Basil A. Umari

Senior Counsel

Basil A. Umari offers valuable advice and representation to clients in corporate bankruptcy matters, as well as general appellate matters. In his more than 20 years of practice, Basil has represented debtors, official creditors’ committees liquidating trustees, secured creditors, unsecured creditors, equity holders, officers and directors, patent holders, landlords, tenants, and asset purchasers in numerous corporate bankruptcy cases.

Basil also has extensive experience in bankruptcy and general commercial litigation.

Representing the liquidating trustee in the BearingPoint, Inc. bankruptcy, he handled a large docket of preference actions and claim objections.

In the Mirant Corporation bankruptcy, he represented the litigation trust in its $2 billion fraudulent transfer action, amassing deep expertise in fraudulent transfer law.

Basil has also defended numerous companies in preference actions and claims objections brought by trustees.

Education

- University of Texas School of Law, J.D., with Honors, 2000, Order of the Coif, Articles Editor, Texas Law Review
- Amherst College, B.A., 1997, Mathematics; Philosophy, cum laude

Bar and Court Admissions

Bar Admissions
- Texas

Professional Recognition

- Texas Monthly, “Rising Star” Super Lawyer, 2005, 2007-2014
- The Arthur L. Moller Fritz – David B. Foltz, Dr. American Inns of Court, 2004-2016

Related Employment

- McKool Smith, P.C., Principal 2009-2016
- Andrews Kurth LLP, Associate 2001-2009
- Law Clerk to United States District Judge, Southern District of Texas, 2000-2001

Houston 713-904-6883

Areas of client focus

Practices

Appellate and Critical Motions Corporate and Finance Restructuring and Bankruptcy

Industries

Loan Workouts, Restructuring, and Bankruptcy Oil and Gas

Latest News and Insights

Press Releases11.27.23

Dykema Triumphs in High-Stakes Trial, Securing Victory for Top Gun Industrial Services

Dykema, a leading national law firm, guided three individuals from Top Gun Industrial Services, LLC,…

Press Releases2.14.22

Dykema Opens Houston Office with Addition of Business Litigation Attorneys

Dykema, a leading national law firm, today announced that it is expanding its presence in Texas with…

Blog Posts2.3.22

Lenders, Don’t Let This Happen to You: A Cautionary Tale in Bailey Tool

A recent decision by Bankruptcy Judge Stacey Jurnigan in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern…

In re Kalera, Inc. – Represented the Official Creditors’ Committee in the bankruptcy of a vertical farming company.
In re EXCO Resources, Inc. – Represented secured creditor Oaktree Capital Management, L.P.
In re Buccaneer Resources, LLC – Represented liquidating trustee in suit against former officers and directors in bankruptcy of large oil and gas exploration and production company.
In re Dune Energy, Inc. – Represented the Official Creditors’ Committee in the bankruptcy of a publicly traded oil and gas exploration and production company.
Freddie Mac v. Deloitte & Touche – Represented Freddie Mac in lawsuit against Deloitte & Touche related to the bankruptcy of Taylor, Bean & Whitaker Mortgage Corp.
In re Eastman Kodak Company – Represented significant patent holder in bankruptcy of technology company Kodak.
In re SemCrude, L.P. – Represented Official Producers’ Committee in bankruptcy of large midstream oil and gas company. Represented the Producers’ Representative in post-bankruptcy claim objections. Represented 80 individual producers in suit against downstream purchasers of oil.
In re BearingPoint, Inc. – Represented liquidating trustee in prosecution of a large docket of preference actions and claim objection in bankruptcy of large IT consulting company. Represented liquidating trustee in lawsuit against former officers and directors.
In re Mirant Corporation – Represented litigation trust in $2 billion fraudulent transfer suit against the Southern Company in bankruptcy of large energy generation company.
In re Pacific Lumber Corporation – Represented corporate parent in bankruptcy of large redwood grower.
In re Yukos Oil Co. – Represented Deutsche Bank in its successful effort to dismiss bankruptcy case filed by Russian oil giant Yukos Oil Co.
In re Vista Hospital of Baton Rouge, LLC – Represented debtor in successful reorganization of private surgery specialty hospital.
In re Enron Corporation – Represented preference defendants in bankruptcy of large energy company.
In re Texas Petrochemicals, L.P. – Represented secured lenders in bankruptcy of large petrochemical company.
In re Encompass Services Corporation – Represented Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors in bankruptcy of large residential services contractor.
In re Denali Holdings, Inc. – Represented debtor in successful reorganization of provider of products and services for handling critical fluids.

Houston 713-904-6883

Areas of client focus

Practices

Appellate and Critical Motions Corporate and Finance Restructuring and Bankruptcy

Industries

Loan Workouts, Restructuring, and Bankruptcy Oil and Gas

11.27.23

Dykema Triumphs in High-Stakes Trial, Securing Victory for Top Gun Industrial Services

Press Releases

Dykema, a leading national law firm, guided three individuals from Top Gun Industrial Services, LLC, to victory in a bet-the-company lawsuit. The case centered on Dykema’s clients transitioning as…
02.14.22

Dykema Opens Houston Office with Addition of Business Litigation Attorneys

Press Releases

Dykema, a leading national law firm, today announced that it is expanding its presence in Texas with a new Houston office. The office, which is Dykema’s 14th nationwide, has come to fruition with the…
02.03.22

Lenders, Don’t Let This Happen to You: A Cautionary Tale in Bailey Tool

Blog Posts

A recent decision by Bankruptcy Judge Stacey Jurnigan in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas is being touted as the new Farah Manufacturing lender liability opinion for the…
01.26.21

Navigating an Adversary Proceeding: Essential Knowledge for Litigators

Dykema Litigation Institute Webinars

Due to the devastation caused by COVID-19, bankruptcy cases are already on the rise and will continue to be so for the foreseeable future, and with them adversary proceedings. Understanding how to…
12.02.20

Dykema’s Growing Bankruptcy Practice Adds Basil A. Umari and Nicholas Zugaro

Press Releases

Dykema, a leading national law firm, today announced the addition of Basil A. Umari and Nicholas Zugaro as senior counsel to the firm’s Bankruptcy Practice Group in Texas. Both attorneys join Dykema…

Houston 713-904-6883

Areas of client focus

Practices

Appellate and Critical Motions Corporate and Finance Restructuring and Bankruptcy

Industries

Loan Workouts, Restructuring, and Bankruptcy Oil and Gas

Basil A. Umari

Bar Admissions

Contact

Areas of client focus

Practices

Industries

Latest News and Insights

Contact

Areas of client focus

Practices

Industries

Dykema Triumphs in High-Stakes Trial, Securing Victory for Top Gun Industrial Services

Press Releases

Dykema Opens Houston Office with Addition of Business Litigation Attorneys

Press Releases

Lenders, Don’t Let This Happen to You: A Cautionary Tale in Bailey Tool

Blog Posts

Navigating an Adversary Proceeding: Essential Knowledge for Litigators

Dykema Litigation Institute Webinars

Dykema’s Growing Bankruptcy Practice Adds Basil A. Umari and Nicholas Zugaro

Press Releases

Contact

Areas of client focus

Practices

Industries