Alexandria, Va. — The American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI) will present Retired Bankruptcy Judge Randolph J. Haines (Arizona) with the Judge William L. Norton, Jr. Judicial Excellence Award at the ABI luncheon during the 95^th National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges annual meeting in Indianapolis on Oct. 8. The Norton Award honors a retired or current bankruptcy judge who has been an outstanding educator, writer and scholar. The award is presented by ABI and Thomson Reuters in memory of the late William L. Norton, Jr. Past award-winners include Mary F. Walrath, Eugene R. Wedoff (a past ABI President), A. Jay Cristol, Barbara J. Houser (a past ABI President), Barry Russell, William H. Brown, Robert D. Martin and Harlin D. Hale.

An ABI member since 2000, Judge Haines is a consummate scholar, writer and educator. Before attending Stanford to obtain his J.D., he earned a B.A. in philosophy from the University of Wisconsin, as well as a Ph.D. in philosophy from Yale. Judge Haines started his legal practice at Lewis and Roca, LLP in Phoenix. As a practitioner, he was known as an expert in the Bankruptcy Code, as well as a creative reorganization specialist. His keen interest in examining and dissecting the Bankruptcy Code led to prolific writing on such subjects as jurisdiction, valuation and classification, and intellectual property rights. During this time, he was named a Fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy.

Being named to the bench in 2000, Judge Haines’s deep and thoughtful analyses led to multiple reported decisions of significance. It was not uncommon for Judge Haines to take the reader of his opinions through a history lesson of common law and early bankruptcy law. In furtherance of his passion for writing, he also served as editor-in-chief of the American Bankruptcy Law Journal, contributing editor of Norton Bankruptcy

Law and Practice, 2nd ed. and managing editor of the Norton Bankruptcy Law Advisor.

A natural educator, Judge Haines was an adjunct faculty member at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University for several terms. Despite his retirement from the bench in 2014, he continues to write and speak at various continuing education programs, including, most recently, the Western Montana Bankruptcy Law Institute, Norton Bankruptcy Litigation Institutes and the Arizona District Conference for federal judges and practitioners.

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ABI is the largest multi-disciplinary, nonpartisan organization dedicated to research and education on matters related to insolvency. ABI was founded in 1982 to provide Congress and the public with unbiased analysis of bankruptcy issues. The ABI membership includes nearly 10,000 attorneys, accountants, bankers, judges, professors, lenders, turnaround specialists and other bankruptcy professionals, providing a forum for the exchange of ideas and information. For additional information on ABI, visit www.abiworld.org. For additional conference information, visit www.abi.org/events.