Illinois State Approved Sessions

This panel will provide attendees with strategies to handle complex issues that can arise in consumer cases – sometimes common, sometimes not. Topics that will be covered include UCC-1 fixture filings, multi-filers, extensions or imposition of the automatic stay, and when a debtor should consider filing a Chapter 11 petition under Subchapter V. The panel will also discuss recent trends in consumer cases.

This session provides a practical roadmap for preparing and trying issues in consumer bankruptcy cases, with a particular focus on common consumer trial issues such as asset valuation and exemption disputes. Moderated by Judge Vaughan, the panel brings together judicial and practitioner perspectives to guide attendees through the critical stages of trial readiness, including pretrial preparation, discovery strategy, subpoena practice, evidentiary considerations, and effective trial presentation. In addition, the session addresses the financial considerations facing consumer practitioners, including strategies for structuring fees, obtaining court approval, and effectively getting paid for litigating consumer matters. The session emphasizes practical tips, best practices, and common pitfalls encountered in consumer trials. 

This panel will analyze evolving approaches to the characterization of digital assets, focusing on the treatment of crypto in the GENIUS Act and the implications for priority, setoff, and customer vs. estate property rights. The panelists will discuss key recent decisions, including In re Prime Core and Celsius, addressing what constitutes property of the estate, the contours of constructive trusts and tracing, and the allocation of rights among customers, lenders and estate fiduciaries. The panel also will examine the legal status of stablecoins, including whether any super-priority liens can prime lawyers’ retaining or charging liens, and will assess the latest FTX decisions on sanctions, OFAC, and the permissibility of transfers to creditors in restricted jurisdictions such as China and Russia. Collectively, the panelists will present a practical framework for advising clients and litigating crypto-related insolvency issues across jurisdictions.

This panel addresses pressing issues related to the use of AI in the courtroom and the use of AI by the bankruptcy courts. The panelists focus on ethical issues related to the obligation of candor to the court, use of evidence, discovery and privilege issues, and the how the existing rules do or do not adequately address the current and expected AI landscape.Learning ObjectivesAttendees will recognize the ethical obligations of candor to the court when AI tools are used in preparing filings, evidence, or arguments.Attendees will examine emerging evidentiary, discovery, and privilege issues arising from the use of AI by litigants and the courts.Attendees will assess the adequacy of existing rules and standards in addressing current and anticipated uses of AI in bankruptcy practice.

This panel will provide an in-depth examination of the statutory frameworks governing fraudulent transactions in both the Cayman Islands and the U.S. Through a comparative lens, the discussion will analyze how different jurisdictions approach avoidance actions and fraudulent-transfer claims. The panelists also will explore recent and influential decisions from the U.S., Cayman and English courts — including Bilta and Air Arabia — to illustrate emerging trends and judicial reasoning in cross-border insolvency matters. The session will conclude with a practical discussion of the strategic considerations, procedural hurdles and real-world challenges insolvency practitioners face when investigating and pursuing fraudulent transaction claims across jurisdictions.

In this session, we will explore the unique stressors facing members of the bench and bar and how these pressures affect professional performance and personal well‑being, with a particular focus on the negative impacts of multitasking and distraction and how they can be managed to improve overall well-being.

In just 30 minutes, we’ll cut through the noise and focus on the signals that matter most in health care restructuring today. This free webinar will recap health care bankruptcy trends in 2025 and cover key policy, payor, cost, capital market and macro perspectives to provide a clear snapshot of where financial pressure is building — and what that means for health care organizations, lenders and advisors in 2026 and beyond. Designed as a rapid, executive-level briefing, this session is ideal for anyone who wants to stay current on the industry's high points without committing to a deep dive.

This session will focus on the unique challenges presented by distressed private investment funds, with an emphasis on identifying fraud risk and managing funds approaching the end of their lifecycle. The panelists will discuss common fraud red flags encountered in distressed fund scenarios and the practical steps professionals can take to investigate, mitigate and respond to those risks. The panel also will explore strategies for handling “end of life” funds, including wind-down considerations, stakeholder communications and regulatory issues. Particular attention will be paid to Cayman Islands’ segregated portfolio company (SPC) structures, highlighting structural complexities and best practices for insolvency, restructuring and recovery efforts.

This webinar will explore the practical defense strategies defendants are using to quietly end or narrow adversary proceedings in bankruptcy court by leveraging pleading standards, procedural sequencing and judicial preferences — often before discovery begins.