From upstream to downstream and everything in between, Charlie Beckham has been involved in just about every type of oil and gas bankruptcy imaginable. Since the 1980s, when the West Texas native earned his spurs as a lawyer during a turbulent oil and gas bust, Charlie has had a front-row seat for numerous, high-profile energy-related bankruptcies. In 2012, Texas Lawyer, American Lawyer Media, Inc., named Charlie the "Go-To Lawyer" for bankruptcy in the state of Texas, a designation given once every five years and a recognition of his vast experience helping forge solutions to complicated business failures. With more than 30 years of experience in providing quality advice on bankruptcy, mergers and acquisitions, debt restructuring and insolvency issues, Charlie is indeed a go-to lawyer for many clients. He has represented clients in cases large and small, in courtrooms and boardrooms all across the country. Charlie has played a key role in representing secured lenders, unsecured creditors committees, buyers, debtors and other parties-in-interest in a variety of industries, including numerous oil and gas, midstream, power, and energy related bankruptcies.

Charlie's courtroom experience enables him to resolve problems in the boardroom quickly and effectively. Charlie has the intuitive ability to listen to clients and to his opponents to achieve his client’s goals while avoiding unnecessary and expensive litigation.

Charlie's core strengths as a leader, legal scholar, and negotiator have helped his clients reach positive resolutions in a wide range of transactions, including ATP Oil, Inc., Asarco, LLP, Trinity Coal Corporation, Lothian Oil, Inc., Tri-Union Development Corp., Enron Corp., and Houston Regional Sports Network, L.P.

In addition to dedicating time to his clients, Charlie is sought out regularly to speak on various bankruptcy matters in the U.S., as well as internationally. Drawing on his vast depth, skill, and experience in the oil and gas industry, Charlie has presented and published numerous articles on the topic.

Charlie is board certified in business bankruptcy law by both the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and the American Board of Certification. Because of his significant experience, he served as chair of the Bankruptcy Law Exam Commission of the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Charlie actively participates in numerous bankruptcy organizations, most notably as a Fellow and former Fifth Circuit Regent for the American College of Bankruptcy. He has served as chair of the Bankruptcy Law Section of the State Bar of Texas. He is also a former president of the 20,000-member Texas Young Lawyers Association, a former member of the board of directors of the State Bar of Texas and former chair of the Council of Chairs for the State Bar of Texas. Charlie is a fellow of the Houston Bar Foundation, Texas Bar Foundation, and American Bar Foundation. He currently serves on the Chancellor’s Council Executive Committee for The University of Texas System. In 2010, Charlie was named the Distinguished Law Graduate of St. Mary’s University School of Law.

Bar Admissions
Texas; New York

Education
J.D., St. Mary's University School of Law, 1979, Articles Editor, St. Mary's Law Journal
B.B.A., University of Texas at Austin, 1976

Significant Accomplishments
Represents Chiyoda Corporation as DIP Lender in Chapter 11 of EMAS Chiyoda Subsea Limited.

Represented Board of Directors of Hercules Offshore, Inc. in its Chapter 11.

Represents Wilmington Trust, N.A. as Agent for Senior Secured Lenders in Bennu Oil & Gas, LLC Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Houston, Texas.

Represented majority equity owner of C&J Energy Services, Ltd. in its Chapter 11.

Represented Dune Energy Inc. as Debtor-in-Possession in its Chapter 11.

Represented various Senior Secured Lenders in Chapter 11s of Linn Energy, LLC, Berry Petroleum Company, LLC, Memorial Production Partners, LP, Breitburn Operating LP, Vanguard Natural Resources, LLC, Chaparral Energy, Inc., Ryckman Creek Resources, LLC, Sabine Oil & Gas, Paragon Offshore, PLC.

Represented Credit Suisse AG, Cayman Islands Branch as Agent for Senior Secured Lenders in Energy & Exploration Partners, Inc. Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the Northern District of Texas.

Represented equity holder of ERG Resources, LLC in its Chapter 11 in Houston, Texas.

Representation of the DIP Agent in Chapter 11 of ATP Oil & Gas Corporation in the Southern District of Texas.

Represented the DIP Agent and the Agent for the prepetition secured credit facility in the Chapter 15 proceedings of Argent Energy (Canada) Holdings, Inc. and Argent Energy (US) Holdings, Inc. in the Southern District of Texas recognizing proceedings filed by in Canada pursuant to the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act.

Represents Houston Regional Sports Network, LP in its Chapter 11 in Houston, Texas.

Represents Agent for DIP Lenders in ATP Oil and Gas Corp. Chapter 11 pending in Houston, Texas.

Represented Agent for Senior Secured Lenders in Chapter 11 of Trinity Coal Corporation pending in Lexington, Kentucky.

Represented think3 Inc., a global leader in the computer-aided design (CAD) and product lifecycle management (PLM) software in its Chapter 11 bankruptcy case. Confirmed a Plan of Reorganization for this Austin, Texas-based company which operated internationally in Europe and Japan.

Represented Grupo Mexico, SA in the successful reorganization of ASARCO, LLP in its Chapter 11 proceeding in Corpus Christi, Texas. The AMC Plan of Reorganization resolved billions of dollars of claims and was confirmed over the objection of numerous creditors and other parties in interest.

Represented Lothian Oil, Inc., the Debtor in the Chapter 11 of this independent oil exploration and production company pending in the Western District of Texas.

Represented Newfield Exploration Company in purchase of TXCO Resources, Inc.'s assets in Chapter 11.

Represented Agent for Lenders in Chapter 11 of Magnolia Energy, L.P., the owner of a 900-MW power plant located in Mississippi.

Represented the Co-Chair of the Creditors Committee in Chapter 11 of Enron Corp.

Represented Calyon (now known as Credit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank) in Chapter 11 proceeding of Yukos Oil Company pending in Houston, Texas. Obtained dismissal of Adversary Proceeding filed against Calyon and other lenders.

Represented Agent for Working Capital Lenders in Chapter 11 of Texas Petrochemicals, L.P.

Represented Agent for Bank Group in Chapter 11 of MFI Partners, LP, a franchisee of a nationwide chain of limited service hotels. Confirmed Creditor Plan of Reorganization over objection of Debtor.

Represented Agent for Bank Group in Chapter 11 of Tri-Union Development Corporation. Recovered full amount of claim in approximate amount of $125 million for Bank Group pursuant to Plan of Reorganization.

Represented Agent for Bank Group in the out-of-court restructuring of Darling International, Inc., the largest independent publicly held rendering company in the United States.

Represented the Receiver for World Manufacturing Ltd. and Manufacturera del Bravo, Ltd., two British Virgin Island corporations with operations in the United States and Mexico. Assisted the Receiver in the recovery of assets in the United States, Mexico, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, the Turks and Caicos Islands and Switzerland.

Has represented secured lenders, unsecured creditors, debtors and trustees in a variety of industries including numerous oil and gas, power and energy related bankruptcies.

Has represented numerous debtors and creditors with cross-border bankruptcy and insolvency problems in Mexico.

• The Covenants May Not Run, But Sabine’s Ruling Won’t Hide

  By Charles Beckham, Jr. |March 2017