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Overview

Buffey guides clients through complex commercial bankruptcy, insolvency and commercial litigation.

Leading creditors turn to Buffey to navigate troubled loans, particularly in real estate and healthcare. Buffey routinely assists mortgage holders, developers, landlords, healthcare operators, senior living markets, manufacturers, airlines, and those in the retail and energy sector with distressed assets. Buffey’s experience is valued by colleagues on high-profile matters and she regularly handles large nationwide dockets for clients. Major national lenders, as well as debtors and trustees, rely on Buffey for counsel regarding:

  • Commercial loan workouts
  • Out-of-court restructurings
  • Loan documentation
  • Creditors’ rights
  • Chapter 11
  • Asset sales
  • Receiverships
  • Special assets

Buffey’s practice also includes traditional bank financing, corporate transactions and complex commercial litigation. Clients appreciate her comprehensive legal perspective and her ability to find solutions that are most advantageous to a business over the long term. Buffey crafts creative legal strategies that align with business goals and place each client on optimal footing for reaching ultimate goals.

Buffey serves as the Office Managing Partner for Husch Blackwell's Dallas office.

Industry

Services

Recognition

  • BL Rankings’ The Best Lawyers in America®
    • Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law, 2024 and 2025

Education

  • J.D., South Texas College of Law
      • Board of Advocates
      • Mock Trial
      • Moot Court
      • Phi Delta Phi
      • Corporate Counsel Review, Editor
  • M.S., Texas A&M University
    • Science Writing
  • B.A., Texas A&M University
    • Journalism

Admissions

  • Tennessee
  • Florida
  • Texas

Professional Memberships and Certifications

  • American Bar Association
  • Federal Bar Association
  • The Florida Bar
  • State Bar of Texas

Clerkship

The Hon. Vanessa Gilmore, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas

Experience

Bankruptcy and related litigation

  • Represents Christian Care Centers as debtor's counsel in its Chapter 11 petition filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas.
  • Worked on behalf of corporate investors, retirees, small-business owners, bankers, lawyers and physicians who were defrauded in Maryland's largest $350 million Ponzi scheme. After individual assets were seized by Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), identified, preserved, marketed and liquidated bank accounts, real estate and personal purchases in order to maximally repay investors.
  • Prevailed on appeal on behalf of court-appointed receiver in dispute with two investor groups who challenged how the receiver's distribution plan allocated recovered funds among claimants.
  • Represented major commercial lenders in various types of workouts, forbearance arrangements and restructuring agreements.
  • Represented numerous financial institutions and lenders in connection with proceedings seeking extraordinary relief, including temporary restraining orders, temporary injunctions and appointment of receivers.
  • Counseled financial institution clients regarding privacy and confidentiality issues encountered when responding to judicial, grand jury and administrative subpoenas.
  • Represented major commercial lender against various obligors and guarantors and obtained multimillion-dollar arbitration award.
  • Defended commercial lender against borrower’s claims of fraud and failure to dispose of collateral in a commercially reasonable manner and, after bench trial, obtained a judgment on behalf of the bank against the borrower and guarantors. After defendants appealed, handled appeal and oral appellate arguments. Judgment of trial court was affirmed.
  • Obtained order compelling arbitration in multimillion-dollar lawsuit brought against a custodian of self-directed individual retirement accounts.
  • Represented commercial lender in prosecution of claims against guarantors and defended lender against liability counterclaims brought by guarantors.
  • Obtained summary judgment on behalf of commercial lender in priority dispute with competing creditor.

Other counsel

  • Served as part of a team that represented a major commercial airline in connection with firm order of 100 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, plus options, and the restructuring of existing purchase and other agreements regarding Boeing 787, 737NG and 777 aircraft and associated engines.
  • Advised major commercial airline on complex transaction involving acquisition of 47 Boeing 787 aircraft and associated engines, and comprehensive long-term engine maintenance agreement.
Outside the Office

Buffey and her family hike, travel and climb Colorado’s “fourteeners.”

Buffey, her husband and their two daughters summited 14,265-foot Quandary Peak in the White River National Forest near Breckinridge, Colorado, as well as 14,154-foot Mount Democrat near Alma, Colorado, in the Rocky Mountains. The family also hiked through California – in San Francisco, Muir Woods, Napa and Lake Tahoe – before driving to Sequoia National Forest. At home, Buffey enjoys cheering on Texas A&M and UT football.

Community Leadership
  • Christ’s Haven for Children
  • Community Storehouse
  • Dallas CASA, Children’s Council
  • First United Methodist Church Dallas, Sunday School Teacher
  • Gatehouse
  • Humane Society of Dallas County
  • Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, Sponsor
  • William and Marsha Rickett Family Foundation