Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer’s Thomas Moers Mayer, alongside retired U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Allan Gropper, received the 2026 Champion of Consumer Rights Award from The National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys (NACBA) at its 34th National Convention on April 10, 2026.
Mr. Mayer is a member of the board of the National Consumer Bankruptcy Rights Center (NCBRC), a NACBA affiliate. Over the last two years, he has represented consumer debtors referred by NACBA – or filed amicus briefs on behalf of NACBA and NCBRC in support of consumer debtors – in the United States Courts of Appeals for the Second, Fifth, Seventh, Ninth and Eleventh Circuits against the Internal Revenue Service, the Social Security Administration and the City of Chicago, among others.
NACBA names Champions of Consumer Rights in recognition of their advocacy on behalf of consumer debtors in court or in connection with legislation. Over the last three decades, prior Champions have included Kamala Harris (then California Attorney General), U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren, Richard Durbin, Sherrod Brown and Sheldon Whitehouse, and U.S. Representatives Jerrold Nadler, Elijah Cummings, Zoe Lofgren and Katie Porter.
The award was announced by Henry J. Sommer – NCBRC President, Editor in Chief of leading treatise Collier on Bankruptcy and the premier advocate for consumers in bankruptcy before Congress and in court for over five decades.
NACBA is a non-profit organization of approximately 1,500 consumer bankruptcy attorneys practicing throughout the country. Incorporated in 1992, NACBA is the only nationwide association of attorneys organized specifically to protect the rights of consumer bankruptcy debtors. NCBRC is a 501(c)(3) organization, dedicated to preserving the bankruptcy rights of consumer debtors and protecting the integrity of the bankruptcy system. NCBRC files amicus briefs in systemically important cases to ensure that courts have a full understanding of the applicable bankruptcy law, the case, and its implications for consumer debtors.