Steven offers strategic acumen to corporate debtors, creditors, official committees, and trustees in complex bankruptcies across the U.S.

Overview
Representative Matters
Insights
Awards

Board Certified in Business Bankruptcy Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, Steven brings a remarkable depth of experience in bankruptcies and restructurings across a wide variety of industries. He represents corporate debtors, as well as secured and unsecured creditors, official committees, and trustees, in complex bankruptcy cases across the U.S. Steven also handles bankruptcy-related litigation, representing both plaintiffs and defendants.

Steven offers clients a strategic approach and an ability to navigate multiparty agreements, manage complex commercial transactions, and advocate on their behalf in bankruptcy-related lawsuits.

  • Represents the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors as co-counsel in In re The Roman Catholic Church of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, Case No. 20-10846. One of the largest diocesan Chapter 11 cases in the U.S., this case is currently pending in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
  • Represented the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors as conflicts counsel and local counsel in In re Genesis Care Pty Limited, et al., Case No. 23-90614 (MI), which was filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas. A global health care company, GenesisCare operates one of the world’s largest, integrated oncology organizations. The debtor’s Chapter 11 plan became effective in February 2024. Under the plan, the debtors sold certain, low-performing U.S. operations and recapitalized their businesses in Australia, the UK, and Spain, while the debtor’s new owners retained other U.S. operations as a separate investment.
  • Represented, from 2019 through 2021, a Texas-based real estate development company (in its role as a secured lender) in four related Chapter 11 cases filed by affiliated single-asset real estate debtors in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Texas.
  • Represented the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union 1245 as its bankruptcy counsel in In re PG&E Corp., et al., Case No. 19-30088, which was filed in the Northern District of California.
  • Represented Texas Pellets, Inc., and German Pellets Texas, LLC, as bankruptcy counsel in In re Texas Pellets, Inc., Case No. 16-90126, in the Eastern District of Texas. After holding a competitive auction, the debtors sold one of the largest wood-pellet manufacturing facilities in the U.S. in June 2019.
  • Served as co-counsel to the exit financier in the Chapter 11 case In re SH130 Concession Co., LLC, Case No. 16-10262, in the Western District of Texas.
  • Represented major energy companies in multiple oil and gas bankruptcy cases, including SemCrude, ATP Oil and Gas, Delta Petroleum, Tri-Union, and Capco, Inc.
  • Structured complex commercial transactions (such as syndicated loans and finance leases) and negotiated multiparty agreements inside and outside of bankruptcy (including senior- and mezzanine-side intercreditor agreements).
  • Represented clients in numerous bankruptcy-related lawsuits, including adversary proceedings alleging preferences, fraudulent transfers, and violations of the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) and Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA).
  • Best Lawyers in America®, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law (2024-2026)
  • Global Restructuring Review 100 (2021, 2024)

Board Certified in Business Bankruptcy Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, Steven brings a remarkable depth of experience in bankruptcies and restructurings across a wide variety of industries. He represents corporate debtors, as well as secured and unsecured creditors, official committees, and trustees, in complex bankruptcy cases across the U.S. Steven also handles bankruptcy-related litigation, representing both plaintiffs and defendants.

Steven offers clients a strategic approach and an ability to navigate multiparty agreements, manage complex commercial transactions, and advocate on their behalf in bankruptcy-related lawsuits.

  • Represents the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors as co-counsel in In re The Roman Catholic Church of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, Case No. 20-10846. One of the largest diocesan Chapter 11 cases in the U.S., this case is currently pending in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
  • Represented the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors as conflicts counsel and local counsel in In re Genesis Care Pty Limited, et al., Case No. 23-90614 (MI), which was filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas. A global health care company, GenesisCare operates one of the world’s largest, integrated oncology organizations. The debtor’s Chapter 11 plan became effective in February 2024. Under the plan, the debtors sold certain, low-performing U.S. operations and recapitalized their businesses in Australia, the UK, and Spain, while the debtor’s new owners retained other U.S. operations as a separate investment.
  • Represented, from 2019 through 2021, a Texas-based real estate development company (in its role as a secured lender) in four related Chapter 11 cases filed by affiliated single-asset real estate debtors in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Texas.
  • Represented the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union 1245 as its bankruptcy counsel in In re PG&E Corp., et al., Case No. 19-30088, which was filed in the Northern District of California.
  • Represented Texas Pellets, Inc., and German Pellets Texas, LLC, as bankruptcy counsel in In re Texas Pellets, Inc., Case No. 16-90126, in the Eastern District of Texas. After holding a competitive auction, the debtors sold one of the largest wood-pellet manufacturing facilities in the U.S. in June 2019.
  • Served as co-counsel to the exit financier in the Chapter 11 case In re SH130 Concession Co., LLC, Case No. 16-10262, in the Western District of Texas.
  • Represented major energy companies in multiple oil and gas bankruptcy cases, including SemCrude, ATP Oil and Gas, Delta Petroleum, Tri-Union, and Capco, Inc.
  • Structured complex commercial transactions (such as syndicated loans and finance leases) and negotiated multiparty agreements inside and outside of bankruptcy (including senior- and mezzanine-side intercreditor agreements).
  • Represented clients in numerous bankruptcy-related lawsuits, including adversary proceedings alleging preferences, fraudulent transfers, and violations of the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) and Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA).
  • Best Lawyers in America®, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law (2024-2026)
  • Global Restructuring Review 100 (2021, 2024)
  • President, Turnaround Management Association Central Texas Chapter (2019-2020)
  • President-elect (2024)
  • Member, Austin Bar Association Bankruptcy Section
  • Member, Larry E. Kelly Bankruptcy American Inn of Court
  • Church council member (2024-2026), Abiding Love Lutheran Church
  • Member, Austin Sister Cities International Committee

Education

  • The University of Texas School of Law, J.D., with honors, 2000
  • The University of Texas at Austin, M.A., 1997
  • Rice University, B.A., magna cum laude, 1993

Bar Admissions

  • Texas

Court Admissions

  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas
  • U.S. District Court, District of Colorado
  • U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Eastern District of Texas
  • U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District of Colorado
  • U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Northern District of Texas
  • U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Western District of Texas
  • U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of Texas
  • Author, “Local Bankruptcy Rules: Texas (W.D. Tex.),” Thompson Reuters, 2017-2024.
  • Guest editor and author, “Agriculture in Uncertain Times” and “The Energy Industry in Transition,” Journal of Corporate Renewal, (December and March 2022).
  • Board Certified, Business Bankruptcy Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization