2025 Alexander L. Paskay Memorial Bankruptcy Seminar

This presentation will explore how generative AI is transforming the legal profession, including its ability to draft legal documents and marketing materials, and will address the professional, legal and ethical risks it presents. Attendees will gain practical insights on AI’s impact and limitations, as well as how to navigate this evolving technology effectively and responsibly.

This plenary will consist of small group huddles with judges and fellow attendees to work through case problems.

In this session, trustees of all types — chapter 7, subchapter V, chapter 12 and chapter 13, together with an attorney for court-appointed fiduciaries and liquidating trustees — share their perspectives on the commonalities and differences under each chapter. The panelists discuss how to avoid common mistakes and offer tips for success for counsel to debtors and creditors. Is the trustee a friend or foe? What if a case converts from one chapter to another? Can a subchapter V trustee act as a mediator? What happens if a trustee suspects fraud? Do trustees have any discretionary powers? Join us and find out!

With a focus on providing practical advice, this panel examines issues that may arise with respect to personal property in consumer bankruptcy cases. The panelists address current case law and issues related to property of the estate, valuations, exemptions, garnishments and turnover. Whether you represent debtors, creditors or trustees, this session is sure to be a “Wicked” good time.

This panel helps attendees avoid the landmines of a franchisee chapter 11 filing and better understand the current law on leasehold issues, critical vendor considerations, pre-petition termination of franchise agreements and a potpourri of pointers from multiple perspectives. The session also includes a hypothetical with practical solutions and considerations based on recent cases (published and nonpublished opinions) to the hypothetical.

This panel explains the Department of Education/Department of Justice Guidance and Attestation process, and discusses the Brunner test and the types of evidence that might be useful to support the statements in an Attestation.

This panel will present an overview of the statutory groundwork for, methodology for pursuing, and latest case law on avoidance action claims, including the impact of Purdue Pharma on the sale of these claims.

In consumer bankruptcy cases, the ability to craft clear, concise and well-structured motions is critical to achieving favorable outcomes for clients. This panel provides practical insights into effective motion practice in bankruptcy court, focusing on strategies that enhance clarity, improve efficiency, and ensure that motions stand out for their quality and precision. Whether you are new to bankruptcy law or looking to refine your motion practice, the panelists provide you with practical takeaways to elevate your filings and effectively advocate for your clients in the bankruptcy court.

Most lawyers are very familiar with what SCOTUS decided in the Harrington v. Purdue Pharma L.P. case. This panel focuses on the issues on which SCOTUS did not decide and that are the subjects of new decisions all over the country.

This panel explores all things evidence (well, not all), including fundamentals like presumptions, privileges and burdens of proof; often overlooked and underappreciated methods of presentation, such as summaries; practical pointers, such as how to value assets on the cheap; and emerging issues involving spotting and defending against “fake” evidence. The panelists will present a variety of perspectives from academia, the bench and the bar, all focused on providing practical advice on how best to prove your case (and maybe just a little about how to disprove the opposition).