Chris Hawkins Appointed Judge

chrishawkins

Chris Hawkins was sworn in as a bankruptcy judge for the Middle District of Alabama on March 14, 2022, succeeding Judge William R. Sawyer.

Before his appointment, Chris was a partner at Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP, where he focused exclusively on bankruptcy and insolvency matters. For over twenty years, he represented debtors and creditors in out-of-court restructurings, commercial and consumer bankruptcy cases, bankruptcy litigation, and consumer bankruptcy compliance and regulatory enforcement matters.

Chris recently completed a two-year term as Co-Chair of the American Bankruptcy Institute’s Consumer Bankruptcy Committee and is an adjunct professor at the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University. He co-authored Thorny Issues in Consumer Bankruptcy Cases (2nd ed. 2020) and is a member of the 33rd Class of Fellows of the American College of Bankruptcy. He is listed in Chambers USA for Bankruptcy and Restructuring and recently was named in the 2022 edition of the Lawdragon 500 Leading U.S. Bankruptcy and Restructuring Lawyers.

Chris graduated summa cum laude from Spring Hill College in 1996, earning bachelor’s degrees in English and Marketing. He earned his juris doctor degree from the University of Alabama School of Law in 1999, where he graduated summa cum laude, served on the managing board of the Alabama Law Review, and was a member of the Order of the Coif.

Chris and his wife, Carrie, celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary last June. They are the proud parents of four boys and one girl. When he is not working, Chris enjoys spending time on the water and playing in local tennis leagues. On Saturdays in the fall, Chris and his family often can be found tailgating in Auburn.

Academy Circle Logo Final

Consumer Bankruptcy Education

The NACTT Academy offers a comprehensive community for bankruptcy professionals seeking to advance their education in consumer bankruptcy.

Related Articles

July 28, 2019
IRS has begun sending letters to virtual currency owners advising them to pay back taxes, file amended returns; part of agency’s larger efforts. On July 26th, the IRS announced that it has begun sending letters to taxpayers with virtual currency transactions that potentially failed to report income and pay the resulting tax from virtual currency transactions or did not report...
December 22, 2019
By William Houston Brown, Editor/Adviser, Academy for Consumer Bankruptcy Education On December 18, 2019, the Supreme Court granted the City of Chicago’s petition for certiorari, 2019 WL 6880702, from the decision of the Seventh Circuit at 926 F.3d 916 (7th Cir. June 19, 2019). The Seventh Circuit’s decision was analyzed in a prior article on this website. In its decision,...
Members
Copy of Hildebrand-2016
August 14, 2022
Where a stipulation of a settlement of an objection to confirmation provided that a creditor’s claim would be “excepted from discharge pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(6)”, the stipulation would not prevent the discharge of the claim based upon a breach of fiduciary duty, tortious interference with business relations, unfair competition, defamation, and conversion which resulted in a state jury...
Members
Academy Circle Logo Final
While administering cases, Chapter 13 Trustees should carefully exercise their prosecutorial discretion. Trustee discretion is a powerful tool. It should be used wisely and consistently.  Trustees should have office policies in place fort heir attorneys and office staff.  What matters involve discretion? The UST Chapter 13 Handbook describes some: We asked the NACTT Emeritus Trustees for their thoughts and examples...
moran_cathy
December 19, 2021
Bankruptcy lawyers regularly evaluate the dischargeability of taxes when deciding when to file a client’s bankruptcy case. At base, the 3 year rule, the 2 year rule, and the 240 day rule routinely drive timing of a bankruptcy. But as we approach the end of the tax year, a client’s current year tax situation becomes another moving part in the...
Members
November 17, 2019
By Alexander E. Schmidt, Law Clerk to the Honorable John P. Gustafson (Toledo, OH) As any attorney with an eye for case law can tell you, circuit-level opinions that decide matters of first impression deserve extra attention from practitioners. Not only do these opinions oftentimes illuminate the dark corners of the law, they can also raise or provide answers to...
Members
September 29, 2019
By Academy Staff Jeffrey M. Kellner graduated from THE Ohio State University in 1975. Between then and entering law school, Jeff worked in Montana for the park service. He graduated from Capital University College of Law in 1985. After law school, he worked for two years as a law clerk for Judge Calhoun in Columbus, OH. He then went to...
January 17, 2021
By Kevin M. Ball, Eastern Michigan University Senator Warren and Representative Nadler introduced identical legislation entitled the Consumer Bankruptcy Report Act (“CBRA”) late in the 116th Congress. Although the bills died without action at the conclusion of that term, the sponsors have indicated their intent to reintroduce them in the 117th Congress. The legislation would bring major changes to the...
Members
November 15, 2020
Lawrence R. Ahern, III Brown & Ahern Nashville, Tennessee Appendix C Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule (28 U.S.C § 1930) Effective December 1, 2020 Description Current Fee Adjusted Fee Exemplification $22 $23 Reproduction of audio recording of court proceeding $31 $32 Filing amendment to debtor's schedules $31 $32 Search fee $31 $32 Filing any document that is not related to...
Members
November 3, 2019
By Henry E. Hildebrand, III, Standing Chapter 13 Trustee for the Middle District of TN (Nashville) A creditor may request an extension of time to file a claim under Rule 3002, F.R.B.P. only where the conditions of that rule have been fully satisfied; the filing of a defective list of creditors does not permit an extension of the time for...
Members