Awards

The College recognizes outstanding achievement in the field of commercial finance law through several awards. Please click on the links below for more information about each of the awards.

• Homer Kripke Achievement Award
• Grant Gilmore Award
• Harry C. Sigman Special Service Award

Homer Kripke Achievement Award
The Homer Kripke Achievement Award recognizes a career of noteworthy leadership and a history of exceptional dedication to the improvement of commercial finance law and practice. Award recipients have contributed to, and often changed the course of, commercial finance law and practice through activities that have had a lasting and significant impact. 

Prior to becoming the Chester Rohrlich Professor of Corporate Law, Finance and Taxation at New York University School of Law, Homer Kripke served as Assistant General Counsel at The CITGroup, Inc. for 17 years. An expert in secured transactions, Professor Kripke also mastered securities law and accounting, in addition to being President of the Association of Commercial Finance Attorneys, Inc. from 1963 to 1965. Having contributed to the development of American commercial jurisprudence throughout his entire adult life, the College has deemed it particularly fitting that our lifetime achievement award be named in Professor Kripke’s honor. 

Recipients of the Homer Kripke Achievement Award

2024:  Sylvia Fung Chin 

2023:  Stephen L. Sepinuck

2021: Steven L. Harris and William H. Henning 

2019:  E. Carolan Berkely and Sandra M. Rocks

2018: Frederick H. Miller 
2016:  Professor Amelia H. Boss
2015:  Maury B. Poscover
2014:  Professor Neil B. Cohen 
2013:  John B. Power
2012:  Edwin E. Smith and Steven O. Weise
2011:  George A. Hisert and David S. Willenzik
2009:  William M. Burke
2005:  Harry C. Sigman
2002:  James J. White
2001:  Donald Lee Rome
1999:  Donald J. Rapson
1998:  A. Bruce Schimberg
1997:  Professor William D. Hawkland
1996:  Howard Ruda
1993:  William B. Davenport
1992:  Professor Homer Kripke

Grant Gilmore Award
This award is given in recognition of superior writing in the field of commercial finance law.  Grant Gilmore was a co-Reporter for the original Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code. He authored the classic treatise on secured transactions, and taught at several schools including Yale Law School and Columbia Law School. Professor Gilmore authored a number of books on commercial law, including secured transactions, admiralty law, and contract law, including his survey and criticism of contract law, The Death of Contract. 

Recipients of the Grant Gilmore Award

2024:  Steven L. Schwarcz, Stanley A. Star Distinguished Professor of Business at Duke University School of Law

2023:  Kara Bruce, Professor, University of Oklahoma College of Law; Christopher Odinet, Professor, University of Iowa College of Law,  Andrea Tosato, Professor, University of Nottingham School of Law & University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School and Adam J. Levitin, Professor, Georgetown University Law Center 

2022:  Professor Steven L. Harris, taught at Wayne State University Law School in Detroit, University of Illinois College of Law for 12 years and Chicago-Kent College of Law for 25 years (Steve passed away in November 2021)   and Professor Charles W. Mooney, Charles A. Heimbold, Jr. Professor of Law, University of Pennsylvania Law School

2020:  Stephen L. Sepinuck, Professor of Law, Gonzaga University School of Law:  Stephen L. Sepinuck, Professor of Law, Gonzaga University School of Law

2016:  Xuan-Thao Nguyen, Professor, Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law
2015:  Melissa B. Jacoby, Professor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and 
               Edward J. Janger, Professor, Brooklyn Law School
2008:  Kenneth C. Kettering, Professor, New York Law School
2002:  Thomas E. Plank, Professor, University of Tennessee College of Law
2000:  Lisa E. Bernstein, Professor, University of Chicago Law School
1998:  Ronald J. Mann, Professor of Law, University of Michigan Law School and 
               Marshall E. Tracht, Associate Professor, Hofstra University School of Law
1996:  Stephen L. Sepinuck, Associate Professor, Gonzaga University School of Law
1993:  R. Wilson Freyermuth, Associate Professor, University of Missouri-Columbia
1992:  Kerry Lynn McIntosh, Professor, Santa Clara University

Harry C. Sigman Special Service Award
The award is presented to Fellows of the College who have made significant contributions to the College’s goals by sharing their knowledge and promoting the development and improvement of the practice of commercial finance law. These contributions include developing and promoting the enactment of model laws, such as the Uniform Commercial Code, developing authoritative model agreements for use by practitioners, and significant efforts in the areas of continuing legal education.  The Harry C. Sigman Special Service Award (formerly the ACCFL Special Service Award) was renamed in honor of Fellow Harry Claude Sigman, an eminent and distinguished, internationally recognized attorney who embodied the mission of the College.  Mr. Sigman passed away in August 2017.  

Recipients of the Harry C. Sigman Special Service Award

2024: Paul Hodnefield and Darrell W. Pierce received the Special Service Award in 2024 for their many contributions to the College and continuing legal education in commercial finance law.

2023:  Edwin E. Smith, Juliet M. Moringiello, Charles W. Mooney, Jr. and Stephen L. Sepinuck received the Special Service Award in 2023 for their leadership as Chair, Vice Chair, Reporter and Associate Reporter, respectively, for the Uniform Commercial Code Amendments (2022) drafted by the Uniform Law Commission and the American Law Institute. 

2011: Richard Brown and Gary D. Chamblee received the Special Service Award in 2011 for their leadership in the development of the ABA Business Law Section Model Intercreditor Agreement. More information about Richard and Gary’s award can be found here.

2009:  Ernest Bland Williams III and Jeffrey S. Turner were recognized for their many contributions to the College and continuing legal education in commercial finance law.
* EIII (Ernest Williams III) was one of the founders of the College in 1991, and served as its first president from 1991 to 1993. Without his guidance and wisdom, the College would not be in existence today. EIII also taught and wrote on commercial law topics. EIII passed away in 2008, and a tribute to him can be found here.
* Jeff Turner was a prolific writer and educator in the field of commercial finance. He served as Chair of the ABA Business Law Section Commercial Finance Committee and in many capacities in leadership of the LA County Bar Association and the State Bar of California. Jeff was co-author of a leading treatise on asset based lending as well as the author of numerous articles and a frequent CLE speaker. Jeff passed away in 2004, and a tribute to him can be found here.

A more detailed description of EIII’s and Jeff’s many contributions and achievements can be found here.

2002:  William M. Burke, Professor Steven L. Harris, Professor Charles W. Mooney, Jr. and Steven O. Weise were recognized for Distinguished Service in the Development and Nationwide Enactment of Revised Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code. The development and enactment of Revised Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code was a landmark achievement in commercial finance. Revised Article 9 became effective in almost all states on July 1, 2001, and is currently effective in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands. This major update to the most significant law ever to affect secured lending was drafted by a Committee chaired by William M. Burke. Co-Reporters Steven L. Harris and Charles W. Mooney, Jr. were aided by Steven O. Weise, the American Bar Association advisor to the Committee. Following enactment, these lawyers continued their efforts toward the successful enactment of the law.