Total Credits: 6 including 5 CLE, 1 Ethics
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Steve Altmann is a bankruptcy attorney representing debtors and creditors in Chapter 7, Chapter 11 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy matters. He is a graduate of the Cumberland School of Law and is licensed to practice in both Alabama and Georgia. He is admitted to practice before the United States Bankruptcy Courts for the Northern, Middle and Southern Districts of Alabama as well as the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama and the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Steve serves on the Panel of Small Business Reorganization Act (“SBRA”) Trustees for the Northern District of Alabama and is a member of the Birmingham Bar Association (Bankruptcy and Commercial Law Section). He has been named a Super Lawyer in Alabama and recognized in the Birmingham Magazine by his peers as a Top Attorney in the area of Bankruptcy Law.
Bill Bensinger focuses his practice on commercial dispute litigation, bankruptcy and restructuring litigation. He represents creditors, franchisors, landlords, unsecured creditors’ committees and financial institutions in a wide variety of matters, including preference and avoidance actions, workout transactions and insolvency matters.
Bill represents franchisors in bankruptcy, including matters concerning the assumption of franchise agreements, and represents landlords in bank matters concerning the assumption of commercial leases. His work on behalf of financial institutions includes general creditor’s rights litigation, collection, lien enforcement, cash collateral, relief from stay, and plan confirmation issues. He is aa 1998 graduate of Samford University and received his J.D. from Cumberland School of Law and his Masters of Law in Bankruptcy from St. John’s University School of Law.
In October of 2015, Judge Oldshue took the bench as United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Southern District of Alabama, in Mobile, Alabama. Prior to taking the bench, Judge Oldshue was a shareholder in the firm of Rosen Harwood, P.A in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where he served as the Managing Shareholder of the firm's Creditor's Rights Department. While in practice, Judge Oldshue’s memberships included the Alabama State Bar, where he served as Chairman of the Bankruptcy and Commercial Law Section, the Tuscaloosa County Bar, American Bankruptcy Institute (member, Commercial Fraud Task Force, Unsecured Trade Creditors Committee, and Consumer Bankruptcy Committee), the Conference on Consumer Finance Law, and the Commercial Law League of America. In 2001, Judge Oldshue became one of only seven attorneys in the state to achieve board certification as a specialist in creditors’ rights law. Judge Oldshue received his Bachelor of Science degree, and his juris doctorate and master’s of business administration concurrently, from The University of Alabama.
Judge Callaway serves as Judge for the Southern District of Alabama. Prior to his appointment, he practiced business litigation and bankruptcy law with Hand Arendall firm in Mobile. He received his undergraduate degree from Harvard in 1980 and law degree from Vanderbilt in 1983. Judge Callaway served on the board of the South Alabama Volunteer Lawyers Program for over twenty-five years, including seven as president. He has also served as chair of the Alabama Access to Justice Commission, president of the Mobile Bar Association, state bar commissioner for three terms, and member of the state bar executive council and disciplinary commission. He received the Pro Bono Publico award from the American Bar Association in 2011.
Chris Hawkins was sworn in as a bankruptcy judge for the Middle District of Alabama on March 14, 2022. 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 formerly served 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. Prior to taking the bench, he was listed in Chambers USA for Bankruptcy and Restructuring and 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, was a member of the Order of the Coif, received the M. Leigh Harrison Award, and was a Hugo Black Scholar.
On February 16, 2015, Judge Henderson was sworn in as bankruptcy judge for the Northern District of Alabama, Western Division and was appointed Chief Judge effective October 1, 2022. Judge Henderson grew up in Columbiana, Alabama. She received her B.A., magna cum laude and phi beta kappa, from Birmingham-Southern College in 2001 and her J.D., summa cum laude, from the University of Alabama School of Law in 2004. Following law school, Judge Henderson served as a law clerk to Judge Thomas B. Bennett, Retired United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Northern District of Alabama, Southern Division. Prior to her appointment, Judge Henderson was a partner at Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP, practicing in the firm's Bankruptcy, Restructuring, and Distressed Investing Practice Group in Birmingham, Alabama.
Judge Crawford was appointed to serve as a United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Northern District of Alabama on September 1, 2016. Judge Crawford previously served as a Chapter 13 Standing Trustee in the Northern District of Alabama from 2004 until his appointment as a bankruptcy judge. Judge Crawford earned his B.A. from the University of Alabama and his J.D. from Cumberland School of Law at Samford University. He is currently a member of the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges, the American Bankruptcy Institute, and the Alabama State Bar. He has served on the Bankruptcy Judges Advisory Group (BJAG) and the Human Resource Advisory Council (HRAC) that provide advice to the Administrative Office of the United States Courts. He is currently serving as the bankruptcy-judge representative to the Committee on Codes of Conduct for the Judicial Conference of the United States.
Bess Creswell was appointed to serve as United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Middle District of Alabama on April 16, 2018 and became Chief Bankruptcy Judge for the Middle District of Alabama on October 17, 2020. Prior to her appointment to the bench, she was a partner in Burr & Forman LLP’s Creditors’ Rights & Bankruptcy Group where she represented debtors, creditors, and committees in workouts, debt restructuring, and bankruptcy cases. She earned her J.D. from Wake Forest University School of Law, her M.B.A. from the Lundy-Fetterman School of Business, and her B.A. from Campbell University. After law school, she served as law clerk to the Honorable Ray C. Mullins in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Georgia. She presently serves on the Policy and Procedure Committee and the Endowment Committee for the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges and is a member of the Alabama Bankruptcy Assistance Project Advisory Board.
Mr. Conte practiced law for almost 20 years with Helmsing Leach Herlong Newman & Rouse PC in Mobile before being appointed the Chapter 13 Truestee for the Southern District of Alabama in 2022. He received his BA with Honors from the University of South Alabama and his J.D. from Cumberland School of Law.
Amy concentrates her law practice in the area of consumer bankruptcy law. On April 30, 1999, she was admitted to the Alabama State Bar and has practiced with the Bond and Botes firm since 1999. Amy has been a member of the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys (NACBA) since 2004. In 2012, Amy was selected by the NACBA executive board to serve as the Alabama State Chair for all consumer bankruptcy attorneys in Alabama and served in this position through November 2015. As the Alabama Chair for NACBA, Mrs. Tanner served as a liaison between NACBA and attorneys, bankruptcy judges, and other court officials, as well as serving as a primary contact for local media regarding consumer bankruptcy issues. Amy has been a featured speaker at the People’s Law School in Huntsville, Alabama for the past several years. This local program is recorded and airs on local access television channels throughout the State. In addition, Amy has been a speaker at several seminars sponsored by the local bar association, and she recently served as Chair of the Bankruptcy and Commercial Law Section of the Alabama State Bar for 2023-2024.
Mr. Cotant attended Huntingdon College where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Administration. After completing his undergraduate degree, he attended Thomas Goode Jones School of Law where he received his Juris Doctor degree in May of 2016. Chad was admitted to the Alabama State Bar in September of 2016. He is admitted to practice in all Alabama state courts and the United States District Courts for the Northern, Middle, and Southern Districts of Alabama. Chad joined Brock & Stout in March of 2017, and his primary area of practice is Consumer Bankruptcy
Ms. Holder received her B.S. from The University of Alabama, an M.B.A. from Samford University, and her J.D. from Cumberland School of Law. She was admitted to the Alabama State Bar in 1988; admitted to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama in 1988; admitted to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit in 1990; and admitted to the United States Supreme Court in 1990. She served as an Adjunct Professor at Birmingham Southern College from 1989-1994. Ms. Holder is a member of the National Bar Association (Life Member); Alabama Lawyers Association (President, 1999-2000); Birmingham Bar Association; and the Magic City Bar Association (President, 2006). Ms. Holder has 35 years of experience in consumer bankruptcy law.
Mr. Walding received his bachelors degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering (cum laude) from Auburn University and his J.D. (magna cum laude) from The University of Alabama School of Law. His practice focuses primarily on negotiations of conflicts - whether in bankruptcy, workout and creditors’ rights, divorce or other legal arenas. During his career, Mr. Walding has represented numerous secured and unsecured creditors in bankruptcy cases as well as official committees of unsecured creditors and ad hoc committees of creditors. His clients include creditors, including banks, other financial institutions and commercial entities. Mr.Walding formed Walding, LLC in June of 2009.
Rebekah Beal began her career as a Bankruptcy law clerk for Judge William R. Sawyer in the Middle District from 2006-2008. She worked as a creditors’ rights attorney at the Stephens Millirons from 2008 until 2022. She currently holds the position of Supervising Attorney at Padgett Law Group, representing secured creditors in all of the Alabama Bankruptcy Courts.
Mr. Harrison received his undergraduate degree from the University of Montevallo. He earned his J.D. from The Birmingham School of Law while working at AmSouth Bank and SouthTrust Bank in the bankruptcy and foreclosure departments. After being admitted to the Alabama State Bar in 1997, Mr. Harrison worked at Bond, Botes, Sykstus, Larsen & Hatcher for two years in Huntsville, AL. For the last 25 years Mr. Harrison's practice at Key, Greer, Harrison & Casey has focused on representing secured and unsecured lenders in a wide variety of consumer and commercial litigation matters that arise in bankruptcy proceedings involving creditors' rights or creditor liability issues. Mr. Harrison is admitted to practice in the Northern District of Alabama, Middle District of Alabama, Southern District of Alabama and the U.S.
Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Mr. Harrison is a member of the Alabama State Bar, member of the American Bankruptcy Institute, co-chair and chairman of the Tuscaloosa Bankruptcy Bar Association. He serves on the Westem Division Bankruptcy Bar Committee. He frequently lectures on bankruptcy law issues regarding secured creditor practices and legal standards regarding discharging student loan obligations.
Mr. Spina is a 1985 graduate of Auburn University with a B. S. in Accounting and a 1988 graduate of Cumberland School of Law at Samford University. He was admitted to the Alabama State Bar in 1988 and the Tennessee State Bar in 2006. He is licensed to practice before all Alabama and Tennessee state courts, the United States District and Bankruptcy Courts for the Northern, Middle, and Southern Districts of Alabama, the Eastern, Western and Middle Districts of Tennessee as well as the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Mr. Spina is a member of the Bankruptcy and Commercial Law Section of the Alabama State Bar, the Creditor’s Rights Section of the Tennessee Bar, the Bankruptcy and Commercial Law section of the Birmingham Bar Association, the American Bankruptcy Institute, and an associate member of the National Association of the Chapter Thirteen Trustees. He has worked exclusively in the representation of creditor rights in bankruptcy and state courts throughout Alabama since 1988. Paul may be contacted at pspina@spinalavelle.com.
Mr. Caraway is the Chapter 13 Standing Trustee for the Northern District of Alabama, Southern Division (Birmingham). Prior to being appointed Chapter 13 Trustee, Mr. Caraway was a Chapter 13 Trustee Staff Attorney for over ten years and a debtor’s attorney prior to that. Mr. Caraway is a graduate of the University of Alabama and Western Michigan Cooley Law School. In addition to over twenty years of work as an attorney, Mr. Caraway has an extensive teaching background in various fields, including business law, paralegal classes and as the Assistant Director of a college marching band (University of Alabama). He was a free-lance writer and has also contributed articles for publication on bankruptcy issues. Mr. Caraway is a member of the National Association of Chapter 13 Trustees, the Birmingham Bar, and is past Chair of the Bankruptcy and Commercial Law Section of the Alabama State Bar.
Mr. Cottingham holds a B.A. and a J.D. from The University of Alabama. In 1996, he was appointed the Chapter 13 Standing Trustee for the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Alabama, Western Division.
HMichele T. Hatcher was appointed Chapter 13 Standing Trustee for the Northern District, Northern Division of Alabama in June 2017. Prior to her appointment, Ms. Hatcher served as staff attorney to Michael Ford, Chapter 13 Standing Trustee for the Northern District, Northern Division of Alabama. Before joining the Trustee’s office, she was managing partner of Bond, Botes, Sykstus, Hatcher and Tanner, P.C., located in Florence, AL. Ms. Hatcher received her J.D. from the University of Alabama School of Law and her undergraduate degree in Commerce and Business Administration from the University of Alabama. She is a member of the National Association of Chapter 13 Trustees where she serves on the Computer Security/STACS Committee. Ms. Hatcher also serves as the Chapter 12 Case Trustee for the Northern District, Northern Division of Alabama.
Sabrina McKinney is a native of Autauga County Alabama, received her undergraduate degree from Auburn University in 1990 and her J.D. from Jones School of Law in 1993.After law school, she was in private practice where her focus was on plaintiff’s litigation, decedent’s estates, creditor’s rights and the representation of creditors in both state and bankruptcy courts. In 1997 she was hired as Senior Staff Attorney for Curtis C. (Cleve) Reding, Jr., Standing Chapter 13 Trustee for the Middle District of Alabama and served in that capacity until her recent appointment as Trustee. Mrs. McKinney was appointed as the Chapter 12 Trustee in August 2016 and as the Chapter 13 Trustee for the Middle District of Alabama in April 2017. She has been a speaker at numerous CLE’s on various bankruptcy and collection issues. She is currently admitted to practice by the Alabama Supreme Court, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States District Courts for the Middle, Northern and Southern Districts of Alabama. She has served as an officer and is a past president of the Alabama Bar Association’s Bankruptcy and Commercial Law Section and currently serves on the Bar’s Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee.
Roman was born and raised in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. He attended undergraduate, graduate and law school at the University of Alabama. He practiced law in Tuscaloosa for a couple of years then practiced with the Montgomery, Alabama firm of Beasley Allen for 17 years. As a lawyer, Roman had a multi-jurisdictional practice and was licensed to practice law in 8 states and over 35 federal jurisdictions. He has represented individuals, businesses, insurance companies and state governments. In January of 2017, Roman was appointed as a trial judge in Montgomery County. In June of 2018 he became the General Counsel of the Alabama State Bar. He is married to Caroline Thames Shaul and has three daughters, Anne Kingsley (14), Isabel (13) and Thompson (6).
