Michael Collins

BIO

Michael J. Collins is of counsel in the firm’s Dallas office.

Michael’s practice focuses on handling complex commercial disputes and, when appropriate, providing strategic alternatives and creative solutions to litigation to protect his clients’ legal and business interests nationally and internationally.

He is a nationally recognized trial lawyer and asset reorganization specialist with extensive experience in complex financial disputes and restructurings. Over his career, he has represented every major constituency in financial distress, including debtors, secured and unsecured creditors, trustees, equity holders, officers, and directors. Michael’s practice spans high-stakes litigation, bankruptcy proceedings, and negotiated restructurings, where he combines deep financial insight with the strategic instincts of a courtroom advocate.

He previously guided a hedge fund reorganization under the Bankruptcy Code, negotiating with Deutsche Bank and the equity committee to restructure key aspects of its operations. Michael has also represented a national roster of borrowers, guarantors, and investors in lender liability cases – holding financial institutions accountable for overreach, breach of duty, and misuse of leverage.

As Counsel, Michael assists with case management, attorney training, and the firm’s Dallas recruiting initiative. He is also actively involved in the Brewer Storefront, advancing community impact advocacy in voting rights and other public-interest areas.

Michael was instrumental in Storefront cases against the Richardson Independent School District and the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District, among others. These Voting Rights Act cases resulted in remodeled voting systems that helped pave the way for the election of minority candidates in North Texas.

From May 1984 to May 1986, Michael was law clerk to the Honorable James T. Moody, United States District Judge for the Northern District of Indiana. From May 1986 to August 1987, he was a staff attorney for the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. From 1987 to June 1988, he was law clerk to the Honorable Steven A. Felsenthal, United States bankruptcy judge for the Northern District of Texas.

Michael received his Juris Doctor degree with honors from Indiana University School of Law in 1984. He holds a bachelor of science degree, magna cum laude, in finance from Boston College.

Michael is admitted to practice in Texas and Illinois.