© 2014 The Texas Lawbook.
By Brooks Igo – (October 27) – Locke Lord recently announced it boosted its bankruptcy practice with the addition of Berry Spears, who was formerly the partner-in-charge of Norton Rose Fulbright’s Austin office.
Spears joins as a partner in Austin. He said his experience in a management role at a big firm has sensitized him to issues a firm faces on a day-to-day basis, such as the need for near- and long-term planning and the importance of effective communications.
“Hopefully, I now better understand the motivations and the issues that drive both management and those being managed, and the experience will make me more empathetic, make my own practice more efficient and effective and help me be a better lawyer and team player,” he said.
The UT School of Law graduate has represented clients across a variety of industries, such as energy, financial, technology and healthcare.
He represented El Paso Electric Company in its Chapter 11 filing, which was one of the largest ever filed by a publicly-held electric utility. He described the experience of working on the case as “exciting, eye-opening, educational and incredibly challenging.”
In 2009, he served as counsel for Idearc, Inc., which publishes the Yellow Pages, in its Chapter 11 filing. The Dallas-based company emerged nine months later and announced its new name – SuperMedia – in January 2010.
Issues concerning the venue of cases and the sales of all or nearly all of an estate’s property outside of a plan of reorganization are hot topics and trends of “critical” interest to his clients. In an increasingly global economy, he says another important topic for lawyers and the courts is cross-border insolvencies and how to resolve them.
“My job as debtor’s counsel is to offer up ideas and strategies that perhaps management had not previously considered, minimize fees and costs and reach an acceptable result, all while staying within the confines of the law,” he said.
On the creditors’ side, Spears says he typically represents the administrative agent for large syndicated bank groups. He represented the official creditors’ committee of the Austin-based sandwich company Schlotzsky’s in its successful reorganization.
Outside of practicing law, Spears believes it is “incumbent” upon lawyers to give something back to the profession and community.
“Whether it is helping a veteran, the indigent or even working on a VLS divorce case, helping others is often the most rewarding work one can do,” he said.
Last year, Spears chaired the Austin Heart Walk, which raised more than $750,000 to help eliminate heart attacks and strokes in Central Texas. He continues to serve on its board and has been involved with other community organizations in Austin such as United Way and Helping Hand Home for Children.
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