People

Overview

Shelby V. Saxon is a litigator with a financial restructuring background who represents clients across industries in complex civil disputes and bankruptcy-related matters.  Ms. Saxon has significant experience in bankruptcy court where she has been recognized by a federal bankruptcy judge for her “great command of the courtroom.” In addition to advising parties through all stages of federal and state litigation, Ms. Saxon also assists companies with internal investigations, through which she has developed experience in identifying and addressing fraud, fraudulent transfer, and breach of fiduciary duty claims. 

Prior to joining Baker Botts, Ms. Saxon served as a law clerk to the Honorable Amos L. Mazzant, III in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. As a federal law clerk, Ms. Saxon amassed invaluable courtroom experience in a wide variety of high-stakes patent, civil, and criminal matters.

Admission & Affiliations

  • State Bar of Texas
  • Judge Paul Brown Inn of Court
  • Dallas LGBT Bar Association
  • Dallas Regional Chamber LEAD Young Professional, Class of 2023
  • J.D., Washington University School of Law 2021
    cum laude
    Managing Editor, Washington University Law Review
  • B.A., English & Spanish, Texas A&M University 2017
    summa cum laude

Experience

Litigation

  • Cryptocurrency / Energy – defend energy counterparty of debtors in breach of contract, fraudulent transfer, unjust enrichment, and turnover adversary proceeding
  • Real Estate – successfully defended breach of contract and declaratory judgment action in New York state court
  • Private Equity – advised individual and entity creditors facing potential fraudulent transfer and conspiracy claims asserted by chapter 7 trustee
  • Power – successfully defended against preference action in adversary proceeding
  • Private Lending / Energy – represented small business debtor’s two largest commercial creditors that held contingent, unliquidated, and disputed claims arising from ongoing federal court litigation

Chapter 11

  • Enviva Inc. – investigate potential claims and causes of action arising from pre-bankruptcy transactions of debtor-company, the world’s largest producer of industrial wood pellets
  • TPC Group Inc. – represented a leading U.S. chemical processing company in a successful reorganization, raising $450 million of new capital and eliminating approximately $1.3 billion in funded debt obligations and mass tort liabilities
  • Bristow Group Inc. – represented global helicopter company in reorganization of $1.6 billion of debt, eliminating over $900 million of debt, reprofiling aircraft fleet leases and aircraft secured debt facilities, implementing employee incentive plans, and raising $535 million of fresh capital—in under six months and without any disruption in worldwide operations
  • Paradox Resources, LLC – represented buyer in successful 363 sale process of substantially all assets (including major gas plant and 500-mile pipeline) of debtors, a midstream helium processing and carbon capture company
  • Core Scientific Inc. – represented key contract counterparty in successfully negotiating settlement of claims arising from mechanic’s and materialman’s liens on cryptocurrency debtors’ assets
  • Celsius Network LLC represented key contract counterparty in negotiating assumed and amended agreement, avoiding litigation, and navigating chapter 11 examiner process

Advisement

  • Technology – strategic advisement to distressed company on the verge of chapter 11 filing
  • Energy / Technology – advisement to international companies with U.S. contract counterparties or affiliates facing insolvency and/or contemplating a U.S. bankruptcy
  • Oil & Gas / Energy – guidance for drafting agreements to protect rights in counterparty bankruptcy
  • Real Estate – advisement to creditors considering involuntary chapter 11 against debtor
  • Retail – analysis of debt documents with focus on debt baskets, covenants, and events of default
  • Energy – advisement regarding effect of decades old chapter 11 case on current asbestos liabilities

Pro Bono

  • Represent LGBTQ asylum seekers from Guatemala and Jamaica in federal immigration court
  • Represent transgender prisoners in pursuing § 1983 Eighth Amendment and ADA claims in multiple federal district courts
  • Represent a disabled, elderly veteran in her chapter 7 bankruptcy
  • Represented a mentally ill prisoner in his appeal to the Fifth Circuit of district court’s dismissal of § 1983 Eighth Amendment and ADA suit
  • Defended a blind elderly woman in a reverse mortgage dispute, preventing foreclosure of her home