For more than 30 years and having tried hundreds of cases, bankruptcy attorney Michael Ridulfo represents companies and institutions in the financial services and energy industries.
Mike advises organizations from across the country in Texas-based matters and litigation.
Many of Mike’s clients are lenders who find themselves entangled in a bankruptcy, either as a creditor or as a lender in the bankruptcy itself. He vigorously advocates for them to help preserve their asset value. Mike strives to ensure that his clients are treated fairly and equitably and that they not bear the brunt of the losses nor the litigation. His clients rely on him to allocate the appropriate resources to specific problems in a way that resolves their issues sensibly and economically.
Mike particularly enjoys cases related to complex Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganizations and the trials that ensue. He finds it gratifying to help his clients navigate these multifaceted situations and appreciates the quality of the lawyers and sophistication of the parties involved, as well as the challenging nature of courtroom battles.
Because Mike previously handled a great deal of business litigation matters in state court, he is very familiar and comfortable with all characteristics and personalities connected with the Texas bench. A highly skilled and practiced negotiator, Mike understands every nuanced angle in the calculus of putting together deals and facilitating his clients’ transactions.
Most recently, Mike received the M&A Advisors Turnaround of the Year Award in the category of Chapter 11 Reorganization of the Year ($10MM to $100MM) for representing the controlling equity of the Debtor, a multi-state waste management company. As a result, Mike was instrumental in achieving a significant global compromise that allowed the Chapter 11 Plan to be confirmed, provided a dividend to unsecured creditors, and also relieved equity of significant guaranty exposure to the Debtor’s primary lender.
Away from the Office
Mike enjoys spending time with his wife and four adult children. In addition, he’s an avid music fan who likes attending concerts and listening to the music of the Grateful Dead.
Bar Admissions
- State Bar of Texas (1987)
- Commonwealth of Massachusetts
- United States Courts of Appeal for the First and Fifth Circuits
- United States District Courts for the Northern, Southern, Western and Eastern Districts of Texas
Education
Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law, J.D., 1987
New Mexico State University, B.A., 1984
Practice Focus
- Bankruptcy, Insolvency & Creditors' Rights
- Litigation
- Financial Services
- Energy, Oil and Gas
Experience
- National equipment financing and leasing companies as creditors in bankruptcies cases throughout Texas.
- Oil & gas exploration companies in Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana.
- Defense of National bank in Houston, Texas in large lender liability lawsuit.
- International tool manufacturer that purchased assets in Houston, Texas bankruptcy case.
- Equipment manufacturer as creditor in Houston, Texas bankruptcy case.
- Regional bank as creditor in Dallas and San Antonio bankruptcy cases.
- Jury trial in Harris County, Texas representing purchaser of multi-unit apartment complex.
- Defense of leasing companies in class action case in Houston, Texas.
- Defense of bankruptcy preference litigation in Texas and Delaware.
- Defense of publicly traded company in complex arbitration case.
- Representation of National and Mexican railway companies in bankruptcy and work-out matters.
- Representation of a shareholder of and Oklahoma oil & gas company in Corpus Christi, Texas bankruptcy case.
- Representation of asset purchasers in bankruptcy cases throughout Texas.
- Purchaser of radio station in Santa Barbara, California bankruptcy case.
- Representation of National Finance Company throughout Texas.
- Presentation of oral argument before the First and Fifth Circuit Courts of Appeal.
Publications
- Energy Law Today, "Emerging Oilfield Bankruptcy and Insolvency Issues," February 2018
Honors
- Super Lawyers, Thomson Reuters (2019 - 2023)
- Best Lawyers in America©, U.S. News & World Report (2022, 2023)
- Top Lawyers, Houstonia Magazine (2019)
Associations
- State Bar of Texas, Bankruptcy Section
- Houston Bar Association
- Turnaround Management Association
- American Bankruptcy Institute
- Moller Foltz Inns of Court
Presentations
- 90 Days in the Hole: The Lead Up to Bankruptcy, KRCL Energy & Transportation Webinar, June 2021
- Frequent writer and speaker at the University of Texas and State Bar of Texas conferences
- Emerging Midstream and Downstream Insolvency and Bankruptcy Issues, KRCL Energy Law Mini Summit, November 2017
- Bankruptcy Energy Issues and Risk Protection, KRCL Litigation Seminar, February 2017
Clients
- Representation of Banks and Finance Companies
- Representation of Creditors, Asset Purchaser, and Preference Defendants in Bankruptcy
- Representation of Upstream Energy Companies
Insights
- The Best Lawyers in America® 2025 publication recognizes 22 Kane Russell Coleman Logan attorneys and three Ones to Watch
- KRCL's Bankruptcy, Insolvency & Creditors’ Rights Team Recipient of The M&A Advisor 18th Annual Turnaround Awards
- Seventeen Kane Russell Coleman Logan Attorneys Recognized as 2023 Texas Super Lawyers
- U.S. News – The Best Lawyers in America® 2024 publication recognizes 20 Kane Russell Coleman Logan attorneys
- "Kane Russell Coleman Logan Team Comes Through for Unsecured Creditors in Icahn Co. Bankruptcy," The Texas Lawbook
- "Kane Russell Coleman Logan Team Comes Through for Unsecured Creditors in Icahn Co. Bankruptcy" The Texas Lawbook
- KRCL's Bankruptcy, Insolvency & Creditors' Rights Practice Receives M&A Advisors Turnaround of the Year Award
- Seventeen Kane Russell Coleman Logan Attorneys Recognized as 2022 Texas Super Lawyers
- 90 Days in the Hole - Lead up to Bankruptcy
- PRESENTATION: Keeping Your Truck on the Road: Examining Challenges Arising in Chapter 11 Trucking Cases
- Emerging Oilfield Bankruptcy and Insolvency Issues