Pennsylvania State Approved Sessions

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.

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. 

You are in the late stages of trial preparation — just 60 days before trial. You are past the summary-judgment stage, mediation has been unsuccessful, and discovery is complete. Absent a Hail Mary or surprise settlement, you are going to trial. This session will talk you through, and offer tips and advice for, your final trial preparations.

Catch up with Ferris Bueller as he faces consequences from his infamous “Day Off.” Can Ferris navigate the Federal Rules of Evidence and manage the admissibility of information from the Wayback Machine’s archives? Will his debts be excepted from discharge? Join us and find out.

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.

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.

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.

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.