Mark D. G. Sanders

A fourth-generation Tulsan, Mark D.G. Sanders joined GableGotwals in 2009, after 23 years of legal practice outside of Oklahoma.  Immediately prior to his relocation to Tulsa, Mark had served for over 15 years as Law Clerk to the Honorable Albert S. Dabrowski, Chief United States Bankruptcy Judge for the District of Connecticut.  Prior to his tenure with the Court, Mark was engaged in private practice in Missouri and Connecticut.

Mark’s practice focuses primarily in the areas of bankruptcy, insolvency and commercial litigation.  His clientele and modes of practice have been wide-ranging.  In the bankruptcy context, he has counseled and represented (i) secured and unsecured creditors in, and in anticipation of, cases under Chapters 7, 9, 11, 12 and 13 of the Bankruptcy Code; (ii) standing and case trustees in Chapter 7 and 13 cases; (iii) committees of creditors and equity holders in Chapter 11; and (iv) consumer and business debtors in, and in anticipation of, cases under Chapters 7, 9, 11 and 13.  Mark’s non-bankruptcy practice has focused upon general commercial litigation, real estate foreclosure, “workout” negotiations and credit restructuring arrangements.

Mark has taught Bankruptcy & Reorganization as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Tulsa School of Law.  He is also a member of the Board of Directors of DVIS-Call Rape (Domestic Violence Intervention Services).

In law school Mark wrote for the Columbia Human Rights Law Review.  At Occidental College he was Student Body President and received the Economics Department’s Outstanding Senior Thesis Award.  He is also a cum laude graduate of the Holland Hall School in Tulsa.

Mark is married, and the father of three.  He is an avid runner and a committed community activist, historical preservationist and amateur archeologist.

Mark’s recent experience includes:

• • Representation of Chapter 11 debtor in successful reorganization of large regional manufacturing concern
  • Counsel for dissident secured lender group in SemGroup Chapter 11 case in the District of Delaware
  • Representation of regional building products supplier in successful defense of $1 million+ preferential transfer claim
  • Successful reorganization of non-profit social service entity in contested small business case under Chapter 11
  • Representation of large construction company in successful Chapter 11 reorganization

Deborah Shallcross

Former Judge Deborah Shallcross joined GableGotwals in January 2012, after serving almost 30 years on the bench assigned to all Divisions of the District Court in Tulsa County. During her tenure as a Judge assigned to the Civil Division of the District Court, she presided for 20 years over complex oil and gas, toxic tort, and class action litigation as well as hundreds of Jury and Non-Jury Trials.

Ms. Shallcross  practices with GableGotwals full-time with an emphasis in Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), Litigation, and Appellate Practice. She also focuses on family law, particularly where complex divorce cases are involved. In addition, she is uniquely qualified to offer a Private Trial courtroom or arbitration and mediation outside the courthouse. Oklahoma law allows the appointment of a Referee in family law cases. Former Judge Shallcross conducts a trial and provides a Decision with detailed Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law to the parties and to the assigned Judge. The assigned Judge reviews the Recommendations of the Referee and then enters the Decree of Dissolution.

She has completed advanced education in Alternative Dispute Resolution including Pepperdine University School of Law, Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, Mediating the Litigated Case, 2011 and the National Judicial College, Civil Mediation and Advanced Mediation.

Following graduation from the University of Oklahoma College of Law Ms. Shallcross became a partner in a law firm in Shawnee, Oklahoma where she earned a reputation as a talented litigator. She then came to Tulsa to serve as an Assistant Public Defender, representing children at the Tulsa County Juvenile Bureau. In 1981, Shallcross was selected by the Judges of Tulsa County as a Special Judge. She was subsequently appointed a District Judge by Governor Henry Bellmon in 1990 and served five terms as a District Judge of the 14th Judicial District.

Ms. Shallcross has been very active in the community and is currently Chair of the Board of Directors with the Ann Patterson Dooley Family Safety Center and a Board Member with the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra. She has received numerous awards and recognition for community and professional service, most recently the Watchmen Award by the Community Service Council in 2012, the Golden Rule Award by the Tulsa County Bar Association in 2011, The Oklahoma Judge of the Year in 2011 by the American Board of Trial Advocates, Oklahoma Chapter, and the Outstanding Trial Judge of the Year in 2009 by the Oklahoma Association for Justice.