William L. Hames

Of Counsel Attorney

Kennewick, WA

(509) 586-7797

bhames@gravislaw.com

Background

Raised in the Tri-Cities, William L. Hames is an experienced attorney and U.S. Navy veteran. His legal practice has long focused on bankruptcy, financial restructuring, and workouts. He has represented debtors in Chapter 7, 11, 12, and 13 Bankruptcies, as well as Chapter 11 trustees, unsecured creditors’ committees, asset purchasers, and creditors. William’s reputation was as a debtor’s Chapter 11 reorganization attorney and Chapter 12 family farm debtor’s attorney. However, by volume, he has represented many more creditors than debtors in reorganization bankruptcies.

William started his legal career with the firm Sonderman and Egan, where he worked from 1981-1984. He was a founding partner in the firm of Timmons, Hames, and Hollenbeck from 1984-1986. In addition, he was a founding shareholder in the firm of Hames, Anderson, Whitlow & O’Leary P.S. from 1986 until his retirement in December of 2000, when he moved to the Washington Coast.

William was President of the Bankruptcy Bar Association from 1996-1998 and served on the Board for eight years. He was Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Creditor/Debtor section of the Washington State Bar from 2006-2008 and served on the Board for 12 years. He was Chairman of the Legal Assistants Committee of the Washington State Bar Association in the Early 1990s. He was also the President of the Tri-Cities Estate Planning Council in 2001 and a member of the Benton-Franklin County Bar Association from 1981 until retirement.

William has served as a chairman, co-chairman, moderator, and frequent speaker at continuing legal education seminars on debtor/creditor issues, bad faith filings, the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act, Washington State Crop Liens, the Federal Food Security Act, and various topics arising in agribusiness bankruptcies from 1996 until his retirement.

His proudest professional achievement so far has been being retained as the Defense Standard of Care Expert Witness in legal malpractice cases in Washington and Oregon, in which the underlying case was a Chapter 12 reorganization. He is also proud to have been retained as Defense Counsel in a malpractice claim in which he defended the accused attorney’s former client in a declaratory judgment action in Bankruptcy Court.

Outside of work, William enjoys spending time with his wife, with whom he has been married since 1967, and their two children, Robert and Michal. He also stays involved in the community. William was a member of the Pasco-Kennewick Rotary Club from 1993 until his retirement. He also served as Club President in 2005, as a member of the Scholarship Committee, and as a Trustee of the Pasco-Kennewick Rotary Foundation. He is also a former professor at Columbia Basin College, where he led the paralegal program, and taught business law and bankruptcy law.

  • Debtor and Creditor Rights
  • Real Estate Law
  • Business Planning
  • Civil Litigation
  • B.S., Psychology, University of Washington, 1974
  • J.D., Willamette University College of Law, 1981
  • Washington State Bar Association, 1981
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington, 1981
  • U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, 1985
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, 1985
  • Co-Chair and Moderator, Chapter 13 Seminar and Workshop, sponsored by the Bankruptcy Bar Association Eastern District of Washington, held in Richland, Washington, 1996
  • Speaker, Substantial Abuse from the Perspective of Debtors and Debtors' Counsel. Eastern and Western District Joint Bankruptcy Judges Conference, held in Stevenson, Washington, 1998
  • Speaker, Legislative Update - Student Loans. Spring Seminar on Chapter 7 and 13, sponsored by the Bankruptcy Bar Association Eastern District of Washington, 1998
  • Moderator and Speaker, Pending Bankruptcy Legislation. Bankruptcy: Now and Tomorrow Plus Bankruptcy for Dummies and Federal Min-Conference, co-sponsored by the Bankruptcy Bar Association for the Eastern District of Washington and Federal Bar Association for Eastern District of Washington, held in Yakima, Washington, 1998
  • Co-Chair and Moderator, 9th Annual Bankruptcy Seminar and Retreat, sponsored by the Bankruptcy Bar Association for the Eastern District of Washington, held in Winthrop, Washington, 1999
  • Speaker, Enforcement of Dissolution Decrees in Bankruptcy Court. Collection of Judgments: How to Handle Collection and Defense Efforts Seminar, sponsored by the Washington Creditor-Debtor Rights Section of the Washington State Bar Association, held in Spokane, Washington, 1999
  • Speaker, Implications of Bankruptcy Protection. Washington Society of Certified Public Accountants Continuing Professional Education Program, sponsored by the Washington Society of Certified Public Accountants, held in Richland, Washington, 2000
  • Co-Chair and Moderator, 10th Annual Bankruptcy Seminar and Retreat, sponsored by the Bankruptcy Bar Association for the Eastern District of Washington, held in Winthrop, Washington, 2001
  • Co-Chair and Speaker, Revised Article 9 and Agricultural Liens. Spring Seminar, sponsored by the Bankruptcy Bar Association for the Eastern District of Washington, 2001
  • Speaker, Revised Article 9 and Agricultural Liens. 14th Annual Northwest Bankruptcy Institute, co-sponsored by the Oregon State Bar Association and Washington State Bar Association Creditor/Debtor Sections, held in Portland, Oregon, 2001
  • Co-Chair, Moderator, and Speaker, Revised Article 9 and Revised Agricultural Lien Laws. 11th Annual Bankruptcy Seminar and Retreat, sponsored by the Bankruptcy Bar Association for the Eastern District of Washington, 2001
  • Speaker, Chapter 12 from the Creditor's Perspective: Secured Creditors; Liens Common to all Bankruptcies; Perfection of Liens Unique to Farms; Priority of Liens; Cram Down/Lien Splitting; Loan Modification; Unsecured Creditors, How to Make the best of the Worst of all Possible Worlds. Washington Bankruptcy: A Creditor's Perspective, held at Spokane, Washington, 2002
  • Planning Committee, Moderator, and Speaker, Judges Panel. 15th Annual Northwest Bankruptcy Institute, co-sponsored by the Oregon State Bar Association and Washington State Bar Association Creditor/Debtor Sections, held in Portland, Oregon 2002
  • Co-Chair and Moderator, 12th Annual Bankruptcy Seminar and Retreat, sponsored by the Bankruptcy Bar Association for the Eastern District of Washington, held in Winthrop, Washington, 2002
  • Co-Chair and Moderator, 13th Annual Bankruptcy Seminar and Retreat, sponsored by the Bankruptcy Bar Association for the Eastern District of Washington, held in Winthrop, Washington, 2003
  • Speaker, Using Contracts and Liens to Increase the Probability of Payment from Insolvent or Bankruptcy Hay Buyers. Sponsored by the Washington State Hay Growers Association, 2004
  • Co-Chair and Moderator, 14th Annual Bankruptcy Seminar and Retreat, sponsored by the Bankruptcy Bar Association for the Eastern District of Washington, held in Winthrop, Washington, 2004
  • Speaker, New Bankruptcy Code & Chapter 12 Overview of Agricultural Reorganization from a Creditor's Perspective. Ag Conference and Chapter 12 from a Creditor's Perspective Seminar, sponsored by Washington State Bankers Association, held in Chelan, Washington, 2005
  • Co-Chair, Moderator, and Speaker, 50 Things You Need to Know About the New Bankruptcy Law Panel. 15th Annual Bankruptcy Seminar & Retreat, sponsored by the Bankruptcy Bar Association for the Eastern District of Washington, held in Winthrop, Washington, 2005
  • Co-Chair and Speaker, Business Bankruptcies, Asset Cases & Miscellaneous Items of Interest; Changes You Need to Know About Part II Panel. The New Bankruptcy Act (Things You Need to Know to Survive the First 100 Days) Seminars, sponsored by the Bankruptcy Bar Association for the Eastern District of Washington, held in Richland, Moses Lake and Spokane, Washington, 2005
  • Speaker, Effect of Bankruptcy on Leasing. Advanced Commercial Leases Seminar, sponsored by the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy, held in Spokane, Washington
  • Co-Chair, Moderator, and Speaker, BAPCPA: Two Years (almost) Later Panel. 17th Annual Bankruptcy Seminar and Retreat, sponsored by the Bankruptcy Bar Association for the Eastern District of Washington, held in Winthrop, Washington, 2007
  • Speaker, Chapter 12 from a Creditor's Perspective. Lorman Education Seminar, sponsored by Lorman Education Services, 2007
  • Speaker, 910 Day Property. Fall Seminar, sponsored by the Bankruptcy Bar Association for the Eastern District of Washington, held in Yakima and Spokane, Washington, 2007
  • Speaker, Bankruptcy Issues for General Practitioners in Federal Court. Second Annual Federal Civil Trial Practice Seminar, sponsored by the United States District Court of the Eastern District of Washington, held in Richland, Washington, 2008
  • Co-Chair and Moderator, 18th Annual Bankruptcy Seminar and Retreat, sponsored by the Bankruptcy Bar Association for the Eastern District of Washington, held in Winthrop, Washington, 2008
  • Speaker, Cost of Perfection Panel. Washington Bankruptcy Judges' Conference, held in Semiahmoo, Washington, 2008
  • Co-Chair and Moderator, 19th Annual Bankruptcy Seminar and Retreat, sponsored by the Bankruptcy Bar Association for the Eastern District of Washington, held in Winthrop, Washington, 2009
  • Speaker, Fundamental Procedures on Handling a Bankruptcy Case for a Debtor or Creditor. Divorce - Ethics - DUI – Bankruptcy Seminar, sponsored by the Benton Franklin Legal Aid Society, held in Pasco, Washington, 2009
  • Speaker, Bankruptcy Issues for General Practitioners. Judgments: You Won! What's Next? Seminar, sponsored by the Washington State Bar Association Creditor/Debtor Rights Section, held in Spokane, Washington, 2009
  • Co-Chair and Moderator, 20th Annual Bankruptcy Seminar and Retreat, sponsored by the Bankruptcy Bar Association for the Eastern District of Washington, held in Winthrop, Washington, 2010
  • Co-Chair, Moderator, and Speaker. Recent Washington State Legislation: Changes to Receivership and Exempt Statutes. 21st Annual Bankruptcy Seminar and Retreat, sponsored by the Bankruptcy Bar Association for the Eastern District of Washington, in Winthrop, Washington, 2011
  • Co-Chair, Moderator, and Faculty, Washington State Personal Property Exemptions. Bankruptcy Basics and Beyond, sponsored by the Bankruptcy Bar Association for the Eastern District of Washington, held in Richland, Washington, 2011
  • Co-Chair and Moderator, 22nd Annual Bankruptcy Seminar and Retreat, sponsored by the Bankruptcy Bar Association for the Eastern District of Washington, held in Winthrop, Washington, 2012
  • Co-Chair and Moderator, 23rd Annual Bankruptcy Seminar and Retreat, sponsored by the Bankruptcy Bar Association for the Eastern District of Washington, held in Winthrop, Washington, 2013
  • Co-Chair, Moderator, and Faculty, Ninth Circuit Case Law Update - Doctrine of Judicial Estoppel & Ninth Circuit Cases Panel. 24th Annual Bankruptcy Seminar and Retreat, sponsored by the Bankruptcy Bar Association for the Eastern District of Washington, held in Winthrop, Washington, 2014
  • Speaker, The Best Intentions (Treatment of Post-Petition Capital Gains Tax in a Chapter 12 Bankruptcy). 24th Annual Northwest Bankruptcy Institute, co-sponsored by the Oregon State Bar Association and Washington State Bar Association Creditor/Debtor Sections, held in Seattle, Washington, 2014
  • Speaker, Washington State Agricultural Liens, PACA & FSA. 24th Annual Northwest Bankruptcy Institute, co-sponsored by the Oregon State Bar Association and Washington State Bar Association Creditor/Debtor Sections, held in Seattle, Washington, 2014
  • Speaker, Chapter 13 Dismissal for Bad Faith and Doctrine of Judicial Estoppel. Bankruptcy Fall Seminar, sponsored by the Bankruptcy Bar Association for the Eastern District of Washington, held in Richland, Washington, 2014
  • Co-Chair, Moderator, and Faculty, Chapter 13 discharge for Intentional Acts, or the Lack Thereof, 25th Annual Bankruptcy Seminar and Retreat, sponsored by the Bankruptcy Bar Association for the Eastern District of Washington, held in Winthrop Washington, June 2016
  • Speaker, Small Corporate or LLC Chapter 7 Bankruptcies, Spring Bankruptcy Seminar, sponsored by the Bankruptcy Bar Association for the Eastern District of Washington, held in Richland Washington, March 2017
  • Co-Chair, Moderator, and Faculty, Small Corporate of LLC Chapter 7 Bankruptcies, sponsored by the Bankruptcy Bar Association for the Eastern District of Washington, held in Winthrop, Washington, June 2017
  • Co-Chair and Moderator, Sun Mountain Bankruptcy seminar and retreat, every year through 2019
    Speaker, Chapter 12 CLE at Gonzaga in December of 2019