Ryan T. Murphy

Ryan is recognized as one of the outstanding restructuring lawyers in the upper Midwest and has led many complex restructurings on behalf of companies and individuals to success. He is the chair of Fredrikson’s Bankruptcy, Restructuring & Workouts Group.

Ryan is a skilled negotiator and regularly resolves issues out of court. He is also a seasoned litigator and represents parties in bankruptcy, receiverships and commercial litigation across the country. He has extensive experience representing companies and individuals in and out of court as well as buyers and sellers of assets in distressed situations. He has handled matters for clients in industries as varied as manufacturing, retail, hotel, real estate, banking, entertainment, transportation and energy. He has extensive experience advising owners and boards of directors, and representing debtors and creditors in workout, insolvency, restructuring and bankruptcy planning matters. Ryan also has extensive experience representing companies and creditors in state and federal court litigation, including bankruptcies, receiverships, assignments for benefit of creditors, foreclosures, fraudulent transfer and preference claims.

Ryan has been named as one of The Best Lawyers in America, a Super Lawyer by Minnesota Super Lawyers and Fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy. Ryan’s work has been recognized by several organizations, including national awards. The Turnaround Management Association  (TMA) — Global awarded Ryan the Nonprofit Turnaround of the Year for 2018 and Transaction of the Year for 2018. Ryan has served as the Chair of the Minnesota State Bar Association, Bankruptcy Section, and President of the TMA, Minnesota Chapter. Ryan is also a member of Fredrikson’s Finance Committee.

First United Funding, LLC

• Represent receiver in recovering assets from Ponzi scheme.
• Distributed over $80 million to victims.

Student Publishing Company

• Represented leading-edge student publisher committed to motivate students to learn through publishing.
• Successfully restructured debt and equity.

Family Entertainment Center

• Successful restructuring of secured debts. Owners remained in control and have operated center profitably.

Hotel / Indoor Water Park

• Successful restructuring of secured debts, including reduction in principal. Owners remained in control and continued to operate hotel and indoor water park.

Rotonics Manufacturing, Inc.

• Manufacturer and marketer of plastic products.
• Revenues of approximately $50 million.
• Successful out-of-court sales of manufacturing facilities with approval of constituents through assignment for the benefit of creditors.

PVC Compounders, Inc.

• Manufacturer of flexible and rigid polyvinyl chloride components.
• Revenues of approximately $50 million.
• Successful out of court sales of manufacturing facilities with approval of constituents.

Dakota Arms

• High end specialty firearms manufacturer.
• Represented Chapter 11 debtor in extensive negotiations with creditors and litigation leading to successful sale of assets of specialty gun manufacturer.

BMC Industries

• Manufacturer of aperture masks and lenses used in eyeglasses.
• Revenues of approximately $62 million / $155 million in assets.
• Represented debtor in obtaining bankruptcy court approval of $50 million sale of eyeglass lenses division and confirmation of plan.

2nd Swing

• Retailer of new and used golf equipment.
• Revenues of approximately $63 million / $9 million in assets.
• Successful sale of retail chain stores on expedited basis.

Minnesota Print Services, Inc.

• (Fictitious) print broker business.
• Creditors with outstanding claims of $50 million.
• Recovered assets, instituted distribution plan, and made distributions to unsecured creditors of over 25%.
• Awarded Transaction of Year by Turnaround Management Association, Minnesota Chapter, in 2011.

International Financial Institution

• Financial institution that provided wholesale credit facility to retail lender in construction industry.
• Representation: Secured creditor.
• Transaction size: $400 million+ credit facility.
• Had receiver appointed to liquidate collateral and recover fraudulent transfers.

Precision Manufacturer for Defense Industry

• Successful out-of-court sale of assets with approval of constituents.

Real Estate

• Regularly represents real estate developers, builders, property managers and owners facing loan defaults and foreclosure.

Preference and Fraudulent Transfer Claims

• Regularly represents parties sued to recover preference and fraudulent transfers across the country.

Turnaround Professionals / Investment Bankers

• Frequently represents receivers, assignees for benefit of creditors, investment bankers and turnaround professionals.
• Transaction size: Ranging from $1 million in assets to over $100 million in assets.

Education

• William Mitchell College of Law, J.D., summa cum laude
• Saint John’s University, B.A.

Admissions

• Minnesota
• Wisconsin
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
• U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota
• Federal and state courts across the country by permission, including Delaware, New York, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Texas, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, Nevada, Utah and California.

Clerkships

• Judicial Clerkship, Honorable Donald P. Lay, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit

• Best Lawyers in America, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law, 2015-2025; Litigation - Bankruptcy, 2015-2025
• Top Lawyer – Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Minnesota Monthly, 2024
• Lawyer of the Year in Minneapolis for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Best Lawyers, 2021, 2024
• Lawyer of the Year in Minneapolis for Litigation - Bankruptcy, Best Lawyers, 2017, 2024
• Minnesota Super Lawyers, Bankruptcy: Business, 2014-2023
• North Star Lawyer, Minnesota State Bar Association, 2018
• Nonprofit Turnaround of the Year, Turnaround Management Association - Global, 2018
• Small Company Transaction of the Year, Turnaround Management Association - Global, 2018
• Transaction of the Year, Turnaround Management Association - Minnesota Chapter, 2011, 2017, 2018
• Minnesota Super Lawyers Rising Star, 2005, 2011
• Contributing Attorney on Team Awarded Transaction of the Year, Turnaround Management Association - Minnesota Chapter, 2006, 2010
• Fellow, American College of Bankruptcy

Professional Activities

• Minnesota Bankruptcy Practice Committee, Member
• Turnaround Management Association, Minnesota Chapter, Co-Chair, Program Committee
• Turnaround Management Association, Minnesota Chapter, Past President and Director
• Turnaround Management Association, Minnesota Chapter, Past Chair, Volunteer Services
• Turnaround Management Association, Minnesota Chapter, Past Chair, Education Committee
• Turnaround Management Association, Former Editor, Journal of Corporate Renewal
• Minnesota State Bar Association, Bankruptcy Section, Past Chair
• Minnesota State Bar Association, Bankruptcy Section Pro Bono Committee, Past Chair
• Hennepin County Bar Association Debtor/Creditor Section, Past Co-Chair
• Receivership and Assignment for Benefit of Creditors Statutes Drafting Committee Member
• Bankruptcy Bulletin, Former Editor

Community

• Frequent volunteer at church, school and youth athletics in community