New Jersey State Approved Sessions

Which contract counterparty rights survive rejection, and what can be done when negotiating a contract at the front end to plan for or defend against the rule of Tempnology? This panel will discuss these issues and more.

This program considers the life cycle of a small business reorganization. Beginning 30 days before the debtor files its petition, continuing through the 90-day plan filing deadline, and hurtling toward confirmation, the panel discusses pre-bankruptcy planning and negotiation, debates eligibility and case management issues, considers best practices for utilizing the Subchapter V trustee throughout the case, and highlights tips and traps of plan formulation, contested confirmation hearings, and post-effective date matters. Our distinguished panel features the perspectives of the debtor (Chris Keach, Molleur Law), creditor (Kellie Fisher, Drummond Woodsum), the Subchapter V trustee (David Mawhinney, Bowditch & Dewey), and the bench (Hon. Peter Cary, United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maine).

FERC & PUC jurisdictions are not confined to oil and gas. What lessons can we take from that space for broader application in other regulated energy sectors? When does CFIUS review come into play, and what is involved?

This panel will cover assessing and negotiating a fee structure, how to prepare for the mediation, guiding participants toward making mediation statements useful, and tips for breaking the impasse.

Think you can cross-examine the opposing expert on her/his opinions that have been rejected or criticized in the past? Not so fast. What’s the appropriate premise of value? How many feet from the deathbed does the debtor have to be to adopt a liquidation premise? Does satisfaction of a contractual obligation conclusively establish reasonably equivalent value? Must you also avoid the obligation? What are the ways to establish compliance with industry standards under § 547(c)(2)? Will a fact witness suffice? What do you do when the opposing expert (or your own!) offers an opinion that’s not disclosed in the expert’s report? This panel of experts, litigators and a retiring judge will tackle these common-but-complex evidentiary issues.

This panel will address issues related to corporate governance in distressed situations. The discussion will include the interplay between corporate governance and sponsor action, considerations regarding independent directors, and the ongoing debate on the role of employee compensation plans in bankruptcy.

This panel will discuss improper purposes and the use of chapter 11 (NRA and Stream TV Networks, Inc.), analyze chapter 11 issues in liquidating cases, and cover what attorneys and other professionals need to know when preparing chapter 11 liquidation plans.

As bankruptcy became a reality for many companies during the pandemic, valuation became a key question. In September 2020, Bloomberg commented, “Pinning a dollar value on a bankrupt enterprise is hard in the best of times. During a pandemic, it’s an invitation for a fight.” This session will discuss approaches to valuation in periods of volatility and business disruption, and how courts have dealt with the ensuing disputes.