Georgia State Approved Sessions

This panel will examine conflicts of laws in cross‑border insolvency, focusing on U.S. standing rules versus foreign recovery statutes, offshore jurisdictional reach, and choice‑of‑law challenges. It will also provide practical strategies for planning around these issues to mitigate risk and achieve enforceable outcomes.

Valuation plays a critical role in cross-border insolvency and litigation matters, yet it often arises late in proceedings, creating challenges for practitioners. This panel will provide a practical overview of common valuation and regulatory issues that arise across jurisdictions, highlight key valuation approaches, and share real-world examples to illustrate best practices for addressing valuation challenges in complex cross-border cases.

This panel will provide an overview of recent developments and trends in chapter 15 cross-border insolvency practice. The panelists will discuss notable recent cases, emerging issues in recognition, comity and cooperation, and evolving approaches taken by U.S. courts when coordinating with foreign proceedings. The session will highlight practical considerations for foreign representatives and parties in interest navigating chapter 15 proceedings and related cross-border disputes.

Commercial real estate remains a sector to watch for restructuring and insolvency professionals, as the market continues to absorb the effects of elevated interest rates, bifurcated asset classes and uneven market performance. This forward-looking program will provide ABI members with a clear and comprehensive assessment of where the CRE economy stands as we begin 2026 — and what the year ahead may signal for distress, opportunity and capital markets activity. Featured will be the insights of Xander Snyder, senior commercial real estate economist at First American Financial Corp., whose research focuses on economic trends impacting commercial real estate, such as demographics, fundraising, investment and commercial lending. He monitors, analyzes and reports on economic data and surveys related to commercial real estate, and develops models and forecasts to better understand the forces that influence commercial real estate markets.

This high-impact opening plenary will move decisively past the theoretical debate surrounding the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and will focus entirely on its practical applications. The panelists will discuss how firms are applying generative AI today to increase efficiency, reduce administrative workload and deliver better client outcomes, and will provide immediate, actionable intelligence on how AI can be used for specialized legal research, document analysis, financial data modeling and workflow automation in restructuring and insolvency cases.

In 2024 alone, more than 517,000 bankruptcy cases were filed in the U.S., and bankruptcy judges issued an estimated 521 reported decisions, plus another 1,241 unreported decisions. How many of those cases and issues are you familiar with? You might know what the Supreme Court did in Purdue Pharma, what the Third Circuit did in Boy Scouts, what the Fourth Circuit did in Bestwall, and what bankruptcy courts are doing in cases like Red River Talc, Celsius and FTX, but do you know the latest trends in equitable tolling, chapter 5 avoidance claims and conversion rights? Bill Rochelle and this panel of esteemed bankruptcy judges will be holding a lively discussion of a few critical-but-under-the-radar decisions that you should be reading about but likely are not. You won’t want to miss this educational and eye-opening conversation!

Join members of ABI’s 2012-13 National Ethics Task Force as they update their 2013 Final Report on bankruptcy ethics best practices with this lively panel discussion on current hot topics, including required (and recommended) estate professional disclosures, independent directors, access to justice and artificial intelligence.

Hosted by the Real Estate Committee. This panel will discuss the financial and legal challenges that continue to confront the real estate market by asset class — including office, hospitality, retail and residential — as well as solutions, bright spots and predictions.

This panel will navigate the evolving landscape of subchapter V bankruptcy with expert insights into strategies that protect your clients’ interests. The panelists will examine critical eligibility requirements — including debt caps, the “engaged in commercial or business activities” standard, and strategic timing considerations — while exploring the unique role of the subchapter V trustee in facilitating reorganization. Discover how recent circuit court splits on corporate discharge exceptions and projected disposable income requirements are reshaping case outcomes. Whether you are new to subchapter V or seeking innovative approaches to common challenges, you’ll gain practical strategies for both debtors and creditors, from pre-filing planning and eligibility pivots to confirmation tactics and § 523 litigation. Learn how to leverage — or defend against — the streamlined procedures that make subchapter V an increasingly attractive option for small business restructurings.

This session will explore the complex legal doctrines that define the rights and limitations of trustees and debtors in bankruptcy. The panelists will examine when trustees and debtors step into the shoes of the debtor, including how pre-petition rights and defenses impact the estate. The discussion also will analyze the application and limits of the in pari delicto doctrine, along with potential workarounds, and provide a close look at the Barton doctrine — its reach, exceptions, and whether protections continue after case closure. In addition, the panelists will consider the implications of the Fifth Circuit’s recent Highland Capital Management decision, including how gatekeeper provisions may reshape Barton protections for post-confirmation estate representatives.