Hon. James Peyton Smith

US Bankruptcy Court

James P. Smith is the Chief  Bankruptcy Judge for the Middle District of Georgia. Judge Smith was appointed by the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit on February 22, 2010. Judge Smith attended the University of Georgia where he received his BBA-Finance degree in 1978 and his MBA and JD (cum laude) degrees in 1981.

Before taking the bench, Judge Smith was a partner with Arnall, Golden & Gregory from 1989 to 2005. In 2005, Judge Smith joined Stone & Baxter as a partner. While in private practice, Judge Smith’s practice concentrated on business litigation and representing debtors and creditors in consumer and business bankruptcy cases. Judge Smith is a frequent speaker and lecturer on bankruptcy topics. Judge Smith served on the Bankruptcy Section of the State Bar of Georgia and was its Chairman in 2000-2001. He also served on the Review Panel of the State Bar of Georgia in 2003 and was on the State Bar of Georgia Board of Bar Examiners from 2007 to 2010. Judge Smith was named a Georgia Super Lawyer by Atlanta Magazine in 2004 and 2005 and was listed in The Best Lawyers in America - Bankruptcy and Debtor-Creditors Rights Law from 2005 through 2009.