Illinois State Approved Sessions

Fraud can surface at any stage of a transaction—and its impact can be devastating. This session guides attendees through the key phases where fraud risk emerges, spotting early warning signs during underwriting, recognizing post‑closing concerns that signal deeper issues, and deploying the appropriate remedies when misconduct becomes clear. Panelists will share real‑world examples, investigative approaches, and strategic responses used by lenders, advisors, litigators, and special servicers.Learning Objectives:Attendees will learn to:Identify early warning signs of fraud during underwriting and recognize post-closing red flags that indicate potential misconduct in real estate transactions.Apply investigative approaches and evidentiary standards used by lenders, special servicers and advisors to substantiate fraud claims.Formulate strategic legal remedies and recovery options available to victims of real estate fraud, including litigation strategies and alternative dispute resolution.

This panel will explore strategies and pitfalls in distressed lease and asset sales, both in and out of court. Panelists will address key issues in negotiating lease workouts and structuring asset sales, highlighting how tactics shift depending on asset class. Discussion will cover recent trends, including repeat bankruptcies and the rise of lease-only and stand-alone asset sales, with practical insights for stakeholders navigating today’s restructuring challenges.Learning Objectives:Attendees will learn to:Draft and negotiate lease workout agreements and structure asset sales in both in-court and out-of-court distressed scenarios.Distinguish between tactical approaches for different asset classes and identify common pitfalls in distressed lease and asset sale transactions.Analyze emerging trends, including repeat bankruptcy filings, lease-only sales, and stand-alone asset dispositions, to develop effective stakeholder strategies.

This session will present a concise, market‑focused look at distress in agricultural real estate. The panelists will define the scope of the ag sector, outline current market conditions, and identify the major drivers and asset types experiencing pressure. The discussion will cover distress pathways, valuation challenges, and the legal and regulatory factors shaping outcomes. Attendees will also gain insights into the roles of lenders and institutions, investor strategies and opportunities, key risks, and what the near‑term outlook suggests for stakeholders across the ag real estate landscape.Learning Objectives:Attendees will learn to:Identify the major asset types, market drivers and distress pathways currently affecting agricultural real estate across different regions.Apply specialized valuation methodologies and assess legal and regulatory factors unique to distressed agricultural property transactions.Evaluate investor strategies, institutional lender roles, and risk factors in agricultural real estate restructurings and workouts.

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.

Industry experts will break down the forces reshaping hospitality—from operational and market pressures to legal and restructuring considerations. The discussion includes a focused look at hospitality challenges in Mexico and concludes with forward‑looking financial and investment insights to help stakeholders navigate the current market.Learning Objectives:Attendees will learn to:Analyze operational, market and legal pressures currently affecting hospitality sector restructurings in domestic and international markets.Identify cross-border legal and regulatory considerations specific to hospitality distress in Mexico and other international jurisdictions.Evaluate financial restructuring strategies and investment opportunities emerging from current hospitality market conditions.

Artificial intelligence has rapidly evolved from a source of concern to an essential tool for legal practice. This interactive session moves beyond warnings to focus on how bankruptcy attorneys and judges can harness AI’s power today. Through real-world examples and live demonstrations, panelists will explore practical applications—from covenant analysis and motion drafting to case preparation and fee applications.Learn how to craft effective AI prompts, understand the differences between public and private AI systems, and discover tools that transform routine legal tasks. Whether representing clients or presiding over cases, attendees will gain actionable strategies to work more efficiently while maintaining accuracy and ethical standards.

In consumer Chapter 13 practice, successful plans are rarely accidental. This panel reframes the most common causes of plan failure into practical strategies for success, focusing on how attorneys can proactively navigate confirmation, compliance, and completion. Designed for consumer attorneys, the program addresses the issues that most often derail plans, and how to avoid them.

This TED-Talk–style panel brings together experienced bankruptcy practitioners to address three critical aspects of modern bankruptcy practice: recent Supreme Court developments, strategic considerations in deciding whether to file for bankruptcy, and the impact of language and terminology on advocacy and outcomes. Through concise, focused presentations, the panel explores how legal doctrine, strategic judgment, and effective communication intersect to shape successful bankruptcy representation. 

This panel will address merchant cash advance financing, its history, structure, enforcement and treatment in bankruptcy and non-bankruptcy cases.

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.