Dear Fellows,

We are saddened to let you know of the passing of R. Neal Batson on Monday, September 1, 2025. Neal was in the first Class of the Fellows of the College, and was instrumental in its formation and growth. He was the recipient of the College’s Distinguished Service Award in 2010. After graduating from Vanderbilt Law School in 1966 and clerking on the Fifth Circuit for the Hon. Griffin B. Bell, Neal joined the law firm of Alston, Miller & Gaines in Atlanta, Georgia (a predecessor to Alston & Bird) in 1967 and began a law practice at the highest level until he retired in 2004. He was old school in all the ways we still find important at the College. 

He was a member of both the American College of Trial Lawyers and the American College of Bankruptcy where he served as President and Chair. He taught at the Federal Judicial Center Workshop for Bankruptcy Judges and served as an Adjunct Professor at the Emory University School of Law, in addition to being a regular lecturer on bankruptcy law. He was also a President of the Southeastern Bankruptcy Law Institute and the Atlanta Bar Association. In his community he gave of his time, including serving as Senior Warden at St. Anne’s Episcopal Church, the Board of the Vasser Wooley Foundation, the Aspen Homeless Shelter, and Meals on Wheels. At his law firm he served as chair of the Partners Committee, Head of the Litigation Department, and Leader of the Bankruptcy Group. Professionally, his appointment as the Examiner in ENRON was the capstone of a career that included numerous significant representations. In his personal life, Neal was married to Liz Flanagan, and they had two sons, Hayes and Davis, and two grandchildren.

We offer our deepest condolences to Neal's friends, family, and colleagues.

CC Schnapp

Executive Director

ccschnapp@amercol.org