Alexandria, Va. — The American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI) presented Bankruptcy Judge Michael G. Williamson (M.D. Fla.; Tampa) with the Judge William L. Norton, Jr. Judicial Excellence Award at the ABI luncheon during the 96th National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges annual meeting in Orlando on Oct. 21. 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 Randolph J. Haines, 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 1999, Judge Williamson’s dedication to service is demonstrated by his contributions to legal education, his written opinions and scholarship, his commitment to the improvement of the bankruptcy courts, his international insolvency work, and his judicial and bar association involvement. He has authored over 207 reported decisions since taking the bench in 2000, including In re Tropical Sportswear International Corp., 320 B.R. 15 (Bankr. M.D. Fla. 2005), which has been cited in seven judicial decisions, 64 publications and 442 trial court documents. Judge Williamson is a prolific speaker and writer, including serving as co-author of Bankruptcy Law Manual since 2014.

Judge Williamson also demonstrates dedication to international insolvency work, including drafting and overseeing the enactment of a new insolvency law in Afghanistan, and research and educational work in Azerbaijan, Macedonia, Rwanda, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Republic of Georgia, Bahrain and Ukraine.

Judge Williamson has been active in many professional organizations, including serving as chair of the Committee on Creditors’ Rights of the Section of Litigation of the American Bar Association and chair of the Orange County (Orlando) Bar Association’s Bankruptcy Law Committee and its Corporate and Business Law Committee; president of the Central Florida Bankruptcy Law Association; chair of The Florida Bar Business Law Section’s Special Committee on Post-Judgment Collection Remedies; and as a member of the Executive Council of The Florida Bar’s Business Law Section. He is also a Fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy (Class IV), and he has been a member of the International Insolvency Institute since 2006 and the American Law Institute since 2007.

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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.