2022 Heidt Award Winner: Clay Roberts

This sentiment, spoken by the Honorable Grace E. Robson of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Florida, is shared by countless many of Clay Roberts’ friends, colleagues, and family members—including this article’s author, Clay’s fiancée. Over the years, Clay has exemplified compassion, dedication, professionalism, and a ceaseless drive toward the betterment of his community.

For these reasons and more, the Business Bankruptcy Committee honored Clay with the annual Kathryn R. Heidt Memorial Award (the “Heidt Award”) at the Committee’s 2022 Fall Meeting in Orlando, Florida. The Honorable Christopher M. Alston of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Washington presented Clay with the award. The award presentation followed a heartfelt introduction from Judge Robson, who has worked with Clay on various Business Bankruptcy Committee projects.

The Heidt Award honors the memory of Kathryn R. Heidt, who at the time of her passing was the Chair of the Business Bankruptcy Committee. The Heidt Award recognizes those individuals who embody the qualities that Kate herself sought to instill in young lawyers.

Clay is currently Counsel at Berger Singerman LLP in Miami, Florida. He represents public and private companies in strategic corporate, finance, and restructuring matters, including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and other strategic relationships. Before joining Berger Singerman LLP, Clay previously worked as a Corporate, Finance, and Restructuring Counsel with Bilzin Sumberg Baena Price & Axelrod LLP, a Financial Restructuring and Insolvency associate with White & Case LLP and as an associate with Genovese Joblove & Battista, P.A., where he worked on both bankruptcy and commercial litigation matters.

As a new lawyer, Clay served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Laurel M. Isicoff, now Chief Judge of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida. Clay first met Judge Isicoff when he was a competitor in the Duberstein Bankruptcy Moot Court Competition in 2014. Judge Isicoff was a final-round judge for the Cristol Kahn Paskay Cup, the regional preliminary competition for schools within the Eleventh Circuit participating in the nationwide Duberstein competition. Not only did Clay and his teammates from Georgia State University College of Law win the Cristol Kahn Paskay Cup, but they also went on to win the Duberstein competition in New York, New York. It is in part because of Clay’s impressive moot court performance that Judge Isicoff selected Clay for a judicial clerkship post-graduation in Miami.