• Bankruptcy and Business Reorganization
  • Telecommunications
• Energy Industry Team
• Private Equity Industry Team

John Melko is a partner in the Bankruptcy and Business Reorganization Practice Group, with a broad-based practice including financial and business restructurings, complex bankruptcies, and acquisition and sale transactions. His restructuring and bankruptcy clients have been involved in the airline, oil and gas, telecom, electric utility, manufacturing, retail, financial services and health care industries. He has represented borrowers and debtors in possession, creditors and creditors' committees, securitized noteholders, trustees, investors, and buyers of assets and businesses in and out of restructuring or bankruptcy settings. For over two years, Mr. Melko served as general counsel of a media company with extensive activity buying, upgrading and selling radio stations in all parts of the country.

Mr. Melko is a frequent speaker and lecturer at continuing legal education seminars, and is active in bar association work. He is an active board or council member for several bar and professional associations.

Mr. Melko's industry experience includes:

• Oil and gas exploration and production
• Oil and gas refining and gas marketing
• Rig and ship finance
• Telecom
• Electric utilities
• Airlines
• Mass torts
• Asset-backed securities
• Health care

• J.D., South Texas College of Law (1984)
• B.S., Widener College (1976)
  • Business Administration (Accounting)
• B.A., Widener College (1976)
  • English Literature

Publications

• Author, Bankruptcy Court Refuses to Recognize Key Provision of Mexican Court Approved Plan of Reorganization, U.S.-Mexico B. Ass'n Alert, June 20, 2012.
• Author, Fifth Circuit Upholds Louisiana Mineral Lien (Privilege) of Subcontractors Against Subsequent Mineral Owner for Offshore Platform Removal, Gardere Energy Alert, Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP, Feb. 17, 2012.
• Co-Author, Perfection and Priority of Oil & Gas Producers' Liens in Doubt, Gardere Bankr. Alert, Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP, June 25, 2009.
• Author, U.S. Bankruptcy - Overview, Feb. 1, 2009.
• Author, Safe Harbors and Exceptions to the Automatic Stay, Feb. 1, 2009.
• Author, An Ounce of Protection is Worth a BBL of Cure, Oil & Gas Fin. J. (April 2008).
• Co-Author with Kevin L. Colbert, Jane Hammond, Eunice Song, Tim Spear, and Lloyd S. van Oostenrijk, Avoiding Mass Tort Liability in Acquisitions: Practical Tips and Techniques, Analysis & Perspective, 10:34 Mergers & Acquisitions (BNA) (Sept. 3, 2007) at 701.

Speeches

• Speaker, “Airline Bankruptcy,” Business Law Brief with Katie Pruett, KTRH 740 AM Radio, Houston, Texas (August 2004).
• Speaker, “Corporate Boards of Directors and Bankruptcy,” Forbes Radio (July 2004).

Presentations

• Co-Author/Speaker, "The Tanker Market and the Effects of Government Regulation, Supply, Demand and Other Factors," Tex. A&M U. at Galveston, Galveston, Texas (Feb. 26, 2013).
• Co-Author/Speaker, "No Matter Where You Go, There You Are - Forum Shopping," 29th Ann. Advanced Bus. Bankr. Course, Bankr. L. Sec., St. B. of Tex. (Sept. 8-9, 2011).
• Co-Author/Speaker, "An Overview of Chapter 15 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code," Panel Discussion: Cross Border Workouts, Bankruptcies, and Concursos (Acuerdos, Quiebras y Concursos Transfronterizos), 2010 Ann. Meeting and CLE Conf., U.S.-Mexico B. Ass'n, Mexico City, Mexico (Nov. 3-5, 2010).
• Co-Author/Speaker, "When Foreign Ships and Rigs Sail Into U.S. Bankruptcy Court," 2010 Ann. Meeting and CLE Conf., U.S.-Mexico B. Ass'n, Mexico City, Mexico (Nov. 3-5, 2010).
• Author/Speaker, “Credit Worthiness: Rights Against Non-Performing Contract Parties in the Upstream Oil & Gas Business,” Cont. Risk Mgmt. in Upstream Oil & Gas Seminar sponsored by Oil & Gas IQ, Houston, Texas (July 20, 2005).
• Author/Speaker, “Privileged Characters,” The U. Tex. (2004).
• Author/Speaker, “Fiduciary Duties for Court Appointed, Court Approved, Code Created or Other Mythical Creatures in Bankruptcy,” Ann. Meeting, Bankr. L. Sec., St. B. of Tex., San Antonio, Texas (2004).

Other Engagements

• Panelist, 25th Anniversary Jay L. Westbrook Bankruptcy Conference: Committee Solicitation and Representation Under BAPCA: A Look at Rules Governing Solicitation of Representation of Creditor Committees and a Look at How Debtors, Committees, and Courts Have Dealt with the Additional Duties Imposed Upon Committee by 11 U.S.C. § 1102(b)(3), Austin, Texas (Nov. 15-17, 2006) (co-authored paper with Michael S. Haynes for conference proceedings).

• Admitted to practice before:
  • Texas State Courts
  • U.S. District Court for all districts of Texas
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit
  • U.S. Supreme Court
• Member, State Bar of Texas
  • Council Member, Bankruptcy Law Section
  • Environmental and Natural Resources Section
• Member, American Bankruptcy Institute
  • Chair, Real Estate Committee Special Projects
• Member, Houston Bar Association
  • Oil, Gas & Mineral Law Section
• Member, U.S.-Mexico Bar Association
  • Co-Chair, Bankruptcy Committee
• Member, International Bar Association
  • Insolvency, Restructuring and Creditors' Rights Section
  • Maritime and Transport Law Section
• Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation
• Member, Maritime Law Association of the United States
• Member, American Petroleum Institute - Houston Chapter
• Member, Association for Corporate Growth - Houston

• Recognized, The Best Lawyers in America (Steven Naifeh & Gregory White Smith eds., Woodward/White Inc.) (2009-2013)
  • Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law
• Recognized, The Best Lawyers in America (Steven Naifeh & Gregory White Smith eds., Woodward/White Inc.) (2012, 2013)
  • Litigation - Bankruptcy
• Recognized, Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business (Tom Wicker ed., Chambers & Partners) (2009-2013)
  • Bankruptcy/Restructuring [Texas]
• Recognized, Texas Super Lawyers, Law & Politics Media Inc. as published in Texas Monthly (2007-2012)
  • Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights
• Recognized, AV^® Preeminent^™ 5.0 out of 5 Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell^® PEER REVIEW RATINGS^™