Omar J. Alaniz

Omar J. Alaniz is the managing partner in the Dallas office of Reed Smith LLP and represents distressed companies, including in out-of-court workouts and chapter 11 restructurings. He regularly advises boards of directors in considering liability management solutions. He also represents other key stakeholders in distressed situations. Mr. Alaniz’s industry experience includes energy, industrial, real estate, financial services, utilities, aviation and health care. He has appeared in bankruptcy and appellate courts throughout the country, including the Texas and U.S. Supreme Courts. Mr. Alaniz was recognized by Chambers USA from 2015-22, and he was invited to join the American College of Bankruptcy and the National Bankruptcy Conference. He received the Sandra Day O’Connor Award for Professional Excellence at a ceremony held in the U.S. Supreme Court, and he is the former chair of the Texas State Bar’s Bankruptcy Section. Mr. Alaniz was an adjunct faculty member at SMU Dedman School of Law for several years and currently teaches a 12-week chapter 11 course to young insolvency professionals. He also coached the SMU Duberstein moot court team to five national championships — the most in the competition’s history. Mr. Alaniz has made significant contributions to DEI matters, serving in leadership roles in DEI Committees of the American College of Bankruptcy and ABI. He is the U.S. co-chair of Reed Smith’s PRISM Group and serves on the board of directors of the Dallas Hispanic Law Foundation and the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association. He also received the Texas Lawyers’ first “Diversity and Inclusion Champion” award in 2022. Mr. Alaniz received his B.A. in economics at Austin College in 2000 and his J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law in 2003, where he was a Susman Godfrey Moot Court Champion.