In Memoriam: Herman D. Padgett (1952–2026)

Herman D. Padgett, founder of Padgett & Robertson, passed away on Friday, July 3, 2026. For nearly five decades, Herman devoted his practice to helping families across Mobile, Baldwin County, and all of South Alabama find their way back from overwhelming debt. This page is preserved in his memory.

His Life and Career

Herman was born in Los Angeles, California, in 1952, but Mobile became his home and the center of his life’s work. He graduated summa cum laude from the University of South Alabama in 1974 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and a minor in history. In 1977, he earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Alabama School of Law and was admitted to the Alabama State Bar that same year. He was a member of the deGraffenreid Inn Chapter of the Phi Delta Phi legal fraternity.

In 1978, Herman received an LL.M. in taxation from the University of Florida, where he wrote his master’s thesis on the income taxation of bankruptcy estates. Even then, his path pointed toward the work that would define his career. He returned to Mobile that same year, opened the practice that grew into Padgett & Robertson, and practiced law here continuously for nearly five decades.

A Career of Service

Herman was admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, the United States Tax Court, the United States Court of Claims, the Fifth and Eleventh Circuit Courts of Appeals, and the federal district courts for the Southern and Middle Districts of Alabama. He served as a Chapter 7 Trustee and was an active member of the Alabama State Bar, the American Bar Association, the American Bankruptcy Institute, the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys, and the National Association of Chapter 13 Trustees.

He worked to improve the law he practiced. Herman regularly attended bankruptcy meetings and seminars throughout the United States, and in 2009 and 2011 he traveled to Washington, D.C., to lobby for new bankruptcy laws to help debtors facing foreclosure. On May 6, 2017, the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys presented him with the K. Colleen Nunnelly Award in recognition of his leadership, enthusiasm, and contributions to the association’s mission.

Beyond the Practice

Herman served on the Board of Directors of the Rotary Club of Mobile West and remained a life member of both the University of South Alabama Alumni Association and the University of Florida National Alumni Association. He loved to travel and visited many countries around the world. A devoted amateur radio operator with an Extra Class license, he earned awards for making contacts in all fifty states and on every continent, a fitting pastime for a man who spent his life reaching people.

His Legacy

Herman believed that good people go through hard times and deserve help, not judgment. That conviction built this firm, and it continues to guide attorneys Lacy S. Robertson and Matthew E. Moore and our entire staff as we carry his work forward. His name remains on our door. His example remains in our work.

To the clients, colleagues, and friends whose lives Herman touched: thank you for the trust you placed in him. Our thoughts are with his family and all who loved him.