Dear Fellows,

We are sad to report that Class 1 Fellow Myron M. “Mickey” Sheinfeld passed away on March 6. 2024.  Patrick Hughes, one among the many who were mentored and encouraged by Mickey’s huge personality and intellect, shared how much Mickey meant to his friends and colleagues:

Myron "Mickey" Sheinfeld, was the longtime dean of the Houston bankruptcy reorganization bar and a co-founder with Joel Kay and Bob Maley to form Sheinfeld Maley & Kay, one of the first bankruptcy boutiques. The SMK diaspora [yes there are that many] and Fellows are saddened to share the news of the recent passing of our long-time bankruptcy mentor Mickey Sheinfeld. Mickey was primarily responsible for starting and developing SMK’s chapter 11 debtor’s practice and its bankruptcy and restructuring focused services beginning at a time when restructuring was hardly the instrumental part of our economy it is today. Mickey led the firm’s numerous significant chapter 11 debtor cases filed in the Southern District of Texas with a team of too many to credit – Continental Airlines, Coral Petroleum, Commonwealth Oil Resources, and so many more. As a result of Mickey’s role in helping to design and then pass the new Bankruptcy Code of 1978, and to contribute for many years as a named editor of Colliers on Bankruptcy, Mickey helped make the restructuring practice develop into what it is today—an integral part of our economic system that gives renewal to businesses needing modernization and updating. Through his tireless commitment to the chapter 11 practice, Mickey was regionally and nationally known as a bankruptcy reorganization expert. His big personality, welcoming to so many, made him unforgettable. Mickey’s service to others began with his legal career, serving his country on active duty with J.A.G.C. in the United States Army in the 1950s and later in the U.S. Army Reserve. After continuing his service in the United States Attorneys’ Office, he founded SMK. Mr. Sheinfeld was consistently recognized as one of the best lawyers in Texas and the United States in The Best Lawyers in America, Chambers USA, the K&A Restructuring Register and the Guide to World’s Leading Insolvency and Restructuring Lawyers. In November 2010, he was awarded the lifetime achievement award in the field of reorganization and bankruptcy at the 29th Annual Jay L. Westbrook Bankruptcy Conference in Austin, Texas. Mickey was one of a distinguished group of lawyers who has been listed with special honors in The Best Lawyers in America for over twenty-five years. He is one of only 13 lawyers in Texas listed in The International Who’s Who of Insolvency & Restructuring Lawyers 2009- 2010. He was recognized in “Top Lawyers: Bankruptcy and Creditor-Debtor Rights Law” in the 2009 and 2010 Annual Guides to Bankruptcy and Creditor-Debtor Rights Law by Corporate Counsel. In 2023, the State Bar of Texas Bankruptcy Law Section presented him with their most distinguished award, the BancoRotto, for being a Texas bankruptcy legend who has had a lasting impact on the development of the Texas bankruptcy practice. While in the past year he has expressed great gratitude for all who he encountered in his remarkable legal career, it is the many who were given their start in the law that have gratitude for all he provided to us all on both a personal and professional level. Fellows that he mentored include Barb Houser, John Higgins, Patrick Hughes, John Melko, and so many more. As one of his closest friends and mentee Henry Kaim put it on learning of his passing, the “end of an era”.  Thanks from us all.

You can find Mickey’s obituary here, along with the details for the graveside services on March 12, 2024 at the Houston National Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to the charity of one’s choice.

We extend our condolences to Mickey’s spouse, Christina, and to his family, friends, and many colleagues.

Thank you,

Shari