Seize the moment: Bankruptcy lawyer capitalizes on crisis

Scott Underwood, in the prime of his career, left a powerful national practice to launch his own firm in Tampa. He plans to outlast the pandemic.

By Brian Hartz
| 6:00 a.m. August 21, 2020
| 0 Free Articles Remaining!

Courtesy. Scott Underwood, co-founder of Underwood Murray, a new Tampa law firm specializing in bankruptcy law.

As economic wreckage from the coronavirus pandemic continues to pile up, bankruptcies have become commonplace. The COVID-19 crisis has claimed some of the biggest names in American business, particularly retail clothing brands, such as Neiman Marcus, J.Crew and Brooks Brothers. In May, 118-year-old JCPenney succumbed, filing for Chapter 11 protection.

With boldface names like those struggling, it’s not a surprise that much smaller firms, particularly in coronavirus-ravaged Florida, have also gone bankrupt or are considering bankruptcy.