Business

Featuring the regional judges of the Rocky Mountain Bankruptcy Conference, this session will strive to answer questions you have on current issues.Learning Objectives:Attendees will identify current issues and emerging trends in bankruptcy practice as viewed from the perspective of regional bankruptcy judges.Attendees will gain insight into judicial expectations, procedural preferences, and effective advocacy strategies in bankruptcy court.Attendees will analyze common challenges and questions arising in bankruptcy cases and how courts are addressing them in practice.

In this interactive roundtable, bankruptcy judges will engage in a candid discussion of prominent recent bankruptcy cases and decisions shaping the current insolvency landscape. Drawing on their judicial perspectives, the judges will explore emerging legal trends, notable rulings and practical implications for practitioners while highlighting areas of doctrinal development and unresolved questions.

Join Tim Sloan for an insightful keynote examining the current state of the U.S. commercial real estate market. He will break down the forces shaping today’s environment and highlight emerging trends affecting assets across major sectors. The session will also explore the new opportunities these conditions create for lenders and investors, offering practical perspectives for navigating a rapidly evolving landscape.Learning Objectives:Attendees will learn to:Be able to identify and explain the key economic and market forces currently shaping the U.S. commercial real estate landscape across major asset classes.Gain the ability to evaluate emerging trends in commercial real estate and assess their potential impacts on lenders, investors and market performance.Learn to apply practical strategies for navigating evolving market conditions and recognize new opportunities created by shifts in the commercial real estate environment.

Andrew D. Bishop of Signum Global Advisors examines the evolving global landscape through the lens of the U.S.'s current “America First” policy and its implications for modern economic and political influence. The keynote explores how shifting geopolitical priorities, strategic competition among major powers, and the reemergence of economic nationalism are reshaping global markets and cross-border relationships. Learn how these developments influence financial systems, international investments and the broader restructuring environment to help you navigate an increasingly complex and uncertain world order.Learning Objectives:Attendees will analyze the key drivers behind the shift toward "America First" policies and their impact on global economic and political dynamics.Attendees will evaluate how geopolitical tensions and economic nationalism influence cross-border restructuring, capital flows, and market stability.Attendees will identify emerging risks and opportunities for practitioners arising from changes in the global geopolitical and economic landscape.

A two-time National Journalism Award winner, host of "Es la Hora de Opinar" on FOROtv, and a columnist for Excélsior, Zuckermann combines academic rigor from Oxford, Columbia and El Colegio de México with decades of frontline journalism and privileged access to the region's decision-makers. He brings a rare insider's view of the forces shaping Latin America's economic and political future — exactly the lens restructuring professionals need right now.Learning ObjectivesIdentify the key political, legal, and economic developments shaping Mexico's current governance, rule of law, and regulatory environment.Analyze how shifts in Mexico's domestic politics and its relationship with the United States may affect business, investment, and restructuring activity in the region.Evaluate the practical implications of Mexico's political and economic trajectory for advising clients with operations, investments, or exposure in Mexico and Latin America.

We’ve all seen intangible assets on balance sheets — from intellectual property (IP) and franchise agreements to customer lists and goodwill. What do we do with IP, and how do we use it or value it to have a successful reorganization and not just a sale? This session will provide takeaways you can use to inform your next case.Learning Objectives:Define the evolving scope of intellectual property (IP): Participants will be able to identify the major categories of IP and explain how modern business models are expanding what counts as IP, including data, algorithms, customer relationships, and other emerging intangible assets.Analyze why IP matters in restructuring strategy and negotiation: Participants will understand how IP can influence leverage, value and deal dynamics in a reorganization, and evaluate ways to use IP assets or IP gaps to shape plan negotiations, monetization strategies, and outcomes beyond a simple sale.Apply practical approaches to protecting and maximizing IP value in distressed situations: Participants will be able to spot common pitfalls such as overlooked, unprotected or undervalued IP, and apply practical tools and case study strategies to preserve, enhance, or monetize IP to reach a successful restructuring solution.

This panel explores the lifecycle of a deal in Latin America, from liability-management trends to IPOs and the exit strategies companies and investors ultimately pursue. The panelists offer their perspectives on how these stages intersect and evolve in today's political and market environment.Learning ObjectivesIdentify the common liability management techniques used in Latin American restructurings and the legal and practical considerations that shape their use.Examine the range of exit strategies available to companies and creditors in distressed situations, including out-of-court solutions, local insolvency mechanisms, and cross-border tools.Assess the risks and strategic trade-offs associated with liability management transactions and exit strategies, and apply this analysis to advise clients navigating financial distress in the region.

This panel will explore key bankruptcy litigation issues that are currently the subject of significant interest and debate, including recent challenges arising from liability-management exercises (LMEs) such as minority lender objections, the extent to which LMEs may insulate secured claims from challenge in subsequent bankruptcy cases, and their interplay with DIP financings and roll-ups. The panelists also will discuss venue disputes, recent adequate protection and priming fights, and developments in post-confirmation litigation trusts. In addition, the panelists will address the increasing use of artificial intelligence in bankruptcy litigation and restructuring practice in general, with a focus on how practitioners can leverage AI to enhance their work.Learning ObjectivesAttendees will identify and analyze current bankruptcy litigation issues arising from liability management exercises (LMEs), including minority lender challenges and the implications for lien rights and DIP financing structures.Attendees will evaluate key trends in bankruptcy litigation, including venue disputes, adequate protection and priming contests, and emerging developments in post-confirmation litigation trusts.Attendees will assess the expanding role of artificial intelligence in bankruptcy litigation, including its application to legal analysis, case strategy, and decision-making.

This panel examines key issues related to the treatment of merchant cash advance loans in bankruptcy proceedings.Learning Objectives:Attendees will understand the structure of merchant cash advance (MCA) agreements and the circumstances inwhich they may be treated as loans in bankruptcy proceedings.Attendees will examine potential claims and defenses involving MCA finance companies, includingrecharacterization and avoidance theories.Attendees will analyze the treatment of MCA claims in bankruptcy cases, including issues of priority, enforceability, and evolving case law.