Hon. Heather Zubke Cooper

Hon. Heather Z. Cooper is the Chief U.S. Bankruptcy Judge for the District of Vermont in Rutland. Prior to her appointment on March 14, 2022, she began her legal career as a briefing attorney to Justice David L. Richards of the Texas Court of Appeals, Second District. She then entered private practice with the firm of Dunn, Kacal, Adams, Pappas & Law, P.C. in Houston, followed by the firm of Murphy & King, P.C. in Boston. In 2004, Judge Cooper moved to Vermont and clerked for former Bankruptcy Judge Collen A. Brown (her predecessor). In 2006, Judge Cooper joined the firm of Facey Goss & McPhee P.C., a Vermont-based law firm, as an associate and then as a partner. Judge Cooper?s practice focused on litigation with extensive and diverse bankruptcy law experience, with more than 20 years of experience in the financial and restructuring industry, representing individual and corporate debtors and creditors in loan workouts and restructurings, liquidations, foreclosures, litigation seizures and re- ceiverships. During her partnership at Facey Goss & McPhee P.C., Judge Cooper served as managing partner and became certified in Consumer Bankruptcy Law by the American Board of Certification. She also served as the Bankruptcy Law Section Chair of the Vermont Bar Association from 2014-18 and on various task forces for the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Vermont since 2011. Judge Cooper received her B.A. from the University of Houston in 1993 and her J.D. magna cum laude from South Texas College of Law in 1998.