Consumer

Join this superstar panel in exploring the very latest developments in consumer bankruptcy law.

ABI’s Consumer Commission is charged with researching and recommending improvements to the consumer bankruptcy system that can be implemented within its existing structure. Join us for the first of two commission hearings at the WLC to solicit what such changes might include, from amendments to the Bankruptcy Code and Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure, to administrative rules or actions, to recommendations on proper interpretations of existing law, and other best practices that judges, trustees and lawyers can implement. The hearings will be on matters common to both chapters 7 and 13.

Recent court decisions on legal ethics of which you should be aware. Come join an interactive discussion on the latest examples of unethical behavior — you may be surprised by what you hear.

This panel will feature a roundtable discussion with bankruptcy judges from the Ninth Circuit and across the country. The judges will share their thoughts and perspectives, as well as take questions from the audience, on topics of current interest in both business and consumer cases.

The once booming golf course industry has resorted to bankruptcy as a way to address operational and liquidity issues. This panel explores the financial challenges facing America’s golf courses and selected restructuring issues that debtors and creditors face in their attempts to reorganize.

Panel will provide an overview of the intersection between bankruptcy and family law. The discussion will include the effects on property of the estate when one spouse does not file, community and separate property issues, scope of automatic stay, collection against non-debtor spouse, and other related family law issues as they intersect with bankruptcy.

Learn from others’ mistakes and experiences. The panel will share tips and painful lessons on anticipating and avoiding ethical and legal problems in business restructuring cases.

This panel will consist of four short "moot court/pro-con" presentations on current chapter 11 issues, with the Judge to be a “hot bench” and also give his insights at the conclusion of each segment.

Panel will highlight practice risks that include debtor and creditor viewpoints. The topics will include: tracking and anticipating obvious and unknown deadlines, appreciating inherent conflicts that may pose ethical problems as well as critical path obstacles to hidden conflicts of interest, springing conflicts of interest, undisclosed client expectations creating dissatisfaction with the process and outcome, and underestimating expense and delay leading to crisis of payment and inability to effectuate strategy.