Sharon L. Stolte receives award for excellence in bankruptcy
Sharon L. Stolte received this year’s Michael R. Roser Excellence in Bankruptcy Award at the Midwestern Bankruptcy Institute in Kansas City earlier this month.
The Missouri Bar Financial Services & Insolvency Law Committee presents this award each year to a lawyer 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 after Michael R. Roser, a prominent Kansas City bankruptcy lawyer.
Stolte is a shareholder at Sandberg Phoenix and is the leader of the firm’s Bankruptcy and Creditor Rights group. Her practice focuses on bankruptcy, Chapter 11 debtor and creditor issues, and Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 consumer debtor matters.
Stolte said her practice has covered the full spectrum of bankruptcy work, as she’s represented debtors, creditors, and official committees of unsecured creditors.
“That range has given me an appreciation for each constituency’s perspective and for how much the system depends on balancing their interests fairly,” Stolte said. “I have always tried to bring the highest standards to every matter: careful preparation, creative problem-solving, candor with the court, and respect for everyone involved.”
Stolte said she has wanted to be a lawyer for as long as she could remember and understood that lawyers could help people when they needed it most. Bankruptcy practice has been “one of the most meaningful ways to do that,” she said, as those who come to her often are facing the hardest financial moments of their lives.
“Being able to guide them through that process, explain their options clearly, and help them toward a fresh start or workable restructuring is deeply rewarding,” Stolte said.
Stolte said the recognition is not hers alone, but reflects the mentors who invested in her, the colleagues who challenged and supported her, the judges and court staff who make the bankruptcy system work, and the clients who trusted her with their most difficult problems.
“More than anything, the award reaffirms why I became a lawyer in the first place,” Stolte said. “It tells me that the work of helping people, one case at a time, matters. It also inspires me to keep giving back to the bankruptcy community that has given me so much.”
Click here to learn more about annual awards presented by The Missouri Bar, the Missouri Bar Foundation, and other entities. Read about other 2026 award winners here.