Gary D. Barnes selected for 2019 Michael R. Roser Excellence in Bankruptcy Award

Gary D. Barnes has been chosen to receive the 2019 Michael R. Roser Excellence in Bankruptcy Award from the Bankruptcy Creditor-Debtor Rights Committee of the Missouri Bar.

Since 1994, the Bankruptcy Creditor-Debtor Rights Committee of the Missouri Bar, through a special selection subcommittee consisting of past recipients and attorneys representing different geographical areas throughout the state in a variety of practice sizes, has presented the Roser award to an attorney who manifests the highest standard of excellence in bankruptcy practice, who contributes distinctively to the development and appreciation of bankruptcy law, and who has made an outstanding contribution to the field of bankruptcy practice or administration. The award is named in honor of the late Michael R. Roser, a prominent Kansas City bankruptcy lawyer.

Barnes graduated summa cum laude with a degree in political science from William Jewell College and earned his J.D. from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law. He served as a law clerk to the Honorable Dennis J. Stewart of the Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Missouri. Gary is a partner in the insolvency and commercial bankruptcy group at Husch Blackwell in Kansas City. He has acted as national and regional insolvency counsel, representing secured lenders, landlords, lessors, preference defendants, buyers in Section 363 sales and creditors’ committees in commercial financial restructurings and bankruptcy. He also serves as special insolvency counsel for a number of bank clients. Gary successfully represented the unsecured creditors’ committee in the Farmland Industries Chapter 11 bankruptcy case, one of the 20 largest bankruptcy cases in the world at the time. Ultimate payment to the unsecured creditors in the case was more than 100% of the allowed unsecured claims. He has also served as a panel trustee in the Western District of Missouri in Chapter 7 bankruptcy proceedings for approximately 30 years.

Among other honors, Barnes has been recognized as a Local Litigation Star by Benchmark Litigation, as one of the Best Lawyers in America in bankruptcy and creditor debtor rights/ insolvency and reorganization law and a Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyer. He is a fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy.

Barnes has also been active in legal education and continuing education of his colleagues. He served as an adjunct professor at the University of Missouri Kansas-City School of Law and was one of the organizers of the initial Honorable Arthur B. Federman Bankruptcy Trial Skills Academy sponsored by the Court and the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law.

Barnes maintains an active presence in the community, serving as vice chair of the Board of Trustees of William Jewell College and a former member of the board of directors of Missouri Boys State. Since 2007, he has served on the advisory board of the Assistance League of Greater Kansas City, an organization that annually clothes more than 2,500 children throughout Kansas City. He has also served on the school board in Liberty.

The award will be presented at the Midwestern Bankruptcy Institute in Kansas City, Oct. 4, 2019.