Reed Smith is the latest firm to beef up its bankruptcy and restructuring practice in Texas as businesses across many sectors face continued distress and uncertainty.
The firm announced Wednesday that it has recruited former Baker Botts partner Omar Alaniz to its 15-month-old Dallas office as Texas businesses witnessed an avalanche of bankruptcies filed in the first half of 2020. He is Reed Smith’s ninth restructuring attorney in Texas.
Alaniz has served as debtor’s counsel in a number of notable matters, including the Bristow bankruptcy that involved nearly $1.6 billion in funded debt claims; the ABC Dentistry case that resolved multimillion dollar qui tam claims by the State of Texas Civil Medical Fraud Division; and the ASARCO Chapter 11, which with nearly $10 billion in claims became the largest environmental bankruptcy in U.S. history.
“My first interaction with Reed Smith was in the ASARCO case where the firm represented the official committee of unsecured creditors. Since then, I have observed the firm’s growth on a global scale, its expanding footprint in Texas and the formidability of its financial restructuring practice, which have attracted close friends and colleagues,” Alaniz said in a statement.
“I am excited to join the team as the firm checks all metrics that are important to me, including dedication to developing a robust bankruptcy practice, diversity of industry expertise, geographic scale, collaborative culture and commitment to diversity and inclusion.”
Alaniz is currently involved in the Covia Holdings, Hi-Crush, Vista Proppants, Emerge Energy and Philadelphia Energy Solutions bankruptcies. Additionally, he served as committee counsel in the Southland Royalty Chapter 11 currently pending in Delaware.
According to The Lawbook’s Corporate Deal Tracker, Alaniz has also been busy providing financial restructuring advice on a number of recent mergers and acquisitions. He was on the Baker Botts teams that advised BP in the company’s sale of its Alaska assets to Hilcorp for $5.6 billion and The Michaels Co.’s $58 million purchase of assets from A.C. Moore Arts and Craft Inc.
A graduate of the University of Texas School of Law, Alaniz has distinguished himself not only by his practice but also by his service to the legal community. The Sandra Day O’Connor Award for Professional Excellence recipient is a current board member of the Dallas Hispanic Law Foundation and a former chair of the State Bar of Texas Bankruptcy Section. He has also coached the SMU Law School’s Duberstein moot court team to five national championships – the most in the competition’s history.
“Omar is highly esteemed within the Texas legal and bankruptcy communities for his ability to handle complex, high stakes matters and determination to put his clients’ needs and concerns first,” Bobby Majumder, co-managing partner of the Reed Smith Dallas office, said in a statement. “His practice complements our existing restructuring capabilities, and we know he will be an excellent partner and team member.”
Reed Smith has more than doubled its headcount in Dallas since opening last May with 16 attorneys. The office added former Health Care Service Corporation senior associate general counsel Scott Williams and corporate partner Nigel Stark earlier this year.