Our People
Ryan T. Murphy

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Ryan T. Murphy

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Email: rmurphy@fredlaw.com
Office: 612.492.7310
Mobile: 612.240.3284
Assistant: Sherrie Timm, 612.492.7802

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PRIMARY SERVICES

Bankruptcy, Restructuring & Workouts
Litigation
Banking & Financial Services Litigation
Private Equity
Debt Finance

“I take ownership of my client’s issues and dedicate myself to resolving them so my client is pleased with the process and values the result.”

Overview

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. Ryan is the chair of Fredrikson & Byron’s Bankruptcy, Restructuring & Workouts department.

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 – 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 & Byron’s Finance Committee.

Experience

REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCE

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.

Articles & Presentations

COVID-19 Job Losses and the Importance of the Updated Minnesota Exemptions

July 24, 2020

By Ryan T. Murphy

Minnesota exemptions were recently updated, increasing the amount of assets that individuals may protect.

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Strategies to Improve Treatment of Claims Before Any Bankruptcy Filing

April 22, 2020

By Ryan T. Murphy

Steps and strategies for trade vendors to protect themselves in the event a customer may file for bankruptcy during economic disruption.

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A Beacon in a Storm: Responding to the COVID-19 Financial Crisis

March 30, 2020

Executives and their companies facing a financial storm brought on by the pandemic can find themselves in an overwhelming spot. Fredrikson attorneys provide a next-steps checklist and wealth of resources to help weather the storm.

View Details

Co-Presenter, “Big Ag Panel,” Southeast Virtual Bankruptcy Workshop, American Bankruptcy Institute, July 24, 2020
Co-Presenter, “Current Issues in Distressed M&A,” Fredrikson & Byron Webinar, June 17, 2020
Co-Presenter, “Farmers in Peril,” AIRA’s 36th Annual Bankruptcy & Restructuring Conference, June 16, 2020
Co-Author, “Expect the Unexpected,” Journal of Corporate Renewal, Turnaround Management Association, March 2020
Moderator, “Auction Processes for the 21^st Century,” Turnaround Management Association, February 2020
Panelist, “Agriculture – Industry Undergoing Disruption,” SFNet, January 2020
Guest Editor and Author, “Concerns Grow Over New Farm Crisis,” Journal of Corporate Renewal, Turnaround Management Association, April 2019
Editor, Minnesota “Debtor-Creditor Handbook,” and author of exemptions chapter
Moderator, “Turnaround Legends,” Turnaround Management Association’s MidAmerica Regional Conference, April 16, 2018
Author, “Mission vs. Creditor Interests: Nonprofit Directors’ Fiduciary Duties,” Journal of Corporate Renewal, Turnaround Management Association, November 2017
Presenter, “Real Survival Tips for the Mounting Retail Woes,” Bankruptcy Institute, October 2017
Presenter, “Focusing on the Profit in Nonprofit,” Minnesota State Bar Association, May 2017
Presenter, “Boxing-up the Big Box Retailer,” Turnaround Management Association, February 2017
Presenter, “Defending Claims Brought Back from the Dead,” Hennepin County Bar Association, February 2017
Presenter, “Structured Dismissals in Chapter 11,” Minnesota State Bankruptcy Association Bankruptcy Section, November 2015
Presenter, “Big Ideas for Small Businesses,” Bankruptcy Institute, October 2015
Author and Presenter, “Exemptions,” Minnesota State Bar Association Debtors’ and Creditors’ Handbook, January 2015
Author, “Recent Developments in Minnesota Receiverships,” Hennepin Lawyer, July 2014
Presenter, Practice under New Receivership & ABC Statutes,” MSBA Bankruptcy Section, April 2014
Presenter, “Turning Lemons Into Lemonade: Unlocking Value in Distressed Situations,” Hennepin County Bar Association, October 2013
Presenter, Bankruptcy Seminar: Rising to the Special Challenges of Small Business Restructurings and Bankruptcies, September 2013
Presenter, “Lien Stripping in Bankruptcies & Receiverships,” Hennepin County Bar Association, April 2013
Co-Author, “Minnesota Constructs Comprehensive Receivership Law,” Journal of Corporate Renewal, March 2013
Presenter, “A Practical Guide to Preference Claims and More Importantly How to Avoid Them,” Hennepin County Bar Association, February 2013
Presenter, “New Receivership and ABC Statutes: Old Ways in the New Age,” 2012 Bankruptcy Institute, October 2, 2012
Presenter, “Chapter 11 in Minnesota,” co-author and speaker, MNCLE Bankruptcy Practice in Minnesota, June 2012
Presenter, “Ponzi Scheme Postmortem,” Transaction of Year Award, Turnaround Management Association, Minnesota Chapter, January 2012

Media Mentions

“Minnesota Chapter 11 Lawyers Taking A ‘Wait And See’ Approach On New Bankruptcy Guidelines ,” The Minnesota Lawyer, August 2013

Honors & Education

EDUCATION

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

BAR ADMISSIONS

Minnesota
U.S. Court of Appeals, 8th Circuit
Federal 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.

HONORS

Fellow, American College of Bankruptcy
Minnesota State Bar Association, North Star Lawyer, 2018
Best Lawyers’ Litigation – Bankruptcy “Lawyer of the Year” in Minneapolis, 2017
The Best Lawyers in America, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law; Litigation – Bankruptcy, 2015-present
Minnesota Super Lawyers, Super Lawyer – Bankruptcy: Business, 2014-present
Nonprofit Turnaround of the Year, 2018, Turnaround Management Association – Global
Small Company Transaction of the Year, 2018, Turnaround Management Association – Global
Transaction of the Year, 2018, Turnaround Management Association – Minnesota Chapter
Turnaround of the Year, 2018, Turnaround Management Association – Minnesota Chapter
Turnaround of the Year, 2017, Turnaround Management Association – Minnesota Chapter
Turnaround of the Year, 2011, Turnaround Management Association – Minnesota Chapter
Contributing Attorney on Team Awarded Transaction of the Year, 2006 and 2010, Turnaround Management Association – Minnesota Chapter

Professional Activities

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

Editor, Journal of Corporate Renewal, Turnaround Management Association
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, Minnesota Chapter
Past Chair, Minnesota State Bar Association, Bankruptcy Section
Past Chair, Minnesota State Bar Association, Bankruptcy Section Pro Bono Committee
Past Co-Chair, Hennepin County Bar Association Debtor/Creditor Section
Receivership and Assignment for Benefit of Creditors Statutes Drafting Committee Member
Former Editor, Bankruptcy Bulletin
Judicial Clerkship, Honorable Donald P. Lay, United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit

COMMUNITY

Frequent volunteer at church, school and youth athletics in community