When a borrower, customer, or business partner files for bankruptcy protection, the clock starts immediately. Deadlines are short, procedural requirements are specific, and the difference between an aggressive, informed response and a passive one can determine whether you recover anything at all.
Murray | Lobb represents creditors — not debtors. Our practice is built around protecting the rights of lenders, municipalities, trade creditors, commercial landlords, and businesses owed money by parties who have sought bankruptcy protection or who are simply refusing to pay. We practice regularly before the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas, including the Galveston Division, and we bring a practical, results-driven approach to every matter.
We Represent
- Community banks and commercial lenders protecting secured positions;
- Municipalities with utility customers or contract counterparties in bankruptcy;
- Trade creditors and vendors owed money by Chapter 11 debtors;
- Commercial landlords with tenants in bankruptcy;
- Businesses pursuing pre- and post-judgment debt collection; and
- Creditors holding judgments who need enforcement in Texas state court
Areas of Focus
When a business files Chapter 11, your pre-petition receivable becomes a claim in the bankruptcy estate — and your leverage depends entirely on how quickly and aggressively you act. We file proofs of claim, object to inadequate reorganization plans, litigate cash collateral disputes, pursue adequate assurance of payment for ongoing utility and contract obligations, and seek lift-stay relief when the facts support it. We know the Southern District of Texas and its local practice requirements, and we move quickly when the 30-day windows and claims bar dates that govern your rights begin running.
A security interest is only as valuable as the counsel protecting it. We represent secured lenders in perfecting, enforcing, and defending their liens — including collateral disputes, lien priority contests, and motions to lift the automatic stay to allow foreclosure or repossession to proceed. We also advise lenders before problems arise, reviewing loan documents and security agreements to identify vulnerabilities before a borrower files bankruptcy.
Texas municipalities face a specific and time-sensitive challenge when a major commercial or industrial utility customer files for bankruptcy protection. Federal law prohibits immediate termination of service but entitles the utility to adequate assurance of future payment. We represent municipalities in negotiating and litigating adequate assurance arrangements, filing proofs of claim for pre-petition balances, and ensuring that post-petition utility service is protected as an administrative expense claim. This is an area where speed matters — contact us immediately upon learning of a bankruptcy filing by a municipal utility customer.
Not every collection matter involves bankruptcy court. We pursue commercial debt aggressively in Texas state courts — demand letters, suit on sworn account, enforcement of guarantees, post-judgment discovery, writs of garnishment, and turnover proceedings. For clients with established portfolios of commercial receivables, we provide efficient, volume-sensitive representation designed to maximize recovery while controlling legal costs.
If you received payment from a debtor within the 90 days before its bankruptcy filing, the bankruptcy trustee may attempt to recover that payment as a preferential transfer. We defend preference actions and fraudulent transfer claims on behalf of creditors, analyzing the applicable defenses — including the ordinary course of business defense, the new value defense, and the contemporaneous exchange defense — and pursuing a favorable resolution through negotiation or litigation.
Bankruptcy is not always the right answer for either party. We represent creditors in negotiating out-of-court restructurings, forbearance agreements, and workout arrangements that protect our clients' positions while avoiding the cost and uncertainty of formal bankruptcy proceedings.
Why Murray | Lobb for Creditors' Rights Work
We represent creditors exclusively in this practice area. We do not represent debtors seeking bankruptcy protection — which means our interests are aligned entirely with recovering what our clients are owed, not with facilitating debtor reorganizations.
Our practice is anchored in the Gulf Coast and coastal Texas industrial corridor — a region where Chapter 11 filings by refineries, manufacturers, port-related businesses, and large commercial operators directly affect community banks, municipalities, and trade creditors throughout Galveston, Brazoria, Harris, and Chambers Counties. We also represent creditors in the Eastern, Northern and Western Districts of Texas. We know the bankruptcy court, we know the local rules, and we know how to move quickly when your rights depend on it.
With over 35 years of practice, Murray | Lobb brings the institutional knowledge and courtroom experience to protect your interests from the moment a bankruptcy notice arrives through final resolution of your claim.
If a borrower, customer, or contract counterparty has filed for bankruptcy protection — or if you are dealing with a commercial debt collection matter — time is your most limited resource. Contact Murray | Lobb at 281-488-0630 or reach us through the contact form below. We respond promptly and move quickly on matters where deadlines are imminent.