Alexandria, Va. — ABI announces that Megan Clontz of Spencer Fane LLP (Plano, Texas) has been selected as one of ABI’s “40 Under 40,” ABI’s award program that recognizes 40 of the top insolvency industry professionals under the age of 40. The honorees will be recognized at a special ceremony on Dec. 1 at ABI’s 2023 Winter Leadership Conference at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Clontz is Of Counsel at Spencer Fane LLP, where she represents debtors and secured and unsecured creditors in bankruptcy and nonbankruptcy insolvency matters, with a focus on small business reorganizations and restructurings, and debtor and creditor rights litigation in both state and federal courts. She also has experience representing debtors and creditors in consumer bankruptcy cases under chapters 7, 11 and 13, and in complex consumer mortgage litigation. Clontz currently chairs the DFW Network of the International Women’s Insolvency & Restructuring Confederation (IWIRC) and is the most recent past chair of the Bankruptcy and Commercial Law Section of the Dallas Bar Association. She previously served on boards for the State Bar of Texas Bankruptcy Section’s Young Lawyers Committee and the Dallas-Fort Worth Association of Young Bankruptcy Lawyers, on the Junior League of Dallas’s Leadership Council, and in leadership positions with the Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas and other local nonprofit organizations. She also was a proponent of and integral to the formation of the new IWIRC-Central Texas Network, founded in 2023, and she is a member of ABI, IWIRC, the Hon. John C. Ford American Inn of Court, the Texas Women of Bankruptcy group, and several local bar associations.

Clontz has prioritized volunteerism and mentorship throughout her career. While in law school, she earned the Dean’s Community Service Award and Order of the Samaritan from the University of Alabama School of Law for her volunteer work with the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, and she continues her work through local alumni associations, nonprofit organizations and her church. She also recently helped with the “Roadways to the Bench—Who, Me? A Bankruptcy or Magistrate Judge?” diversity outreach program in the Northern District of Texas.

“The members of the 2023 class are an inspiration for the commitment, creativity and ingenuity that they demonstrate in both their careers and communities,” said ABI Executive Director Amy Quackenboss. “This diverse collection of honorees is comprised of future leaders that will drive ABI and the insolvency community forward.”

The “40 Under 40” winners are distinguished by professional achievements and service and were selected by a group of experienced professionals from ABI’s current leadership. Now in its seventh year, the goal of ABI’s “40 under 40” award program is not simply to create a one-time ceremony, but to fully engage those selected as future leaders in the insolvency profession and to build on the initiative each year.

Click here to view the full list of the 2023 “40 Under 40” honorees.

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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.abi.org. For additional conference information, visit http://www.abi.org/calendar-of-events.