Delaware State Approved Sessions

Section 506(c) and 552(b) waivers have become a staple in the pre-petition-lender-turned-DIP-lender toolbox. But what are the unsecured creditor’s tools for pushing back, and the arguments for why value that accrued post-petition might properly be reserved for junior creditors? Apart from collateral battles, this panel will explore the types of securities or other considerations that some plans have distributed to the class junior to the fulcrum security in acknowledgment of the potential asset appreciation not fully realized at the time of plan negotiation, as well as the ABI Commission’s recommendation to implement a “Redemption Option Value” — and the challenges that such structures pose.

The senior living sector, already stressed prior to the pandemic, has been upended by COVID-19. This panel will discuss the effects that COVID-19 has had on operational and financial performance, business models past and future, and the real estate valuations of senior living facilities. The panel will also identify what in-court and out-of-court alternatives exist, and will highlight adaptive reuse opportunities for owners and operators of these facilities. Participants will learn about the operational and financial ramifications that COVID-19 has wrought on senior living facilities, the various in-court and out-of-court alternatives available to restructure these facilities, and trends in senior living business models. The panelists also will explore various alternative financing options available for distressed businesses, including sale-leaseback and bridge financing, as well as potential adaptive reuse issues and alternatives for facilities that close.

In today’s bankruptcy world, most major cases involve at least one pre-petition class action. This panel will focus on the distinction between mass tort claims and other types of class actions, recent case law addressing the proper procedures for asserting class claims, the allowance of class claims and compensation of class counsel, and the final resolutions of class claims, either by way of settlement or pursuant to plans. Other cutting-edge issues surrounding class claims also will be discussed.

This panel of board-certified judges will break down some of the most interesting, shocking and sometimes amusing ethical missteps taken by members of the federal bar.

This panel will focus on alternative fees in bankruptcy and litigation financing, pursuing claims against third parties and derivative claims/reflective losses, the assignment of claims and court sanctioning.

This panel will provide an update on the key technological issues facing practicing attorneys today, including cyberattacks, software needs, Zoom updates, electronic signatures, hybrid hearings and cryptotechnology, as well as decentralized autonomous organizations and tokenized assets (i.e., NFTs, metaverse and DeFi).

This panel will discuss litigation funding, conflicts and disqualifications, client complaints, mediation and dealing with pro se litigants.

It has been more than a year since the new Dutch Act on court-sanctioning of private composition to avoid bankruptcy, the so-called WHOA or Dutch Scheme, entered into force. The new Dutch Scheme has received a lot of attention in the (international) market because it offers a flexible restructuring tool in the Netherlands, a jurisdiction that plays an important role in many international restructurings. Notably, the Dutch Scheme introduced debtor-in-possession proceedings, which aim to achieve debt-restructurings outside of formal Dutch bankruptcy processes. Join this panel of experts as they take a look at the Dutch Scheme and the similarities it has to U.S. chapter 11 and English scheme processes, and whether these similarities can also be seen in practice.

Post-confirmation trusts increasingly have become a popular means of obtaining plan confirmation and administering estate assets, pursuing litigation, and resolving a variety of disputes in chapter 11. While the use of post-confirmation trusts provides a host of benefits, it may provide traps for the unwary. This panel will explore issues and challenges that frequently arise in structuring and implementing post-confirmation liquidating and litigation trusts, including preservation and limitations of estate powers, analysis and pursuit of litigation, and practical challenges to winding down assets after former officers, directors and employees are no longer incentivized (or compensated) to cooperate. The panel will bring a wealth of nationwide experience to bear, along with the perspectives of post-confirmation fiduciaries, debtors and creditors alike.

This panel will analyze and explore issues and obstacles faced by debtors, creditors and other interested parties in recent mass tort bankruptcy cases. Topics to be covered will include tort claimant committees and government plaintiffs, estimation and jury trials, and channeling injunctions and settlement trusts.