No CLE

Did you know that you are a superhero? Who else with the stroke of a pen can erase thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions of dollars worth of debt? Who else can take a struggling American citizen and put them upright with a fresh start, slay aggressive creditors and stop garnishments, demand the return of seized vehicles, and push back on the IRS? Lastly, what other area of law allows you to be a superhero of epic proportions? Not one, Captain America! So wrap yourself in the American flag and spend an hour changing your perspective to understand how the businesses who support you see what you do and why it matters. This panel will present a discussion of the perspectives and issues that stand in your way as successful business owners, the changes we can all make, and how you can adapt to struggle less and succeed more by ditching the models of the past and creating a more nimble one for the future in a post-COVID-19 legal landscape.

This panel will feature a conversation on what we have learned about remote and hybrid practice, and what could use some improvement. The panelists will discuss staffing an office in a virtual environment, retaining talent, the expectation for flexibility, best practices for training new team members and maintaining office morale.

This case-study-based discussion will focus on valuation for companies significantly impacted by COVID-19. The panelists will discuss recent cases where the market and business uncertainty caused by the pandemic led to unpredictable or unexpected valuation outcomes. Further consideration will be given as to how these outcomes might (or might not) be relevant going forward.

The Role of the Bankruptcy Judge

This panel will discuss how trustees are paid and a trustee’s role upon conversion.

Despite the headwinds created by the global pandemic, economic activity has been in full swing. Economic growth during the pandemic generally surpassed expectations, with favorable lending conditions and consumers and businesses maintaining a surprising level of activity. The enormous legislative response to the pandemic was responsible for the strength of the economy, but labor shortages, supply disruption and inflation have become real concerns. The Russian invasion into Ukraine in February has only exacerbated these risks. Given this backdrop, this panel of distinguished investors will discuss the state of distressed investing, including where they currently see opportunities, their thoughts on the credit cycle, and what might drive the next wave of defaults.

This panel will cover the what, how, why and risks/benefits of Article 9 sales, including negotiating the friendly foreclosure and aftereffects.

What are the constitutional limits of bankruptcy court jurisdiction and authority? This panel will discuss recent decisions implicating Stern v. Marshall to see when and how courts are addressing limits on jurisdiction and authority. The panelists will analyze when state law actions may be maintained in bankruptcy court and when the bankruptcy court can enter final orders and review key local rules. Additionally, the panelists will provide strategies for how to address matters where a bankruptcy court cannot issue final orders.