Houston-based energy transition products provider Vertex Energy Operating filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Tuesday in the Southern District of Texas citing $500 million to $1 billion in financial liabilities.
Vertex Energy General Counsel James Gregory hired Kirkland & Ellis and Bracewell as its legal advisors in the restructuring. The case has been assigned to Houston Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez.
The Vertex Energy filing is the first case filed by lawyers for Kirkland in the Southern District of Texas since last October when it was revealed that former Houston bankruptcy judge David Jones was involved in a secret romantic relationship with former Jackson Walker bankruptcy partner Elizabeth Freeman. Jones resigned from the bench later that month.
Between 2019 and 2023, Kirkland filed about two dozen corporate bankruptcies in the Southern District with Jackson Walker as its local co-counsel. In this case, Kirkland is teamed with Bracewell.
Bracewell partner Jason Cohen of Houston filed the first-day documents for Vertex Energy. A 2005 graduate of the University of Texas School of Law, Cohen clerked for Houston Bankruptcy Judge Marvin Isgur. He represented Echo Energy Partners, Energy & Exploration Partners and Linc Energy in their corporate restructurings.
Vertex Energy also hired Alvarez & Marsal’s Seth Bullock of Houston as its chief restructuring officer.
The case is In re: Vertex Energy Operating, 24-90506.