Munsch Hardt has signed Houston bankruptcy expert Chris Johnson from McKool Smith. The move comes as nearly two-dozen corporate law firms jockey to recruit restructuring attorneys in time for a predicted wave of business bankruptcies in Texas.
Johnson, who joins Munsch Hardt as a shareholder and is the firm’s eighth Houston hire this year, practiced at McKool Smith for nearly a decade as a senior bankruptcy attorney.
A past president of the Houston Bar Association’s bankruptcy section, Johnson has represented corporate debtors, official and ad hoc committees, creditors, contract counterparties and asset purchasers in complex bankruptcy cases throughout the country.
“Munsch Hardt has long been ranked among the largest and most experienced insolvency practices in the Southwest,” Johnson said in a statement. “I’m honored to be joining a group of seasoned legal professionals who have been through several economic cycles and have built a reputation for being fully versatile both in and out of the courtroom.”
Before going to law school at the South Texas College of Law Houston, Johnson was an air ambulance pilot in the U.S. Army, having flown over 200 missions in the U.S., Middle East and Southeast Asia theatres.
“Professionalism, integrity and responsibility are three words that describe Chris’ core values,” Munsch Hardt CEO Phil Appenzeller said in the firm’s announcement. “These key strengths were instilled early in his military career, long before he became an attorney. Chris has a proven track record of achieving the best possible outcomes for his clients.”