Bankruptcy Judge Scott H. Gan Reappointed to the Ninth Circuit Bankruptcy Appellate Panel

N E W S   R E L E A S E

Sept. 21, 2026
Contact: Katherine Rodriguez
mediarelease@ce9.uscourts.gov

SAN FRANCISCO — Bankruptcy Judge Scott H. Gan of the District of Arizona has been reappointed to an additional three-year term on the Ninth Circuit Bankruptcy Appellate Panel, or BAP, effective Oct. 1, 2026.

Judge Gan was appointed to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Arizona for a 14-year term in September 2014 and was appointed to the BAP for a seven year-term in 2019. He maintains his chambers in Tucson.

Before his appointment to the bench, Judge Gan was a partner then shareholder at Mesch, Clark & Rothschild, P.C. from 1993 to 2014. He joined the firm as an associate in 1986, when his practice primarily focused on commercial bankruptcies. He represented individuals in Chapter 7 cases, usually on a pro bono basis. Judge Gan began his legal career as an attorney with the Office of the Public Defender, Pima County, and then briefly joined a firm that represented claimants before the Social Security Administration and the Arizona Industrial Commission.

Born in Allentown, Pennsylvania, Judge Gan graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Arizona in 1977 and earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Arizona, James E. Rogers College of Law, in 1980.

The Judicial Council of the Ninth Circuit–the governing body for federal courts in the western states and two Pacific island jurisdictions–established the BAP in 1979 as an alternative forum for hearing bankruptcy appeals. The council is responsible for the appointments of judges to the BAP, which is authorized seven bankruptcy judges who serve seven-year terms and may be reappointed for an additional three years. BAP judges are precluded from hearing matters arising from their respective districts.

Headquartered in the Richard H. Chambers U.S. Court of Appeals Building in Pasadena, California, the BAP has historically handled between 45% and 60% of all bankruptcy appeals in the Ninth Circuit (district courts hear the remainder). In fiscal year 2025, 434 new bankruptcy appeals were filed in the circuit, a 9% increase from FY 2024. The BAP disposed of 227 appeals, up 27% from FY 2024, and handled 47% of all bankruptcy appeals, and the district courts handled 53%.

The Ninth Circuit was the first federal circuit to establish a bankruptcy appellate panel. For more information, visit https://www.bap9.uscourts.gov/.

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