abiLIVE Webinars

Commercial real estate remains a sector to watch for restructuring and insolvency professionals, as the market continues to absorb the effects of elevated interest rates, bifurcated asset classes and uneven market performance. This forward-looking program will provide ABI members with a clear and comprehensive assessment of where the CRE economy stands as we begin 2026 — and what the year ahead may signal for distress, opportunity and capital markets activity. Featured will be the insights of Xander Snyder, senior commercial real estate economist at First American Financial Corp., whose research focuses on economic trends impacting commercial real estate, such as demographics, fundraising, investment and commercial lending. He monitors, analyzes and reports on economic data and surveys related to commercial real estate, and develops models and forecasts to better understand the forces that influence commercial real estate markets.

This webinar will discuss efforts currently underway to amend Bankruptcy Rule 9031 to expand judges’ toolboxes and allow for the appointment of special neutrals (a.k.a. special masters), and will focus on practical considerations in evaluating such an amendment.

Hosted by ABI's International Committee  The first in a series of webinars focusing on insolvency topics across geographies, this session delves into issues and strategies affecting asset recovery. Hear from professionals active in countries across Latin America who will explain what legal, financial and logistical challenges they face in recovering assets, both domestically and across borders, and the tips and tools they use to overcome obstacles.

Sponsored by ABI's Real Estate Committee The commercial real estate economy has weathered back-to-back storms: a global pandemic, which brought swift changes in demand across asset classes and geographic markets, and aggressive Federal Reserve actions to curb inflation with rate hikes, which have finally begun to ease. As we kick off a new year, the ABI Real Estate Committee is presenting a Commercial Real Estate Economic Outlook featuring Brandon Svec, National Director of Analytics for CoStar Group. Brandon will share his views on where things stand on a macroeconomic level, by property type, and on other forces impacting this sector, enabling ABI members to stay ahead when new real estate matters cross their desks. Plus, he frequently presents on the real estate economy to leading lending, development, acquisition, and brokerage firms across the nation. The program will cover key questions, such as: Which asset classes and which parts of the country are showing elevated distress that could present opportunities for ABI members in the year ahead? Is the change in the demand for office space permanent? What impact might the leadership transition in the White House and Congress have on the real estate economy? *This webinar is no longer approved for CLE credit in WI.

Join us for the first session of a three-part webinar series, hosted by ABI Capital Partner SC&H Capital. This first session will discuss the sales of private credit lender collateral, as well as capture key considerations in mergers and acquisitions in the current and near-term markets. With a focus on the use of private credit and traditional and alternative financing vehicles, industry leaders will discuss how the strategies for and structures of merger-and-acquisition transactions have changed, and what is expected in the current, future and volatile markets. The third session, taking place in November, will address how officers and directors must focus on complex issues and elevated responsibilities in the context of these types of transactions. Attendees will gain valuable insights — from investment bankers, attorneys and financial advisors who are on the front lines of these kinds of transactions — that will inform them now and in the future.

In Partnership with Epiq Bankruptcy Analytics Year-over-year bankruptcy filings continued to show solid increases across most chapters throughout 2023. Join ABI and statistical partner Epiq Bankruptcy Analytics for this special abiLIVE webinar, which will examine the consumer and business filing trends that emerged in 2023, how 2023's filings compare among different stakeholders and regions of the U.S., and whether these trends will continue into 2024.

Hosted by ABI's Asset Sales Committee The recipients of ABI's 2023 Asset Sale of the Year award will discuss the company's threatened suspension by the California Medi-Cal program and the execution of a strategy that initially had led to court orders stopping the suspension, then later culminated in the sale of assets. Hear specifically how Borrego's professionals navigated complex health care, regulatory and bankruptcy issues, which ultimately resulted in a settlement and sale that ensured the continuation of high-quality, culturally competent care to Borrego's patients and a substantial recovery for creditors.

Hosted by ABI's Unsecured Trade Creditors Committee This mock mediation, based on the Southern District of New York’s (SDNY's) recent preference decision in The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, Inc. bankruptcy cases involving McKesson Corp., will demonstrate how plaintiff, defendant and mediator analyze risk and preference exposure when trying to reach a mediated settlement. The SDNY’s decision followed two summary-judgment motions filed by McKesson, but this webinar will assume that this is a pre-summary-judgment mediation. The panelists will discuss the three issues decided by the court: (1) whether McKesson could include paid new value as part of its new value defense (i.e., whether the subsequent advance vs. remains-unpaid approach is appropriate); (2) whether McKesson could set off its § 503(b)(9) claim (i.e., its 20-day claim) against preference liability (i.e., mutuality as to when a § 503(b)(9) claim and preference claim arise); and (3) whether the amounts in McKesson’s § 502(h) claim, which paid invoices for 20-day § 503(b)(9) goods, should be a general unsecured claim that recovers $0, or a higher priority § 503(b)(9) claim, which could theoretically recover 100% if a plan was confirmed, but would recover much less here, as the cases were administratively insolvent and structurally dismissed. A fourth issue that the SDNY implicitly addressed was whether there is improper double-dipping where there is an allowed § 503(b)(9) claim (either paid or reserved for) that a claimant seeks to also include as part of its new value calculations (i.e., Auriga Polymers and, analogously, Friedmans).

Hosted by ABI's Real Estate Committee Commercial real estate continues to be top of mind for restructuring professionals nationwide, as Federal Reserve interest rate policy to curb inflation is impacting values at the same time as rapid changes in supply and demand within several asset classes have taken hold. ABI's Real Estate Committee is honored to host a commercial real estate economic outlook presentation featuring Martin Lavelle, senior business economist with the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, to provide important market intelligence. Lavelle’s research topics include construction and real estate, consumer spending, rural economic development and more. He is heavily involved in the formulation of the Chicago Fed’s Beige Book submission by moderating roundtables of key business contacts and regional stakeholders. This program will cover such key questions as which markets appear to be under the greatest pressure, the status of the return-to-office environment and key indicators to watch as this sector evolves, what is going on in other major asset sectors, whether construction prices are subsiding, what the general sense is about the enormous amount of near-term debt maturity in light of market values, and whether there is stress on the community banking system given higher concentrations of real estate lending. The webinar will include time for Q&A.

Hosted by ABI's International Committee This is the second in a series of webinars that will cover key jurisdictions around the globe, focusing on developments you and your clients need to consider when thinking about bankruptcy-type proceedings in foreign jurisdictions. What you don’t know may hurt your clients, and you can’t just assume that the same rules apply as in the U.S. For this second webinar, the panelists will be examining the situation in Brazil, Canada, the Caymans and Mexico.