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Clay M. Taylor

Biography

Clay M. Taylor has represented creditors, debtors and parties-in-interest across the spectrum in both restructuring and bankruptcy. Mr. Taylor works on both the transactional side of bankruptcies and the litigation arising in and around financial cases. Specifically, he has represented over and under-secured lenders with collateral interests ranging from real property to equipment, as well as intangible property rights such as intellectual property. Mr. Taylor also has represented unsecured creditors, trustees, Chapter 11 and Chapter 7 debtors, debtors in workout situations, creditors in workout situations, bond-holders and committees. His representations have exposed him to a variety of industries and sectors from retail, manufacturing, banking, real estate and construction. Moreover, Mr. Taylor has developed expertise on the issues related to creditor/debtor relations and has negotiated and documented sales of assets and organizations, litigated issues in state court and arbitrations regarding debtor/creditor relations, and other matters before both judge and juries conducted real and personal property foreclosures and has represented clients with lender liability issues.

Mr. Taylor is extensively involved in the local bankruptcy practice groups and associations and is former president of the Dallas/Fort Worth Young Bankruptcy Lawyers Association and former president of the Tarrant County Bar Association's Bankruptcy section. He and his wife, Catherine, are the proud parents of Clayton, Caroline and Crawford.

Experience and highlights
  • Led representation of the major secured creditor of a national franchisee of pizza restaurants
  • Handled nationwide representation of the two major credit card processing companies in over half of the large retail bankruptcy cases filed over the past 3 years
  • Led the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditor’s representation in a national western wear retail case filed in Dallas
  • Chapter 11 Trustee representation of a direct sales company which had over $300,000,000 in secured debt and successfully confirmed a liquidating Chapter 11 plan
  • Led representation of major publicly traded pipeline company in a national oil and gas transportation bankruptcy case filed in Delaware
  • Led representation of national rail freight carrier in one of the largest mining and smelting bankruptcies filed in recent memory. Defended claims of over $50,000,000 in multiple claim objection hearings
  • Led representation of Debtor whose primary assets were intellectual property rights in the field of laser correction of far-sightedness. The case involved multiple bankruptcies in multiple states. The estate ultimately paid significant dividends to its creditors while allowing the Debtor’s owners to acquire the relevant IP interests
  • Led representation of party-in-interest in formulating and implementing a plan of reorganization that led to the client’s acquisition of over $9 million of assets (primarily real estate) out of a bankruptcy estate that has been in Chapter 11 bankruptcy for over 2 and a half years
  • Lead attorney of a case appealed to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals after winning at both the trial level and on appeal to the district court. The 5th Circuit affirmed in all respects
  • Successfully prosecuted a case in the Southern District of Texas involving a novel question of the proper interpretation of the Texas Constitution’s provisions on Home Equity Lending that was definitively decided in favor of the client
Affiliations and honors
  • John C. Ford Inn of Court
  • American Bankruptcy Institute
  • Dallas Bankruptcy Bar Association
  • Texas Bankruptcy Bar Section
  • Tarrant County Bar Association
  • Tarrant County Bar Association Bankruptcy Section, Former President
  • Recognized as a "Texas Rising Star" by Super Lawyers, 2008-2011
  • Selected as a "Top Attorney" by Fort Worth, Texas magazine, 2008, 2012
Education
  • Pepperdine University School of Law, J.D., 2001
  • Texas A&M University, B.B.A., Management, 1997
Admissions
  • State Bar of Texas, 2001
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas
Mr. Taylor has represented successful stalking horse bidders in the purchases of hundreds of millions in assets from bankrupt debtors.