Laura Smith concentrates her practice on commercial bankruptcy. She regularly represents debtors, lenders, creditors, and trustees under chapter 11 and 7 of the Bankruptcy Code.
Laura’s practice also includes litigation and adversary proceedings. She has significant experience representing lessors, landlords, financial institutions, official committees, and trustees in chapter 11 and chapter 7 bankruptcy cases.
- Represents Brazos Electric Power Cooperative, Inc. in its chapter 11 bankruptcy case.
- Represents large creditor in chapter 11 bankruptcy case of Mallinckrodt PLC and certain affiliates.
- Represented official committee of unsecured creditors in restructuring of the National Rifle Association of America and Sea Girt LLC.
- Represented 62 debtors in chapter 7 liquidation proceeding.
- Represented official committee of unsecured creditors of multi-debtor movie theatre operator.
- Represented official committee of unsecured creditors of a publicly-traded medical device company.
- Represented secured lender in Boy Scouts of America restructuring.
- Represented secured lender in multi-debtor chapter 11 bankruptcy proceeding involving franchisor of Mr. Gatti’s Pizza and GiGi’s Cupcakes.
- Represented Chapter 7 trustee in an appeal regarding the issue of personal jurisdiction over a defendant in an adversary proceeding.
- Represented publicly-traded medical device company in chapter 11 case which resulted in the successful sale of substantially all of the debtor’s assets and confirmation of a liquating plan.
- Represented secured lender in multi-debtor chapter 11 bankruptcy proceeding involving one of the largest networks of company-owned and franchised fitness centers in the world.
- Represented Chapter 7 trustee as special counsel for purposes of pursuing potential fraudulent transfer claims against various parties.
Admissions
Bar Admissions
- Texas
Education
- Southern Methodist University, J.D.: cum laude; Duberstein Bankruptcy Moot Court Team
- Boston University, B.S.: summa cum laude
Professional Activities
Chair
- International Women’s Insolvency and Restructuring Confederation (2021)
Member
- The Honorable John C. Ford American Inn of Court
- DFW Association of Young Bankruptcy Lawyers
- International Women’s Insolvency and Restructuring Confederation
Publications
- "Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs): Overview," Thomson Reuters Practical Law (November 2022)
- Co-author, “INSIGHT: Resolving federal tax disputes in bankruptcy,” Bloomberg Tax (2020)
- Author, “Keeping up with the Joneses: In bold cross-border move, the DIFC enacts new insolvency law,” Norton Rose Fulbright International Restructuring Newswire (2019)
Speaking Engagements
- “Crypto is Coming: Is Bankruptcy Ready?,” ABI Southeast Conference (July 2022)
- “Bankruptcy Tips for the Non-Bankruptcy Practitioner,” Dallas Bar Association (2021)
- State Bar of Texas Bankruptcy Section CLE Webinar: “Getting the Real Estate Deal Done” (2020)
- The Chambers/Bankruptcy Bench Bar Conference (2019)
Clerkships
- The Honorable Stacey G. C. Jernigan of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas
Related Practices