Bruce Ruzinsky

Practice Areas

Bankruptcy, Restructuring, & Recovery; Trial & Appellate Litigation

Career

Bruce has extensive experience representing financial institutions, corporations, and other business entities in workout/restructure efforts, chapter bankruptcy proceedings, and litigation. He approaches his cases strategically, proactively and cost-effectively.

For over 35 years, Bruce has represented creditors, creditors’ committees, trustees, debtors, landlords, and asset purchasers in various industries and business environments, including energy, real estate, healthcare, shipping, manufacturing, transportation, retail, entertainment, wholesale produce, and personal services.

A representative sampling of his past and current cases includes:

Large creditors in the NPC International, Dean Foods, Brazos Electric, Veterinary Care, MDC Energy, Diamond Offshore Drilling, Sabine Oil & Gas, Samson Resources, Swift Energy, Buckingham Oil, Magnum Hunter Resources, Cal Dive, Hercules Offshore, Miller Energy, Enron, RR Marine, Tekoil, Seahawk Drilling, Victory Healthcare and Handy Hardware cases;

The contract operator in the McKenzie Methane case;

The Official Unsecured Creditors Committee in the first Continental Airlines case;

The Indenture Trustee in the Seven Seas Petroleum and Eagle Geophysical cases;

Agent banks in the Global Marine, Southern Mineral and North American Petroleum cases;

Seismic licensors in the Ion Geophysical, Global Geophysical, Dune Energy and Milagro Oil & Gas cases;

The debtor’s president in the Davis Petroleum case;

The Debtor in the Basic Energy, HRD, Cooper Manufacturing and NR Offshore cases;

A major litigant in the Houston Regional Sports Network case;

The Trustee in the Brilliant Energy, NB Loft Vue, DST, CNC Payroll, and Trinity Energy cases;

Asset purchasers in the Bendco, S Chase Limited Partnership, and Torqued-Up Energy Services cases;

The letter of credit issuing bank in the Osyka case;

The Chairman of the Official Unsecured Creditors Committee in the Panaco case;

Multiple mid-stream companies in connection with the treatment of their contracts in producer bankruptcy cases; and

Lenders in workouts of various producers and service companies.

Bruce has litigated a wide variety of issues in Chapter 11 cases, including involuntary petition, cash collateral, DIP lending, automatic stay, sale/sale procedures, avoidance action, turnover, discharge/dischargeability, exemption, dismissal/conversion, abstention, executory contract/lease, Trustee/Examiner/CRO, proof of claim, Safe Harbor Provisions and plan confirmation issues. He has also handled workouts in a wide variety of industries.

Professional Memberships

American Bankruptcy Institute; Houston Bar Association; Houston Diversity Council; State Bar of Texas; UNCF South Texas Leadership Council

Experience

Represented Bank Group in North American Petroleum Chapter 11 Case in Delaware. Following extensive litigation, Banks recovered all $100 million of principal plus a portion of their interest.

Represented Senior Secured Creditor in workout of a series of waterparks, resulting in a full pay takeout of the senior secured debt by the subordinated lender.

Represented Chapter 11 Trustee and the Liquidating Plan Trustee in Houston liquidation of international energy company that produced payment of all allowed claims and certain shareholder interests.

Represented president of family-owned petroleum company in pre-packaged Chapter 11 case in the Southern District of Texas confirmed in less than a week, and in subsequent multi-year litigation.

Represented Unsecured Creditors Committee in first Continental Airlines case in Houston. A plan was confirmed providing for payment of 100% of allowed unsecured claim.

Education

Awards