Alexandria, Va. — ABI announces that Sarah Beth Withers of Inner Banks Legal Services, Inc. (Washington, N.C.) has been selected as one of ABI’s “40 Under 40,” ABI’s annual program that recognizes 40 of the top insolvency industry professionals under the age of 40. The honorees will be recognized at a special ceremony to be held on Dec. 10 at ABI’s 2021 Winter Leadership Conference at Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.

Withers founded Inner Banks Legal Services, a nonprofit law firm organized to bridge the justice gap in Eastern North Carolina, in 2017 and primarily represents consumers filing chapter 7 and 13 cases. She is also a co-founder of the North Carolina Consumer Bankruptcy Rights Coalition, which was organized to protect the integrity of the bankruptcy system in North Carolina and preserve the rights of consumer bankruptcy debtors through advocacy, education and appearances in lawsuits related to issues of interest to consumer debtors. She has co-authored articles for The NACTT Academy for Consumer Bankruptcy Education and the Eastern Bankruptcy Institute. Withers has provided bankruptcy education to the Beaufort County Bar Association, to the community through the Pitt County Counsel on Aging, and to domestic violence shelters in Eastern North Carolina. She has been recognized as a “Rising Star” in consumer bankruptcy by Super Lawyers (2019-2021), and she maintains an active pro bono practice, having been inducted into the North Carolina Pro Bono Honor Society (2019-2020). Withers received her J.D. in 2013 from Florida Coastal School of Law and her B.A. summa cum laude in psychology and criminal justice in 2008 from North Carolina Wesleyan College.

“The 2021 honorees are a testament to the future of the insolvency profession, with exemplary accomplishments in both their careers and communities,” said ABI Executive Director Amy Quackenboss. “We look forward to this diverse collection of young leaders propelling ABI's full range of activities forward to advance the profession.”

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. Nominations were submitted earlier this year by the candidates themselves or by colleagues via the initiative’s website, http://abi40under40.org. More than 200 candidates, each with outstanding records of professional achievement and community leadership, were evaluated by 20 judges. The majority of the applicants were partners, directors or managing directors at their firms.

Click here to view the full list of the 2021 “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.