---
title: "Hilary L. Barnes | KnowJudges"
canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/hilary-l-barnes-nv"
page_type: "judge_profile"
updated: "2026-10-07"
---

# Hilary L. Barnes

U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Nevada · U.S. Bankruptcy Judge

## Profile

- Court: U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Nevada
- State: Nevada
- Role: U.S. Bankruptcy Judge
- Service status: active

## Summary

Hilary L. Barnes — U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Nevada

## Biography

### Professional career

- U.S. Bankruptcy Judge for the District of Nevada (Reno), appointed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on March 31, 2023
- Quarles & Brady LLP (2005–2009) — represented institutional lenders, large commercial debtors, FDIC, distressed asset buyers, trustees, and others in Chapter 11, receiverships, foreclosures, and guarantee litigation; also pro bono work for the Arizona Justice Project

### Education

- Arizona State University's Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law in — J.D. (1999)
- B.A. in art history at the University of Chicago in 1986

### Additional information

- Member / bankruptcy attorney; 2023
- Her bankruptcy practice included membership at Allen Barnes & Jones, PLC, through 2023 and a partnership at The Cavanagh Law Firm from 2009 to 2014.
- Partner; 2009; 2014
- The Cavanagh Law Firm, P.A.
- Allen Barnes & Jones, PLC — boutique bankruptcy firm in Arizona
- focusing on corporate and consumer bankruptcy, litigation, and out‐of‐court workouts

## Sources

- [Judge Hilary L. Barnes](https://www.nvb.uscourts.gov/judges/chambers/barnes/)
- [New Bankruptcy Judge Appointed for District of Nevada](https://www.nvb.uscourts.gov/news-rss/announcements/2023/0403-barnes-release/)

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## Published courtroom rules

### Shared court rules

- [Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure, December 1, 2025](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-52c9ad7e083212c057b747c7) — Bankruptcy proceedings only; chapter-specific limits apply. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/federal-rules-of-bankruptcy-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27.