John Higgins leads the firm’s bankruptcy and restructuring practice. His practice focuses on corporate reorganization, restructuring, acquisitions, and litigation. He has extensive experience representing entities in their Chapter 11 cases and/or out of court restructurings, creditors' committees, Chapter 11 and 7 Trustees, institutional and corporate creditors and directors and officers. His practice also includes general civil litigation in both federal and state courts.

John is a Fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy and Board Certified in Business Bankruptcy Law by the American and Texas Board of Legal Specialization. He is also a Certified Mediator (Attorney-Mediator Institute, January 1996).

Honors & Recognitions

Chambers USA, Leading Lawyer in Bankruptcy/Restructuring (Texas)

Chambers USA, Bankruptcy Firm of the Year (Texas), 2019

Restructuring Deal of the Year - McDermott International, IFLR Americas Awards, 2021

Turnaround of the Year - PetroQuest Energy Chapter 11 Bankruptcy, Turnaround Atlas Awards - Global M&A Network, 2019

The Legal 500, Recommended Lawyer in Corporate Restructuring/Bankruptcy

Lawdragon, Leading U.S. Bankruptcy & Restructuring Lawyers

Best Lawyers in America, Bankruptcy & Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency & Reorganization Law and Litigation – Bankruptcy

Best Lawyers in America, "Lawyer of the Year," Bankruptcy Law, 2013, 2015 and 2018

Who's Who Legal: Texas, Listed as one of the state's leading lawyers in Insolvency and Restructuring

Texas Super Lawyers, Bankruptcy - Top 100 Lawyers in Houston

  • Board Certified - Business Bankruptcy
  • Chambers - Texas (Bankruptcy 2019)
  • Legal 500 (Use for non-current year bio badges)
  • Best Lawyers in America
  • Chambers 2024

Credentials

Education

J.D., University of Houston Law Center

B.S., Louisiana State University

Admissions

United States District Court Southern, Northern and Western Districts of Texas

United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit

New York

Texas

Experience

Debtor's Counsel

  • MD America Energy, LLC.; SAExploration Holdings, Inc.; Diamond Offshore Drilling Inc.; Epic Companies, LLC; Alta Mesa Resources, Inc.; PetroQuest Energy, Inc.; Geokinetics Inc.; EMAS Chiyoda Subsea, Ltd.; Milagro Exploration, LLC; Stone Energy Corporation; UGHS Senior Living, Inc.; University General Health System, Inc.; Bigler, L.P.; Community Health Computing Corp.; Continental Airlines, Inc. (Continental I); Contour Energy Co.; Doctors Hospital LP; Easy Gardener Products Ltd.; Equalnet Communications Corp.; General Homes Corporation (I and II); Netversant Solutions, LLC; Philip Services Corporation; TransCom USA Management, Inc.; Texas Development Investors, Ltd.; Neighbors Legacy Holdings, Inc.

Secured Creditor, Bondholder and Creditor Representation

  • Halcón Resources Corporation; iHeartMedia, Inc.; Jones Energy, Inc.; Cobalt International Energy, Inc.; Energy XXI; GenOn Energy, Inc.; LINN Energy, Inc.; ATP Oil & Gas Corporation; Gastar Exploration Inc.; Seadrill Limited; Ultra Petroleum Corp.; Vanguard Natural Resources, Inc. (I and II); Black Elk Energy Offshore Operations, LLC; Calpine Corporation; Chaparral Energy, Inc.; Dune Energy, Inc.; Enron Corporation; Freedom Pipeline, LLC; HGIM Holdings, LLC; Humble Surgical Hospital, LLC; Lyondell Chemical Company; Magnum Hunter Resources Corporation; Quicksilver Resources Inc.; Reichmann Petroleum Corp.; Samson Resources Corporation; Westmoreland Coal Company; All American Oil & Gas Incorporated; A&B Valve and Piping Systems, LLC; Castex Energy Partners, L.P.; Ignite Restaurant Group, Inc.; LINN Energy, Inc.; Alliance Energy Corporation; Crutcher-Tufts Resources, L.P.; Dunhill Resources, Inc.; Goldking Holdings, LLC; Star Resources, Inc.; TEC Resources LLC

Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors

  • Bristow Group Inc.; Montco Offshore, Inc.; ATP Oil & Gas Corporation; Fayetteville-Floyd Gas Company, Inc.; Sabine Oil & Gas Corporation; Tekoil & Gas Corporation

Representation and Defense of Officers and Directors

  • Energy XXI; Dune Energy, Inc.; Lyondell Chemical Company

§363 Asset Purchase and Sale

  • Alpha Natural Resources; NanoMech, Inc.; Westmoreland Coal Company; Calpine Corporation; Crusader Energy Group Inc.; Dune Energy, Inc.; Encompass Services Corp.; Reichmann Petroleum Corp.; Freedom Pipeline, LLC; Enron Corporation; Transcoastal Marine Service, Inc.; TIC United Corp.; Reliant Building Products, Inc. and numerous other cases

Other Significant Representation

  • GSO Capital Partners in Legacy Reserves Inc., et al. and Sanchez Energy Corporation, et al. bankruptcy cases
  • Phillips Petroleum Company, Mission Resources, Inc., Torch Energy, Inc., Bridgeline Holdings, L.P., Contour Energy Co., and numerous other entities in the Enron Corp., et al. bankruptcy
  • Bridgeline Holdings, L.P in the  Entergy New Orleans, et al. bankruptcy cases
  • Anadarko Petroleum Corporation; Kerr-McGee Oil & Gas Onshore, L.P.; Western Gas Resources, Inc.; and Concho Resources, Inc. in the Chapter 11 cases of SemCrude, L.P. and its affiliates
  • CenterPoint Energy, Inc. and Energy Transfer Partners, LP in several bankruptcy cases

Newsroom

News

Media Mentions

Speaking Engagements

Affiliations

American College of Bankruptcy, Fellow

Texas Bar Foundation, Life Fellow

Houston Bar Association, Member

American Bar Association, Member

Federal Bar Association, Member

University of Houston Law Center Alumni Association, Member

Board of Directors, 1999-2001

American Bankruptcy Institute, Member

Commercial Law League of America, Member

Former adjunct professor of bankruptcy law, University of Houston Law Center

Turnaround Management Association (Houston chapter); President (2013)