Georgia State Approved Sessions

This lively panel of bankruptcy judges will debate the most pressing and controversial issues shaping bankruptcy law today. Gain unique insights from the bench on evolving case law, procedural challenges and emerging trends affecting practitioners across the bankruptcy spectrum.

The restaurant and franchise sectors present unique challenges in chapter 11 restructurings, from complex lease negotiations to brand preservation and franchise agreement compliance. Whether representing debtors, creditors or franchisors, attendees will gain practical insights into navigating the distinctive legal and business hurdles faced by restaurants and franchises in chapter 11. 

In April 2023, ABI created the Subchapter V Task Force, which was charged with reviewing the implementation and administration of subchapter V. After almost a year of study and public hearings, the task force has issued its report and recommendations, which include statutory changes. This session will discuss the task force’s report and recommendations.

This panel will explore the basics of privilege and how it is used in bankruptcy litigation. Do members of an LLC have access to privileged info? Do former board members have rights to privileged info? Does a trustee of an individual debtor have rights to the individual debtor's privileged information? Is a trustee required to turn over his/her privileged information to the debtor after it retakes possession? Can mediation privilege be used to cloak an entire bankruptcy case so that all information is immune from discovery from non-mediation parties or its adversaries?

This panel will identify the unique issues that come into play in health care asset sales, from hospitals to senior living facilities. The panelists will address closing challenges, regulatory issues, HIPPA/privacy issues, Opco/Propco issues and much more.

This panel will consider and discuss practice points, deployment of technology, and ethical considerations for attorneys following the COVID-19 pandemic.

This unique, interactive panel will be presented as a mock trial where financial advisors will be cross-examined by attorneys on valuation issues, including liquidation value.

Ponzi and other fraudulent schemes continue to proliferate. Many of these schemes, event if primarily targeted at Americans, operate using offshore entities in the Caribbean. As a result, resolving such schemes typically involves domestic receiverships or bankruptcy coupled with offshore liquidation proceedings. The victims’ recoveries may vary widely depending on whether the distribution of the scheme’s remaining assets is determined by U.S. bankruptcy law, U.S. common law or foreign law. This panel will explore the various ways in which U.S. and foreign laws implicate victims’ recoveries, as well as potential changes to those laws.

The public should expect, if not demand, that judges and professionals alike strictly adhere to the ethical codes and rules that serve to promote and protect the integrity of the courts and the legal system as a whole. This highly respected panel consisting of sitting judges and an expert in bankruptcy ethics will explore issues of judicial and professional transparency, disclosure, conflicts, the duty to report improper conduct, and the means by which to do so.

Hosted by ABI's Real Estate Committee The hospitality sector is one of the commercial real estate asset classes that has endured profound changes since the pandemic, both positive and negative. Pent-up demand for travel, flexible work schedules and strong consumer spending are driving demand in some sectors, while remote work has fundamentally changed business travel, which is straining occupancy and profits at properties that historically have relied on this steady stream of business. There are significant pockets of distress among hotel owners, particularly those facing maturing mortgage loans at a time of higher borrowing costs and more stringent lender underwriting requirements. This is against a backdrop of slowing hotel industry revenue growth, sticky inflationary pressures on labor and operating expenses, and sharp increases in property insurance costs. ABI's Real Estate Committee is pleased to provide this opportunity to dive into the hospitality sector with 45-year industry veteran Frank Nardozza, chairman and CEO of REH Capital Partners, LLC, a national investment and advisory services firm focused on hospitality investment, finance and consulting. He previously served as the National and Global Real Estate and Hospitality Consulting Practice Leader for KPMG. The program will conclude with a live question-and-answer session.