Creditors’ Rights and
Bankruptcy Law Firm

BRO PLLC represents Creditors and Bankruptcy Trustees providing litigation and bankruptcy services in Michigan, as well as bankruptcy services in the Northern District of Ohio, Northern District of Illinois, and Western District of Wisconsin. With board certified consumer bankruptcy attorneys, along with Martindale Hubble/AV Preeminent ratings and Michigan Super Lawyer status, we have extensive experience representing creditors and lenders.

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Whom We Serve

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Financial Institutions

Butler Rowse-Oberle PLLC offers full-circle foreclosure services for credit unions, banks, loan servicers and lenders. Whether you service a small or large default portfolio, our attorneys and staff will manage any referral effectively and efficiently.

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Creditors

The firm represents a variety of corporate and individual creditors in commercial and consumer cases. The firm does not represent debtors.

Bankruptcy Trustees

The bankruptcy trustee has a great deal of responsibility, both legally and ethically. Very often, a bankruptcy trustee will hire legal counsel to represent them as they address complicated issues in the administration of a bankruptcy case.

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Community Associations

We work closely with community associations to create clear, secure legal documents, and enforce these rules and regulations, including creditors’ remedies for unpaid dues and fines.

Serving Clients With Distinction

“I have been a practicing attorney for over twelve years. In that time, I have worked with the attorneys and staff of Butler Rowse-Oberle in two capacities.

I represented consumer bankruptcy debtors in the earlier part of my career and often found myself “on the other side of the table” from their attorneys. In every case I found them to be zealous advocates for their credit union clients, while also demonstrating the utmost in professionalism and courtesy. They are lawyers’ lawyers and have the respect of the bench and bar wherever they practice.

In the last five years, I have led a charge off Recovery team here at Advia. In that capacity, I manage a small in house group of attorneys and paralegals devoted to this challenging portfolio of business. Given our asset size, it would be impractical for my team to pursue every charged off member, so I also work with several law firms and collections agencies across Advia’s footprint in the Great Lakes region.

We have hired John, Karen, Jim and their team to mitigate our losses in bankruptcy and help us recover charged off assets throughout Michigan. They are consistently a pleasure to work with. Just as importantly, they are a top performing vendor, bringing back dollars to our membership at increasing rates in terms of both volume and percentage of balances placed with them.

They have earned our trust and are an asset to the Michigan Credit Union Community.”

Zack Fallstich, JD, CUERME
Staff Attorney and Manager of Recovery
Advia Credit Union

“I have been in collections for forty plus years and have worked as a collection manager for 35 of those. During that time I’ve had the opportunity to work with several attorneys and law firms. Butler Rowse-Oberle has represented my credit union for 30 of those years. They have the absolute highest level of professionalism and integrity. I’ve seen this up close when we did “the right thing.” It all starts at the top with attorneys John Butler, Karen Rowse-Oberle and Jim Graham. They always keep their clients’ best interests in mind and are cost-effective when litigating. Even when I’ve had an in-house attorney, we still relied on BRO for advice.

BRO is a leader in the credit union industry. They are deeply committed to their clients and they feel that our success is their success. BRO has a broad range of creditor expertise from bankruptcy to contract law to real estate to compliance. Their attorneys, especially John and Karen, are annual speakers on various topics for the Credit Union Collection Consortium. They have highly knowledgeable staff who possess great communication skills and follow-up. They are always available and happy to help.

I feel very comfortable when BRO is handling a case for me and I could not recommend anyone more so than them. Their success speaks for itself.”

Jim St. Aubin.
Community Alliance Credit Union.

“Having worked in the credit union industry for many years, I understand the rarity of a firm such as Butler Rowse-Oberle PLLC. Rather than being “just another client”, John Butler and his team are always available anytime for consultations and questions, even providing his cell phone number to clients! The Butler Rowse-Oberle team are knowledgeable, dependable, and friendly. Their complete understanding of how credit unions function and the member-focused mentality are invaluable as a partner of Extra Credit Union. Excellent service and knowledgeable professionals set them apart from other law firms.”

Mark Milligan
Payment Solutions Manager
Extra Credit Union.

“Our credit union has been a satisfied client of BRO for over 20 years. We utilize a number of creditor rights attorneys and BRO is one of the most professional and ethical firms we have the pleasure of working with”

David Harris
Asset Recovery Manager
Genisys Credit Union.

“I have been working with Butler Rowse-Oberle for several years and have thoroughly enjoyed my experiences doing so. They are 100% dedicated to protecting credit unions and creditors rights. The staff is always very friendly and knowledgeable. I have personally been able to grow and learn a lot in my career from working with Butler Rowse-Oberle. Whether it’s Collections, Bankruptcy, Probate, etc., BRO Law has you covered. I would highly recommend Butler Rowse-Oberle to any financial institution looking for dedicated attorneys who are professional, knowledgeable, and always going the extra mile to make sure your rights as a creditor are protected.”

Anthony Artico
Director of Lending Services & Loss Prevention
Memberfocus Community Credit Union

“We have been working with Butler Rowse-Oberle for over 25 years. The years include Team One Credit Union, and other financial institutions in the past. They truly are there for the Credit Union whenever we need them. The attorneys and staff are always responsive and very timely in getting back with us whenever we have questions. Their staff is very experienced and knowledgeable in all aspects of Collection Law. We have had a truly great partnership with them through the years and we consider them an extension of our own Collections Department.”

Grant Thomas
Collections Supervisor
Kathy Hubbard
Bankruptcy Specialist
Team One Credit Union.

“Financial Plus Federal Credit Union has been a client of Butler Rowse-Oberle attorneys at law since 2018. We value their industry knowledge and they have been a trusted resource for the company. We have established a strong relationship with Butler Rowse-Oberle and their primary objective is always to protect the interest of the Credit Union. We would highly recommend this firm to any business seeking collection and bankruptcy legal assistance. Their level of professionalism and client service is outstanding.”

Jeff Naessens
Collections Manager
Financial Plus Credit Union.

“Our company has been in the Michigan collection industry for 45 years. For 35 of those years, I have personally been involved in several roles from sale, ownership and association officer. Throughout my tenure, the firm of Butler Rowse-Oberle PLLC are an integral part of the legal landscape in Michigan and resource/partner for me. They are knowledgeable, altruistic and have their client(s) best interest in mind”

James N. Angelo
President
JJ Marshall & Associates, Inc.

“We have been working with BRO law firm since 2015 and it’s been a wonderful relationship with them from the very beginning. Recently in 2019, Elizabeth succeeded in winning a case in probate court and Court of Appeals which resulted in NEFCU being able to maintain our rights to set off which prevented a huge loss. Accounts we submit are worked promptly and thoroughly resulting in excellent service.”

Pearl Hall
Collections Supervisor
New England Federal Credit Union

“Elizabeth and the whole team at Butler Rowse-Oberle, PLLC have done a fantastic job recovering on our probate cases. I never hesitate to send our files to Elizabeth and know that she will use her expertise to resolve the matter quickly and with maximum results. I highly recommend Elizabeth and Butler Rowse-Oberle, they will not disappoint!”

Cathryn Latinen
Account Resolution Risk Management
Lake Trust Credit Union

“Downriver Community Federal Credit Union would like to thank the entire team at Butler Rowse-Oberle, PLLC and especially Elizabeth Butler for her expertise in tackling a complex probate matter. Elizabeth’s attentiveness to our needs throughout the case, together with her patience and understanding of the problem helped us to prevail in achieving a successful outcome for our credit union.”

Robert P. La Palme, CCUIP
President/CEO
Downriver Community Federal Credit Union

“The responsive staff and talented attorneys at Butler Rowse Oberle PLLC are a good fit for continuing the Trustee work that Winn Boylan has developed over the past 18 years. Winn digs deep and expeditiously to identify issues that others may not have expected. She has assisted in guiding my work as Chapter 7 Trustee by providing clear pathways to successful outcomes in protection of bankruptcy estates. Winn’s presence at the BRO law firm adds a new dimension to a firm known for its professionalism and knowledge.”

Karen E. Evangelista
Chapter 7 Trustee
Eastern District of Michigan

“For 17 Years, Winn Boylan has represented me as a Chapter 7 Trustee with great legal skill and professionalism. I found Winn’s ability to navigate the common and not so common issues in bankruptcy to be spot on. Winn’s personal and professional dedication to preserving the integrity of the bankruptcy code is well documented and well known. Ms. Boylan’s experience is a value add to the law firm of Butler Rowse-Oberle, PLLC.”

Randall L. Frank
Chapter 7 Trustee
Eastern District of Michigan

“In my role as a Chapter 7 Trustee, I have often retained Winn Boylan as my attorney to bring about good results in bankruptcy cases while protecting the best interests of the bankruptcy estate. Winn’s excellent command of the bankruptcy code and her ability to work towards practical solutions provides the formula needed by a Chapter 7 Trustee. Like the staff and attorneys at Butler Rowse-Oberle PLLC, Winn is a highly reliable, knowledgeable and makes herself available while practicing law with the highest ethical standards.”

Daniel C. Himmelspach
Chapter 7 Trustee
Eastern District of Michigan

Who We Are

We work on creditors’ rights, bankruptcy and foreclosure actions representing creditors and bankruptcy trustees. We have the technology, safety/security and boutique size which encourages comparison with any Michigan firm, large or small. With specialized expertise and focused attention, our attorneys give our clients the support they need to favorably resolve issues in an effective and cost-efficient manner.

Trusted and Experienced

We have been a part of vital cases supporting the rights of creditors and trustees in bankruptcy law, and recognized by Super Lawyers and other professional organizations. Our ongoing relationships with our clients and dedication to integrity has allowed us to expand practice across the Midwest.

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John W. Butler

10+ Years

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Karen L. Rowse-Oberle
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Winnifred P. Boylan
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Elizabeth K. Butler

Rising Stars

John W. Butler – Partner

is a founding shareholder with the law firm of Butler Rowse-Oberle PLLC.
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James A. Graham – Partner

is a shareholder with the firm of Butler Rowse-Oberle PLLC.
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Sarah A. Vorgitch – Associate Attorney

is an associate with the firm.
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Catherine A. Hartkop – Associate Attorney

is an associate with the firm.
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Kelly L. Scola – Partner

is a partner with the firm.
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Karen L. Rowse-Oberle – Partner

is a founding shareholder with the firm of Butler Rowse-Oberle PLLC.
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Winnifred P. Boylan – Partner

is a partner with the firm of Butler Rowse-Oberle PLLC.
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Elizabeth K. Butler – Partner

is a shareholder with the firm of Butler Rowse-Oberle PLLC.
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Rachel Hawrylo – Associate Attorney

is an associate with the firm.
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Terri Weishaus – Associate Attorney

is an associate with the firm.

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