Joseph W. Buoni is a litigation and bankruptcy partner in the firm’s Houston office. Joe’s practice blends a wide range of litigation experience (including in complex commercial, energy, trade secret, securities and shareholder’s rights and construction matters) with experience representing debtors and creditors in bankruptcy restructurings and adversary proceedings.
Joe has significant motion practice and deposition experience, and he has experience advocating in state courts, federal district and bankruptcy courts and in arbitration proceedings.
Finally, Joe is experienced in conducting internal investigations.
Joe has represented clients across many industries but the primary focus of his practice is the representation of energy companies, financial institutions, and private equity funds (and their portfolio companies).
Prior to entering private practice, Joe completed two federal clerkships over the course of three years. From 2011 to 2012, Joe was a law clerk to the Honorable Jennifer Walker Elrod of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
Joe served as a Law Clerk to the Honorable Marvin Isgur of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas from 2009 to 2011.
Joe is a member of the United Way’s Law Initiative Steering Committee and of the United Way’s Leadership Circle.
Joe is also actively involved in providing pro bono representation through the Houston Volunteer Lawyers and Kids In Need Of Defense programs.
Experience:
- Currently representing large midstream company in bankruptcy court in pursuit of claims, which are premised on a pre-existing state court lawsuit, against exploration and production company that filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy in early 2018.
- Currently representing global long/short credit manager in pursuing claims based on violations of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934.
- Currently representing energy auction company and certain employees in defending against lawsuit concerning alleged theft of trade secrets and violation of restrictive covenants.
- Currently representing aerospace and energy parts manufacturer in defending lawsuit alleging theft of trade secrets and violation of non-compete agreement.
- Represented the administrator of large shipping company’s confirmed bankruptcy plan in investigating potential preserved causes of action against former representatives and insiders of bankrupt company.
- Represented major pipeline company in recovering damages from producer of raw NGL mix who rejected the applicable, long-term purchase agreement during its Chapter 11 proceeding.
- Represented publicly-traded construction company in defense of Sarbanes-Oxley “whistleblower” action filed by former officers of defendant’s wholly-owned subsidiary.
- Represented subsidiary of publicly-traded power company in a prepackaged chapter 11 proceeding seeking to restructure approximately $800 million in debt owed by the subsidiary.
- Represented major international oil and gas exploration company and certain of its joint interests partners in a commercial arbitration over the sharing of costs of the design, engineering, fabrication, transportation, installation, commissioning, and operation of a multibillion-dollar floating offshore production facility in the Gulf of Mexico.
- Represented major international oil and gas company in pursuit of over $20 million in damages against contractors based on overcharges obtained during subcontractor’s work in the response to a significant oil spill.
- Represented large pipeline company in a dispute with a producer of natural gas who repudiated natural gas purchase and transportation agreements.
- Represented national bank headquartered in Texas in defense of lender liability lawsuit seeking damages in excess of $60 million based on alleged misrepresentations made by bank during loan approval process for a loan that would have funded the purchase of certain oil and gas assets.
- Represented Debtor with $400 million in secured debt in chapter 11 bankruptcy proceeding that resulted in successful 363 sale of the Debtors’ assets.
- Represented private equity fund in defense of multimillion-dollar dispute concerning an alleged oral promise of a brokerage fee, which concluded in a favorable settlement shortly after filing the defendant’s motion for summary judgment.
- Represented national bank headquartered in Texas in defense of a lender liability lawsuit brought by approximately twenty plaintiffs seeking damages in excess of $10 million by obtaining dismissal of all claims through filings motions to dismiss and for summary judgment.
- Represented power plant in multimillion-dollar arbitration proceeding wherein the tribunal held on summary judgment that the client had properly terminated its operations and maintenance agreement.
- Counseled financial institution in numerous adversary proceedings seeking to recover amounts ranging from $40 to $400 million based upon Bankruptcy Code and common law equitable remedies.
EDUCATION:
- JD, Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, magna cum laude, Order of the Coif, 2009
- BA, Miami University, cum laude, 2006
BAR ADMISSIONS:
- Texas
- Ohio
Memberships:
- Member, United Way’s Law Initiative Steering Committee
- Member, United Way’s Leadership Circle
- Member, Houston Volunteer Lawyers
- Kids In Need Of Defense
Cost
Rate : $$$