Haynes and Boone, LLP Associates Re’Necia Sherald and David Trausch both attended this year’s National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges (NCBJ) in Seattle, where Sherald was selected as a 2024 Blackshear Presidential Fellow and Trausch participated in the conference’s NextGen program.
The NCBJ Blackshear Presidential Fellowship Program, named after the Honorable Cornelius Blackshear, recognizes minority bankruptcy attorneys for their professional accomplishments. “These fellows show the potential to distinguish themselves in future years as highly respected members of the bankruptcy or debt restructuring bar, just as Judge Blackshear himself did.” NCBJ anticipates that NCBJ Blackshear Presidential Fellows will continue to leave an extraordinary and illustrious legacy as inspired by Judge Blackshear, who “dedicated himself to the betterment of the legal and judicial system throughout his career.”
The NextGen program was imagined by Judge Judith K. Fitzgerald (W.D. Pa., Ret.) to encourage younger attorneys to attend the NCBJ. The program included a Judicial Roundtable event featuring bankruptcy judges from across the nation. Participants in the NCBJ NextGen program met stringent requirements. These included having demonstrated legal excellence in the practice of bankruptcy law, a commitment to the continued educational development of bankruptcy professional activities that will benefit the public, members of the bar and the court system, and a serious commitment to principles of civility, ethics and professionalism.
Sherald is an associate in the Restructuring Practice Group in Haynes Boone’s Houston office. Her practice focuses on all areas of restructuring, including in- and out-of-court workouts, bankruptcy litigation, counterparty insolvency and risk management, distressed M&A, lender representation, creditor representation and Chapter 11 debtor representation. Sherald also has experience of representations in Chapter 11 Subchapter V bankruptcy cases. Her restructuring experience includes representation of debtors and creditors in a variety of industries including aerospace, agriculture, cryptocurrency, mass toxic tort, oil and gas and retail.
Trausch is a bankruptcy litigator with experience representing debtors, secured creditors, unsecured creditors, trade claimants, critical vendors, landlords, franchisors, mineral owners, contract counterparties, joint venture parties, independent directors, and other parties in interest in bankruptcy cases and adversary proceedings. He has litigated various contested matters ranging from stay relief to conversion of Chapter 11 cases to Chapter 7. Trausch also has experience prosecuting and defending adversary proceedings. He is well-versed in taking depositions and Rule 2004 examinations and drafting and arguing motions to dismiss and motions for summary judgment.
