Mr. Watson’s practice focuses primarily on chapter 11 business bankruptcy reorganizations, chapter 7 business bankruptcy proceedings, creditors’ rights, and commercial litigation.
Mr. Watson has participated in chapter 11 and chapter 7 proceedings in bankruptcy courts throughout Texas, and also in the Northern District of Ohio, Western District of Arkansas, District of Delaware and the Southern District of New York.  Mr. Watson has assisted chapter 7 and chapter 11 business debtor clients and creditors in the Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western Districts of Texas.  He has confirmed chapter 11 plans for e-commerce, healthcare, energy, and construction companies in chapter 11 bankruptcy cases in the Northern, Southern and Western Districts of Texas.  He has also handled distressed transactions for debtor entities outside of bankruptcy.
He has also successfully assisted entrepreneurs and companies with filing business chapter 7 cases in bankruptcy courts in the Northern and Eastern Districts of Texas.  Mr. Watson has also represented trustees and liquidating trustees in bankruptcy proceedings.  Aside from representing distressed companies and trustees, Mr. Watson has represented lending institutions, a regulator, trade creditors, a creditors’ committee, and ad hoc committees in chapter 11 bankruptcy cases.  Most recently, Mr. Watson served as counsel for the creditors’ committee in the Fore Machine, LLC, et. al chapter 11 bankruptcy case. He has also handled adversary proceedings in bankruptcy cases as well as commercial litigation in state and federal courts.
Mr. Watson began his legal career as a law clerk to Chief Bankruptcy Judge, Kathy A. Surratt-States of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Missouri in St. Louis, Missouri.  After completing his four-year clerkship, Mr. Watson joined the Dallas office of a large law firm for nearly five years where he concentrated his practice on restructuring troubled companies, creditors’ rights and bankruptcy related litigation.  Mr. Watson later became the founding shareholder of his own law firm where he continued to focus his practice primarily on restructuring troubled businesses and creditors’ rights.  Prior to joining Cantey Hanger LLP, Mr. Watson was a partner at another law firm in Fort Worth.
Mr. Watson served as a council member of the State Bar of Texas, Bankruptcy Section for eight years prior to stepping down in 2021.  Mr. Watson is also a member of the Dallas Bar Association, J. L. Turner Legal Association, Tarrant County Bar Association, American Bankruptcy Institute and the Dallas Business Club.  Besides his professional affiliations, Mr. Watson serves as a board member of the Metropolitan YMCA of Fort Worth.  He is also an active member of Scouts B.S.A. (formerly Boy Scouts of America) where he serves as an adult leader.  Mr. Watson is a member of the Arlington/Grand Prairie Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. and the Arlington Seventh-Day Adventist Church.

Bankruptcy
Creditors’ Rights
Corporate Restructuring
Commercial Litigation

University of Tennessee at Knoxville, J.D., 2003
University of Tennessee at Knoxville, M.B.A. (in Finance), 2003
Elon University (NC), B.A., 1999
jwatson@canteyhanger.com
(817) 877-2861
(817) 877-2807
600 West 6th Street, Suite 300
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
500 N. Akard Street, Suite 2940
Dallas, Texas 75201
Mr. Watson has participated in chapter 11 and chapter 7 proceedings in bankruptcy courts throughout Texas, and also in the Northern District of Ohio, Western District of Arkansas, District of Delaware and the Southern District of New York. Mr. Watson has assisted chapter 7 and chapter 11 business debtor clients and creditors in the Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western Districts of Texas. He has confirmed chapter 11 plans for e-commerce, healthcare, energy, and construction companies in chapter 11 bankruptcy cases in the Northern, Southern and Western Districts of Texas. He has also handled distressed transactions for debtor entities outside of bankruptcy.

He has also successfully assisted entrepreneurs and companies with filing business chapter 7 cases in bankruptcy courts in the Northern and Eastern Districts of Texas. Mr. Watson has also represented trustees and liquidating trustees in bankruptcy proceedings. Aside from representing distressed companies and trustees, Mr. Watson has represented lending institutions, a regulator, trade creditors, and ad hoc committees in chapter 11 bankruptcy cases. Most recently, Mr. Watson served as counsel for the ad hoc board members in the National Rifle Association chapter 11 bankruptcy case seeking the appointment of an examiner. He has also handled adversary proceedings in bankruptcy cases as well as commercial litigation in state and federal courts.

Mr. Watson served as a council member of the State Bar of Texas, Bankruptcy Section for eight years prior to stepping down in 2021. Mr. Watson is also a member of the Dallas Bar Association, J. L. Turner Legal Association, Tarrant County Bar Association, American Bankruptcy Institute and the Dallas Business Club. Besides his professional affiliations, Mr. Watson serves as a board member of the Metropolitan YMCA of Fort Worth. He is also an active member of Scouts B.S.A. (formerly Boy Scouts of America) where he serves as an adult leader. Mr. Watson is a member of the Arlington/Grand Prairie Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. and the Arlington Seventh-Day Adventist Church.
State Bar of Texas, Bankruptcy Section, Business Law Section
Missouri Bar
Tarrant County Bar Association
Dallas Bar Association
J.L. Turner Legal Association
U.S. Federal District Courts for the Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western Districts of Texas
U.S. Federal District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas
Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals
Federal Circuit Court of Appeals
The YMCA of Metropolitan Fort Worth, Board Member
The University of Tennessee Dallas-Fort Worth Alumni Chapter, Board Member
Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Incorporated, Arlington-Grand Prairie Graduate Chapter
Scouts B.S.A. (formerly Boy Scouts of America), Assistant Scoutmaster for Boys’ Troop 498
Leadership Fort Worth, Leader Prime Class of 2021
Fort Worth Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce
The Dallas Business Club