Ryan E. Manns

Co-Head of Restructuring, United States
Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP

Dallas
United States
T:+1 214 855 8304
Houston
United States
T:+1 713 651 5151
Dallas
United States
T:+1 214 855 8304
Houston
United States
T:+1 713 651 5151
Ryan E. Manns

Ryan E. Manns

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Biography

Ryan is a partner and Co-Head of the Restructuring Group in the United States.  Ryan's practice involves representing public and private corporations, boards of directors, management teams, creditor constituencies and purchasers of financially distressed assets in complex business restructuring matters, both inside and outside of court. Ryan has counseled clients in a variety of industries, including energy, healthcare, telecommunications, real estate and media.  He also advises clients in connection with cross-border restructurings.

Ryan is a Fellow in the American College of Bankruptcy and was recently recognized as a "Lawyer of the Year" in Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law in Dallas/Fort Worth by The Best Lawyers in America.


Professional experience

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JD, Howard University School of Law
BA, Economics and Computer Applications, University of Notre Dame

During his time in law school, Ryan served as Managing Editor of the Howard Scroll: Social Justice Law Review and was a Merit Scholarship recipient. 

  • New York State Bar
  • Texas State Bar

Ryan's recent representative experience includes:

Company Representation

  • Representation of chapter 11 debtors' print and online media company, successfully restructuring $9.1 billion of indebtedness
  • Representation of senior living facility in out of court workout of $230 million of indebtedness
  • Representation of a 242 megawatt wind farm in its restructuring and out of court workout of $180 million of indebtedness
  • Representation of publicly-traded medical device company in chapter 11 case which resulted in the successful sale of substantially all of the debtor's assets
  • Representation of chapter 9 debtor in restructuring of $54 million of indebtedness through the issuance of tax exempt bonds  
  • Representation of chapter 11 debtors whose core operations consisted of exploration for and production of oil and gas which resulted in the successful sale of substantially all of the debtors' assets
  • Representation of chapter 11 debtors in double prepack merger of two print media companies
  • Representation of chapter 11 debtors whose core operations consisted of manufacturing glass containers and flat glass in successful restructuring of debtors' business operations
  • Representation of chapter 11 debtors whose core operations consisted of distributing and installing architectural glass and aluminum; representation included the sale of substantially all of the debtors' assets 

Secured Lender Representation

  • Representation of senior secured lender and supplier in cross border restructuring of retail electricity provider involving in excess of $130 million in indebtedness
  • Representation of senior secured lender in out of court restructuring of retail electricity provider involving in excess of $80 million of indebtedness 
  • Representation of agent bank in restructuring of minimally invasive spine surgery centers involving  $154 million of indebtedness
  • Representation of secured lender, in bankruptcy proceedings and bankruptcy-related litigation, of midstream energy company involving in excess of $70 million of indebtedness
  • Representation of secured lender of construction and real estate affiliates involving $40 million of indebtedness
  • Representation of secured lender, in bankruptcy proceedings and bankruptcy-related litigation, of large residential and commercial telecommunication debtors involving in excess of $200 million of indebtedness


Committee Representation

  • Representation of official committee of unsecured creditors of rural county hospital
  • Representation of official committee of unsecured creditors of a publicly-traded medical device company
  • Representation of official committee of unsecured creditors of a publicly-traded crude oil and natural gas company
  • Representation of official committee of unsecured creditors of a skilled nursing facility  involving 135 affiliated debtors
  • Representation of official committee of unsecured creditors of rural hospital and imaging centers


Buyer Representation

  • Representation of multinational oil companies in their acquisition of debtor's interests in certain Outer Continental Shelf leases and related platforms and facilities
  • Representation of non-profit hospital in its bankruptcy sale acquisition of the operating assets of a doctor-owned hospital
  • Representation of non-profit hospital in bankruptcy sale acquisition of neighboring community hospital via the issuance of tax exempt bonds 
  • Representation of purchaser in the acquisition of assets in a bankruptcy sale acquisition of an ice cream and frozen dessert manufacturing plant 


Additional Litigation Experience

  • Representation of numerous parties involved in preference, fraudulent transfer and turnover actions
  • Commercial disputes
  • "Attorney of the Year," Texas Lawyer's 2023 Professional Excellence Awards, November 2023
  • The Best Lawyers in America, 2024 "Lawyer of the Year" in Bankruptcy and Creditor-Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law in Dallas/Fort Worth
  • The Best Lawyers in America, Bankruptcy & Creditor-Debtor Rights, Insolvency and Reorganization law, Best Lawyers, 2019 - 2024
  • Legal 500 US, Recommended Lawyer, Restructuring, The Legal 500, 2019, 2022, 2023
  • Best Lawyers in Dallas, Bankruptcy & Workout,  D Magazine, 2020, 2021, 2023
  • Lawdragon 500 Leading US Bankruptcy and Restructuring Lawyer, Lawdragon, 2023
  • Lawdragon 500 Leading Global Restructuring & Insolvency Lawyers, Lawdragon, 2020, 2022-2023
  • Co-author, "Texas hospital district emerges from bankruptcy through innovative restructuring," Norton Rose Fulbright Legal Update, April 2019
  • Co-author, "Supreme Court protects against lien stripping in chapter 7 cases," Norton Rose Fulbright Legal Update, June 5, 2015
  • Author, "Structured dismissals may be utilized under appropriate circumstances," Norton Rose Fulbright Legal Update, June 3, 2015
  • Co-author, "Common issues that arise when a party to litigation is in financial distress," ABA Section of Litigation - Annual Conference,  Scottsdale, Arizona, April 9-11, 2014 
  • Co-author, "Lenders beware: Delaware bankruptcy court limits the amount of a secured lender's credit bid," Norton Rose Fulbright Legal Update, January 28, 2014
  • Co-author, "Safeguarding Enforcement of Lien Subordination Agreements," American Bankruptcy Institute Journal, Vol. XXXII, No. 5, at 52-53, 88, June 2013
  • Co-author, "Core Knowledge: Bankruptcy," American Bar Association Section of Litigation primer, May 2013
  • Co-author, "Fifth Circuit Holds That Bankruptcy Reorganization Plan May Artificially and Immaterially Impair Class Claims to Confirm Through Cramdown," Fulbright Briefing, March 12, 2013
  • Co-author, "Fifth Circuit Addresses Standards Associated With Preserving Causes Of Action In Plans of Reorganization and a Debtor's Standing to Pursue Them," Fulbright Briefing, December 4, 2012
  • Co-author, "Fifth Circuit Affirms Bankruptcy Court's Certification of Injunctive Class," Fulbright Briefing, September 25, 2012
  • Co-author, "Seventh Circuit Opinion Creates Circuit Split Over the Effect of Rejection of a Contract by Bankrupt Trademark Licensor," Fulbright Briefing, July 11, 2012
  • Co -author, "Supreme Court Affirms Seventh Circuit's Credit Bidding Ruling in RadLAX Gateway Hotel LLC, et al. v. Amalgamated Bank," Fulbright Briefing, June 5, 2012
  • Co-author, "Evidence and Trial Tactics in Bankruptcy Court," Nuts & Bolts of Business Bankruptcy, State Bar of Texas CLE, Houston, Texas, September 2009
  • Co-author, "Recognizing and Fulfilling Fiduciary Duties in the Bankruptcy Zone," The University of Texas School of Law Annual Bankruptcy Conference, Austin, Texas, November 2008
  • Co-author, "A Post-BAPCPA Look at Lease Assumption and Rejection, Key Employee Incentive Plans, and Reclamation," State Bar Of Texas, 25th Annual Advanced Business Bankruptcy Course, February 2007
  • Moderator, "Views from the Bench," The University of Texas School of Law 42nd Annual Jay L. Westbrook Conference, November 16-17, 2023
  • Co-presenter, "Talen Energy: Settlements, Releases and Exculpations," State Bar of Texas Bankruptcy Bench Bar Conference, June 4-6, 2023
  • Co-panelist, "Examining the Role of Independent Directors in Chapter 11," The University of Texas School of Law 41st Annual Jay L. Westbrook Conference, November 17-18, 2022
  • Co-presenter, "What Every In-House Counsel Needs to Know About Managing Counter-Party Bankruptcy Risk," Association of Corporate Counsel Conference, Dallas, Texas, April 29, 2021
  • Co-panelist, "How to Value Assets in an Economic Downturn," The University of Texas School of Law 39th Annual Jay L. Westbrook Conference, November 5-6, 2020
  • Co-presenter, "Don't distress: Managing internal financial challenges and evaluating opportunities in the healthcare market," Dallas, Texas, July 14, 2020
  • Co-presenter, "Health Care Bankruptcies - How to Diagnose and Treat These Patients," The University of Texas School of Law 38th Annual Jay L. Westbrook Bankruptcy Conference, November 15, 2019
  • Cross Border Restructuring Institute - Session I, "Overview of Chapter 11: The primary tool for reorganizing in the United States," Dallas, Texas, July 2019
  • Co-presenter, Mock Trial: Featuring a Cross-Examination of a Valuation Expert, Forensic Finance: Better Bankruptcies Through Better Numbers Conference, Austin, Texas, September 2016 
  • Co-presenter, "A Primer on Bankruptcy in the U.S. and Canada," in-house legal presentation, May 2016
  • Co-presenter, "Sales of distressed healthcare assets in bankruptcy: potential acquisition challenges and opportunities," Dallas, Texas, January 2016
  • Co-presenter, "Bankruptcy 101 for All Litigators," Texas Minority Conference Program, State Bar of Texas CLE, Austin, Texas, September 2014
  • Co-panelist, "Evidence and Trial Tactics in Bankruptcy Court," Nuts & Bolts of Business Bankruptcy, State Bar of Texas CLE, Houston, Texas, September 2009
  • Co-presenter, "An Overview of E-Discovery Rules Amendments and the Requisite Judicial Involvement in Discovery Today," The University of Texas School of Law: Bankruptcy Litigation Advanced Pre-Trial Practice and Procedure Workshop, Dallas, Texas, February 2009 
  • American College of Bankruptcy, Fellow
  • Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, Fellow
  • Jesuit Dallas Alumni Association, Board of Directors 
  • Dallas Bar Association
  • American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI)
  • Jay L. Westbrook Conference Planning Committee (2020-present)
  • Law360 Bankruptcy Editorial Advisory Board (2023)
  • Fifth Circuit Bench Bar Planning Committee (2021)
  • MS 150 Norton Rose Fulbright cycling team - 2014 
  • Texas Minority Counsel Program - Former Steering Committee Member
  • J.L. Turner Legal Association
  • Notre Dame Alumni Association, Dallas Club
  • Camp John Marc, Board of Directors (2004 - 2010)
  • Camper Scamper (10k and 5k fun run benefiting Camp John Marc), Co-Chair (2006 - 2008)