has earned gratitude and respect from his colleagues, clients, bankruptcy court officials by hard work, integrity and being committed to providing high quality legal services.   He has his practice limited mainly to Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcies for individuals and businesses.

Education

  • Texas Tech University School of Law, Lubbock, Texas
    • Juris Doctor - 1982
  • University of Texas, Tyler, Texas
    • Bachelor of Science - 1979
    • Major: History

Honors

  • Chapter 7 Trustee for the Eastern District of Texas
  • Appointed as Chapter 7 Trustee, July 1990

Bar Admission

  • Texas
  • U.S. District Court Eastern District of Texas
  • U.S. Bankruptcy Court Eastern District of Texas
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit

Published Works

  • Practice Tips from a Bankruptcy Attorney, Lawyers Alert, May, 1991
  • Rendering Unto Caesar-Above the Line or Below the Line, Issues Arising in the Filing of the Chapter 7 Trustee's Final Estate Tax Return
  • Basic Consumer Bankruptcy, (In House Publication 2000)
  • 16 NABTalk 3, Fall, 2000

Professional Associations

  • College of the State Bar of Texas, Member, 2000
  • East Texas Bankruptcy Business Association, Member, 1995
  • Eastern District of Texas, Member Panel, Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Trustee, 1990
  • National Association Bankruptcy Trustees, Member, 1990
  • State Bar of Texas, Member, 1982
  • Angelina County Bar Association, Member, 1982

Current Employment Position

  • Sole Practitioner

Classes & Seminars

  • Chapter 13 Repetitive Filing under the Reform Act from the Debtor and Trustee perspectives, “The Automatic Stay Under BAPCPA”, , 21st Annual Advanced Consumer Course, September 2005
  • The New Law from the Point of View of the Chapter 7 Trustee, State Bar of Texas 22nd Advanced Consumer Bankruptcy Course, November, 2006
  • Adequate Disclosure in Asset or Potential Asset Chapter 7 Cases, 11th Annual Consumer Bankruptcy Practice, July 23-24, 2015