John D. Penn

John Penn is a partner in the Business practice focusing on bankruptcy and workouts. During his more than three decades of counsel, John has represented secured and unsecured creditors, debtors, trustees and unsecured creditor committees in major and high-profile reorganizations and insolvency proceedings. John is a Fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy and past president of the American Bankruptcy Institute. He is certified by both the American Board of Certification and Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Business Bankruptcy Law.

Throughout his career, John has counseled clients involved in complex Chapter 11 reorganizations and restructurings in a range of industries, including airlines, financial services, construction, energy, hospitality, home furnishings, nonprofits, timber and commercial real estate. His background includes representing clients in bankruptcy litigation, including defending against attempts to recover alleged fraudulent transfers and preferential transfers, as well as equitable subordination. Many of the clients he defended compromised the claims for substantial discounts, including "cost of defense" settlements.

John frequently provides commentary to the media on current issues and writes articles on topical issues, such as on new disclosure requirements for bankruptcy attorneys, fraudulent transfers in the Chrysler bankruptcy and credit bidding. Recognized for the past decade by The Best Lawyers in America and "Super Lawyers," John served as a Director of the American College of Bankruptcy Foundation and was a member of the Executive Board of the Longhorn Council Boy Scouts of America where he also served as the Chairman of the Council’s National Eagle Scout Association Committee.