Travis Torrence joined Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. in 2006 as an associate in the Houston office's Bankruptcy & Insolvency Group. As a senior associate, Travis regularly represents creditors, debtors, chapter 11 trustees, third-party purchasers and other interest holders in a variety of bankruptcy and insolvency related matters. In 2010, Travis was honored by Texas SuperLawyers as a Rising Star in the area of Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights.

While at Fulbright, Travis completed a 20-week cycle with the City of Houston's Legal Department through the firm's attorney loan program. During the 20-week rotation, Travis served as a Special Prosecutor whose primary role was to negotiate plea agreements and to try criminal cases to jury verdict.

Travis currently serves as a member of the Firm's Diversity Advisory Committee and is the co-chair of the Houston office's Clerkship Committee, which oversees the office's summer program and recommends hiring decisions to the Firm's Employment Committee.

Prior to joining Fulbright, Travis served as a law clerk for the Honorable Edward C. Prado, Circuit Judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

Some examples of Travis's prior experience include:

Chapter 11

• Counsel to two securitized business trusts (REMIC), acting through their special servicer, in a $750 million multi-family portfolio (including numerous B-Notes, C-Notes, mezzanine lenders and intercreditor agreements), collateralized by twenty-nine projects located throughout the United States, which resulted in the negotiation and confirmation of a plan of reorganization that substantively consolidated the borrowers and culminated in third parties purchasing all properties and assuming amended, restated and consolidated loans
• Removed, transferred and obtained dismissal of an adversary proceeding alleging breach of fiduciary duty and negligence against a debtor's former financial consultants, and defeated a motion to withdraw the reference of the case from the bankruptcy court
• Counsel to the secured lender of a telephone, cable and newspaper operator involving over $500 million in debt, and with issues related to the interpretation of credit agreements, lien perfection, foreclosure on security interests, prosecution of involuntary bankruptcy petitions, venue, jurisdiction, and the appointment of a chapter 11 trustee
• Counsel to the indenture trustee of $750 million in bonds secured by California Redwood timberlands, which involved the interpretation of credit agreements and liens, contested cash collateral use, preparation of a plan and plan documents, valuation of assets, a multi-week valuation trial, analysis of plan feasibility, contested confirmation of five (5) competing plans of reorganization, and multiple appeals to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
• Special Local Counsel to the unsecured creditors' committee of a copper-mining, smelting, and refining company based in Arizona, which had over $1 billion in assets, which involved research on actual and constructive fraudulent transfers
• Prepared proof of claim forms for an array of parties in interest in several bankruptcy cases, including that of a large nationwide electronics retailer
• Served as the Firm's designee on the official committee of unsecured creditors of a national insurance services firm
• Advised several creditors of their rights with regard to contracts that have been rejected or assumed and assigned by debtors in bankruptcy
• Advised directors on fiduciary duties while corporations are solvent, in the zone of insolvency, and insolvent
• Prepared first-day pleadings for a prospective debtor in bankruptcy
• Prepared requests for production and interrogatories for a creditor's tax indemnity claims in the bankruptcy case of a major international airline
• Prepared numerous applications for administrative priority fees and expenses pursuant to section 503 of the Bankruptcy Code

Chapter 7

• Initiated and prosecuted an involuntary bankruptcy case against a used car dealership
• Advised clients on the perfection and priority of security interests and other Uniform Commercial Code matters
• Negotiated settlements of numerous preference actions by asserting the statutory defenses to the Bankruptcy Code's avoidable preference laws

Chapter 13

• Represented a large law firm in a show-cause hearing and an adversary proceeding related to alleged professional misconduct in multiple chapter 13 bankruptcy cases

Distressed Mergers and Acquisitions

• Performed due diligence and prepared disclosures in sales transactions inside and outside of bankruptcy on behalf of buyers and sellers

Non-Bankruptcy Matters

• Conducted white-collar criminal investigations (including interviewing witnesses and reviewing documents) related to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and United States trade sanctions laws
• Prepared mediation materials and arguments for a class action lawsuit alleging violations of the Securities Act of 1933
• Negotiated hundreds of plea agreements and tried over a dozen criminal cases to jury verdict on behalf of the State of Texas.

• Houston Bar Association
  • Bankruptcy Section Secretary (2009 - 2010)
  • Law Day Committee (2010 - 2011)
  • Minority Opportunities in the Legal Profession Committee (2011 - 2012)
  • Professionalism Committee (2011 - 2012)
• Houston Lawyers Association
• Houston Young Lawyers Association
• Houston Area Young Bankruptcy Lawyers
• Turnaround Management Association
• The Arthur L. Moller/David B. Foltz, Jr. American Inn of Court State Bar of Texas Texas Young Lawyers Association
• American Bankruptcy Institute

• Texas Rising Stars (2010) - Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights
• Who's Who in Black Houston, Inaugural, Second, Third and Fourth Editions
• Pro Bono College of the State Bar of Texas

• Co-author, "Directors' Duties In and Around the Zone of Insolvency," The Journal of Corporate Renewal, Turnaround Management Association, April 2010
• Co-author, "Who Wants to be a Millionaire? A Tutorial on Class Actions for Bankruptcy Practitioners," University of Texas School of Law Bankruptcy Litigation Conference, February 2009
• Co-author, "What Relief Can Debtors Get From Burdensome Contracts?," American Law Institute & American Bar Association: What Will Corporate Reorganization Look Like in 2009 & Beyond, January 2009
• Co-author, "Recent Developments: A Survey of Business Bankruptcy Cases," The University of Texas School of Law Jay L. Westbrook Bankruptcy Conference, November 2008
• Co-author, "Fraudulent Transfers and Preferences After the Enactment of BAPCPA: The Current State of the Law," The Association of Commercial Finance Attorneys, November 2008
• Co-author, "What Advice Do In-House Counsel and Other Professionals Need to Provide as Insolvency Nears?," The Subprime Crisis: Hot Issues for Officers, Directors and General Counsel, January 2008
• Co-author, "Recent Developments – Business Bankruptcy Cases," The University of Texas School of Law Annual Bankruptcy Conference, November 2007
• Co-author, "Recent Valuation Case Law Developments," VALCON: Hedge Funds, Distressed Debt, Risk and Restructurings, The University of Texas School of Law and the Association of Insolvency & Restructuring Advisors, Las Vegas, Nevada, February 2007

• "Fraudulent Conveyances in Mergers & Acquisitions," Corporate, Business & Banking Section Professional Development Series, February 25, 2010
• "A Survey of Bankruptcy Law—Primer on Chapter 11 and Chapter 7," Houston ALP/2009 Legal Training Course, September 26, 2009
• Panelist, National Black Pre-Law Conference, 2009 - 2011

2005 - J.D., Yale Law School
2002 - B.A., summa cum laude, Communication, Political Science, Tulane University 

While in law school, Travis was the Director of the Yale Nonprofit Organizations Clinic and the Treasurer for the Black Law Students Association. In addition, Travis was an editor of the Yale Journal on Regulation and a Westlaw Student Representative.

Prior to law school, Travis was an on-air personality for B-97 FM, WEZB, New Orleans' Number 1 Hit Music Station. 

• Dominic Walsh Dance Theater, Board of Directors
• Bo's Place, Advisory Board
• Tulane University School of Liberal Arts Dean's Advisory Council
• Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program
• Houston Area Urban League Young Professionals
• Yale Club of Houston
• Houston Interclub
• Tulane Houston Alumni Association
• Texas Zetes