BOWLES JR., CLAUDE RAY “CHIP” ,
partner at Bingham Greenebaum Doll LLP, general counsel to The Game Manufacturers Association (GAMA), chair of the American Bankruptcy Institute’s Chapter 11 Professional Fee Study, Vice-Chair and driving force behind the American Bankruptcy Institute’s National Ethics Task Force, devoted husband, father, and friend unexpectedly passed away on April 18, 2017 at the age of 58.
Chip was a member of the: American Bankruptcy Institute, Association of Trial Lawyers of America, American Bar Association, Ohio Bar Association, Kentucky Academy of Trial Lawyers, Kentucky Bar Association and Louisville Bar Association. He also volunteered his time with: Credit Abuse Resistance Education (CARE), Revolution Church, Belknap Neighborhood Association and Belknap Neighborhood Fall Festival Committee.
Chip was born and raised in Campbellsville, Kentucky. He excelled in academics from a young age and graduated as valedictorian of Taylor County High School in 1977. He went on to the University of Kentucky where he graduated with Bachelor of Arts in history with high distinction in 1981 followed by law school, graduating with a Juris Doctorate with high distinction in 1984, finishing fourth in his class.
After being admitted to practice in Kentucky, Chip went to work as a law clerk to the Honorable Merritt S. Deitz, Jr., United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Western District of Kentucky. In 1986, he moved to Cincinnati, Ohio to become an associate attorney at Porter, Wright, Morris and Arthur.
That same year, Chip met the love of his life, Linda Kay Swope at a mutual friend’s wedding. It was love at first sight and a within a year, they were married. Chip and Linda moved to Louisville in 1992 after the birth of their only child, Charles. There, Chip was to recruited to serve as the career law clerk to the Honorable Henry H. Dickinson, United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Western District of Kentucky—an environment which nurtured his natural aptitude for legal writing.
Though he distinguished himself in his legal career, his first priority was always his wife and son. He used his accounting acumen and finance skills to develop the Belknap Neighborhood Fall Festival with his wife Linda serving as the Festival Chair. Their combined leadership grew the one-day, five-booth festival into the Week in the Highlands with an attendance of15,000 plus.
Following Judge Dickinson’s retirement, in 1999 Chip joined Bingham Greenebaum Doll LLP, which would be his legal home for the next 18 years. There, he took the next steps in his professional journey. He generously imparted wisdom to younger generations, molding the future pillars of the bankruptcy law community. His unparalleled attention to detail and diligence were a moral compass in trying times. In recognition thereof, in 2008 he was awarded the American Bankruptcy Institute’s Service Award, the ABI’s highest honor. The service award is presented to a member whose contributions to the ABI and bankruptcy law have been extraordinary.
In 2009, Chip became the general counsel to The Game Manufacturers Association (GAMA) combining his lifelong passions for the law and board games. This position enabled him to forge his mark on an industry which was life-changing for him. He developed programming for intellectual property concerns, mentorship for entrepreneurs, and established a legacy that will not be matched.
Despite Chip’s numerous professional accolades, his true honor was staying by Linda’s side for over 26 years. No two people took their vows more seriously, loving each other through sickness and health. When Linda was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2011, Chip devoted his life to her care until her untimely passing in 2013. Despite his crushing grief, Chip could not ignore his responsibility to the legal community, serving as the vice-chair of the ABI’s National Ethics Task Force. As such, he authored various legal writings on: bankruptcy ethics, Chapter 11 bankruptcy/business restructuring, creditor/debtor rights and debt relief—only a small portion of a career totaling over 200 profession-changing articles including his magnum opus, the ABI Chapter 11 Professional Fee Study.
He is survived by his son Charles Ray Bowles, student at NYU’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.
A visitation will be held on Monday, April 24, 2017 from 5 to 7 p.m. with services immediately following at Highlands Funeral Home in Louisville, Kentucky.
In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting that donations be made in his name to Bridgehaven (bridgehaven.org) or Revolution Church (revolutionky.org).

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