Practice areas: General Litigation, Bankruptcy, Business Litigation; view more
Licensed in Texas since: 2008
Education: Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2022 - 2026 
Selected to Rising Stars: 2017 - 2019 Call today:
469-902-5418
Virtual Appointments Howell & Willingham, PLLC
6440 N Central ExpresswaySuite 806
Dallas, TX 75206 Visit website
Jonathan L Howell has actively represented clients in Texas and throughout the United States in multiple facets of litigation, commercial bankruptcy, and transactional matters, including business and asset sales and acquisitions, preparation and renegotiation of loan and credit agreements, contract and lease negotiations, and a variety of business, contractual, real property, oil and gas, construction, and probate disputes. Mr. Howell has received multiple awards and recognition from his peers for his work in litigation and business reorganizations, restructurings, and wind ups.
Mr. Howell has represented a broad spectrum of clients, ranging from local residents to Fortune 500 companies. Specifically, Mr. Howell has represented business owners, directors, officers, traditional and non-traditional lenders, private equity firms, family offices, landlords, manufacturers, real estate developers, hospitality groups and hoteliers, trade creditors, creditors’ committees, trustees, and judgment creditors.
Mr. Howell received his B.A. in Economics from SMU in 2001 and his J.D. in 2007 from SMU’s Dedman School of Law, where he was an articles editor for the International Law Review and Dean’s List student. From 2008 to 2009, Mr. Howell served as a federal judicial law clerk for the Honorable D. Michael Lynn in the Northern District of Texas. While attending law school, Jonathan externed for the Honorable Stacey G. C. Jernigan in the Northern District of Texas.
Practice areas
General Litigation, Bankruptcy: Business, Business Litigation, Civil Litigation: Defense, Business/CorporateFocus areas
Bankruptcy Law, Business Formation and Planning, Business Organizations, Contracts, Limited Liability Companies, Litigation, Non-Compete Agreements, Partnership, Restraining Order, Sub-chapter S Corporations, Trade Secret
- 30% General Litigation
- 20% Bankruptcy: Business
- 20% Business Litigation
- 20% Civil Litigation: Defense
- 10% Business/Corporate
First Admitted: 2008, Texas
Professional Webpage: https://howellwillinghamlaw.com/jonathan-l-howell/
Bar / Professional Activity
- State Bar of Texas, Member
- United States District Courts, State of Texas
Educational Background
- Southern Methodist University, B.A. in Economics, 2001
Scholarly Lectures / Writings
- Co-Author, Till in Chapter 11 Cases & the Looming “Efficient Market” Debate, ABI Journal, 2013
- Co-Author, Trade Creditors in Bankruptcy, Dallas Bar Association's Headnotes, 2011
- Panel Speaker, Evidence Rules and Trial Tactics in Bankruptcy Court, State Bar of Texas Business Bankruptcy 101 Course, 2010
- Co-Author, Chapter 11 Practice — Bankruptcy Nuts & Bolts: The Basics of Cash Collateral and DIP Financing, State Bar of Texas Bankruptcy Law Section Newsletter, 2010
- A practical overview of how a commercial tenant’s bankruptcy affects landlords, explaining the automatic stay, lease assumption or rejection, claim priorities, and key strategies—such as security deposits, letters of credit, and vigilant case monitoring—to protect and mitigate a landlord’s rights and losses., Panel Speaker, Commercial Landlord Issues in Bankruptcy, State Bar of Texas, Bankruptcy Section, 2010
- Panel Speaker, Navigating a Small Business Bankruptcy Case — The Benefits and Perils, State Bar of Texas, 2009
- Co-Author, A Primer on Commercial Landlord Issues in Bankruptcy, Dallas Bar Association's Headnotes, 2009
- Co-Author, Utilizing Chapter 15 of the United States Bankruptcy Code to Combat Fraud, World Compendium on Asset Tracing & Recovery, 2009
- A commercial tenant’s bankruptcy immediately triggers an automatic stay that broadly bars landlords from collecting pre‑petition rent, terminating the lease, evicting the tenant, or applying security deposits, unless the lease expired pre‑petition or the landlord first obtains relief from the bankruptcy court., Co-Author, Bankruptcy 101: What Every Young Lawyer Should Know About Non-Residential Tenant Bankruptcies, Munsch Hardt's Legal Blog, 2009
- Author, International Insolvency Law, 42 INT'L LAW. 113, 2008
- Author, Recent Developments in NAFTA Law, 13 LAW & BUS. REV. AM. 253, 2007
- Author, Privatization of Pemex, 13 LAW & BUS. REV. AM. 461, 2007
- Official text for S.M.U. Law's Advanced Bankruptcy Course, Co-Author (Emeritus), Chapter 11: The Practice of Corporate Reorganization Law, 2007
Other Outstanding Achievements
- Judicial Extern, Honorable Stacey G. C. Jernigan, United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Northern District of Texas
- Federal Judicial Law Clerk, Honorable D. Michael Lynn, United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Northern District of Texas
Honors
- Rising Star, Super Lawyers, 2017 - 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025, Super Lawyer, Rising Star, Super Lawyers
- Best Lawyer, D Magazine, 2014, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024, and 2025, Best Lawyer, D Magazine
- Avvo: Top Rated Lawyer Jonathan L. Howell, 10 out of 10 - Top Rated Lawyer, Avvo Legal Directory
- International Law Review, Staff and Articles Editor, SMU's Dedman School of Law, Staff and Articles Editor of the International Law Review, SMU's Dedman School of Law
- Dean’s List, SMU's Dedman School of Law, SMU's Dedman School of Law, Dean's List
Industry Groups
- and judgment creditors
- Business Debtors
- Commercial Creditors
- Construction Companies
- creditors’ committees
- Directors
- Family Offices
- hospitality groups and hoteliers
- Investors
- Landlords
- Manufacturers
- Officers
- Private Equity Firms
- Real Estate Developers
- Start Ups
- traditional and non-traditional lenders
- Trustees
These comments were made by fellow attorneys during the annual nomination process.
“Jonathan is a top notch attorney. He has an astounding work ethic and always strives to get the best results for his clients.”
“This attorney is very accomplished.”
Office location for Jonathan L. Howell
6440 N Central Expressway
Suite 806
Dallas, TX 75206
Phone: 469-902-5418
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2022 - 2026
- Rising Stars: 2017 - 2019
