Our Attorneys
Ryan A. O’Connor
- EDUCATION
- South Texas College of Law Houston, J.D. 2015
- Texas Tech University, B.B.A. 2012
- PRIOR EXPERIENCE
- The Gibson Law Firm, 2015-2016
- BAR ADMISSIONS
- State of Texas, Admitted 2015
- Southern District of Texas
- Northern District of Texas
- Eastern District of Texas
- Western District of Texas
- United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- MEMBERSHIPS
- Houston Bar Association, Bankruptcy Section
- Houston Young Lawyers Association, Leadership Academy
- Houston Young Lawyers Association, Mentorship and Transitions Committee
- Houston Association of Young Bankruptcy Lawyers
- American Bar Association
Ryan is a Partner in the financial restructuring group of Okin Adams. His practice focuses on counseling Chapter 11 debtors, creditors, post-confirmation trustees, and distressed asset purchasers in reorganization proceedings and § 363 sales across a wide range of industries. He also represents clients in adversary proceedings and bankruptcy appeals before the bankruptcy courts, district courts and the Fifth Circuit. Ryan strives to maximize value for his clients by helping them navigate the fast-paced chapter 11 environment and unique challenges that come with each case. He has helped numerous distressed businesses successfully reorganize and emerge from Chapter 11 as financially healthy companies. When reorganization is not an option, Ryan has guided companies through complex sale transactions as a means of maximizing value for all stakeholders. His experience both inside and outside of the courtroom enables him to provide valuable expertise and practical solutions for the Firm’s clients. Ryan has been recognized by Super Lawyers ® as a Rising Star in Texas since 2023 and by Best Lawyers ® on the list of Ones to Watch since 2024.
Outside of work, Ryan is active in numerous professional and community organizations. He currently sits on the Board of Directors of Turnaround Management Association’s Houston chapter (TMA-Houston). In that role, he has worked closely with the Southern District of Texas bankruptcy judges to implement mentorship and trial advocacy programs promoting the development of young bankruptcy lawyers and financial advisors. Ryan also engages with local law schools and business schools developing speaker panels and networking events to spark student interest in pursuing restructuring careers. In addition to his professional activities, Ryan devotes his time to improving his neighborhood and local community. He currently serves as Vice President on the Board of Directors for his neighborhood’s Homeowners Association where he taps into his legal experience to provide practical guidance to the Board for the benefit of his community.
Ryan earned his J.D. from South Texas College of Law Houston. While in law school, he served as a Senator in the Student Bar Association and was a member of the school’s transactional competition team. Ryan also worked as a judicial intern to the Honorable Reed C. O’Connor, U. S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas.
REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCE:
- Counsel to the Debtors, Castex Energy 2005 Holdco, LLC, et al. (S.D. Tex.)
- Counsel to the Debtors, Aztec / Shaffer, LLC, et al. (S.D. Tex.)
- Counsel to the Debtors, Freedom Oil & Gas, Inc., et al. (S.D. Tex.)
- Counsel to the Debtors, Brahman Resource Partners, LLC, et al. (S.D. Tex.)
- Counsel to the Debtors, KP Engineering, LP, et al. (S.D. Tex.)
- Counsel to the Litigation & Liquidating Trustee, Black Elk Energy Offshore Operations, LLC (S.D. Tex.)
- Counsel to the Debtors, Galveston Bay Properties, LLC, et al. (S.D. Tex.)
- Counsel to the Debtor, Teton Buildings, LLC (S.D. Tex.)
- Counsel to the Debtor, Urban Oaks Builders LLC (S.D. Tex.)
- Counsel to the Debtor, Sam Kane Beef Processors, LLC (S.D. Tex.)
- Counsel to the Debtors, Erin Energy Corporation, et al. (S.D. Tex.)
- Counsel to the Stalking Horse Bidder, Ignite Restaurant Group, Inc., et al. (S.D. Tex.)
- Counsel to the Debtors, High Country Transportation, Inc., et al. (N.D. Tex.)
- Counsel to the Debtor, Gulf Coast Maritime Supply, Inc. (S.D. Tex.)
- Counsel to the Litigation Trustee, Cleveland Imaging and Surgical Hospital, LLC (S.D. Tex.)
PUBLICATIONS AND SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS:
Finding Acceptance: Using Strategic Impairment to Satisfy § 1129(a)(10); ABI Business Reorganization Newsletter; June 2017; Reprint in Harvard Law School Bankruptcy Roundtable; October 2017
Unplugging the Fifth Circuit’s Abandonment Problem: A Reexamination of the Midlantic Exception in Offshore E&P Cases, Tulane Environmental Law Journal, Volume 31, Issue 1 (Winter 2017).