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.