Business

Join ABI for its first recreation of the infamous “TED Talks,” with speakers focusing on topics only a bankruptcy guru could love, such as rules of professional conduct, career advice and teaching moments and Safe Harbor for Financial Institutions.

FDCPA, FCRA, TILA, RESPA, so many letters, so little time. This panel will discuss the litany of statutes designed to protect the consumer that all practitioners that work in the consumer space should be aware of.

When financial trouble hits the closely held business, a more complicated structure often lurks below the surface. What the “family” views as a single business may actually be several entities with a long history of intercompany transactions. Conversely, one generation may have transitioned out of the business but might still be receiving compensation from the business under the control of the next generation. The problems are heightened when your contact at the client is an individual who wears various “hats,” including president, board chair, CEO and potential defendant. How does the professional deal with the conflicts and consequences of transactions with insiders and affiliates, particularly where the financial resources of the business and individuals are already stretched thin before adding the layer of professionals that come with any bankruptcy proceeding? This panel of experienced restructuring professionals will discuss the legal, ethical and financial issues raised by family conflicts, and provide their unique legal insights and practical advice.

How do you come to understand a business whose very survival was dependent on ensuring that nobody could understand the business? When administering Ponzi-related bankruptcies, actions taken at the outset are often determinative of the results, but what do you do when the books and records are fiction? This panel will focus on the role of financial professionals in Ponzi scheme bankruptcies, including the initial investigation, establishing the existence of a Ponzi scheme, determining who the “winners” and “losers” are, seeking additional recoveries (including chapter 5 actions and other litigation), making distributions and negotiating settlements.

Qui Tam Cases in Bankruptcy Court; Applicability of the Automatic Stay under § 364; Are You Exhausted Yet? Better Take a Look at Those Administrative Remedies

An unprecedented number of retailers have filed for bankruptcy so far this year. Indeed, as of June 1 there have been more significant retail bankruptcies than in all of 2016, setting a potential record course for 2017, including The Limited, rue21, Payless, Gymboree, hhGregg, Gander Mountain and Ignite Restaurants (Joe's Crab Shack). Has the strategy changed from § 363 sales and liquidations to pre-2005 reorganizations? Will the sheer greater number of potential filings doom malls? Will mall owners and their tenants be filing for bankruptcy? What could the domino effect be on landlords? Can brick-and-mortar stores cement their positions and stem the tide of bankruptcies? Will the Aeropostale paradigm of landlord investment become more common? Will factors and other lenders be caught in the downward spiral? Will there be recoveries for the unsecured creditors in cash or equity? Can Black Friday sales save retail? This panel discussion will cover a wide spectrum of legal and practical insights into each of these topics.

In March 2017, the Supreme Court issued its decision Czyzewski v. Jevic Holding Corporation. The Jevic case has been regarded as the most important Supreme Court case impacting chapter 11 practice in the last decade. This panel of experts will be discussing the impact and implications that the Jevic decision will have on business bankruptcies for years to come.

Hosted by the International and Mediation Committees This panel will discuss the evolution of mediation in cross-border insolvencies and how it is utilized today. It will also provide insight into how cross-border mediations differ from U.S.-centric mediations, when cross-border mediations are most (and least) effective, and how mediators and professionals can best prepare themselves and others for successful cross-border mediations.

This panel will feature a discussion on retail bankruptcy issues from the perspective of debtors, landlords, liquidators, financial advisors and creditors.

Hosted by the Commercial Fraud and Secured Credit Committees. This panel will take a fresh look at secured creditor rights and unique solvency issues in fraud and Ponzi cases. Learn how to avoid being trumped in federal forfeiture proceedings or paying on bankruptcy clawback claims by treading in the safe harbor of § 546(e) — and learn how to navigate the shoals of receivership