Tennessee State Approved Sessions

Consumer lawyers on behalf of both debtors and creditors deal with myriad ethical issues to ensure effective and economical representation of their clients. This panel will explore the implications of representing individuals, small businesses, insiders and creditors, including what to do when your client becomes your creditor (how far can you go to get paid?) and how to avoid breaching the attorney/client privilege (just who do or can you talk to?). In a small business, the owner often considers counsel to be representing “her” interest. How does counsel for a business deal with this issue under the ethical rules and the Bankruptcy Code? For the creditor, what are the implications of potential conflicts by counsel to the debtor? Can the creditor reach out to a principal of the corporate debtor directly on their guarantee without violating the Rules of Professional Conduct? What are the ethical limits of “unbundling services” to make it more affordable for the client, whether you represent a debtor or a creditor? This panel will explore ways to accomplish your client’s goals, as well as the ethical boundaries of representation under those scenarios.

ABI will team up with IWIRC for an exciting and interactive discussion of real-world ethical dilemmas arising in bankruptcy practice, including while working from home. Play along with our panel of lawyers and judges as they discuss the “3 Cs” — confidentiality, communication and competence — along with information hygiene, duty to supervise, remote depositions and trials, judicial ethics, and much, much more!

A trial is fraught with opportunities for lawyers on both sides to make mistakes. By using hypotheticals infused with current and common issues, this panel will provide useful tips for successful examination and cross-examination, preparation for common motion practice, and laying a proper foundation for submission of evidence.

This panel will analyze issues that arise in, and provide helpful tips for, the winding up of a chapter 11 case (as well as any special or different considerations for subchapter V cases), including early planning for the wind-down, closing the case, conversion vs. structured dismissal vs. plan, the preservation of claims and claim objections for a liquidating trust and related privilege considerations, professional compensation and final tax returns, winding down debtor obligations such as employee benefit plans, and cost and funding issues.

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.

Survey the landscape of filing trends through the first half of 2022 (Jan. 1-June 30), and gain an informed statistical perspective of what could happen next in bankruptcy, with this panel of key experts, who will be utilizing data provided by Epiq Bankruptcy Analytics.

This discussion will enhance the cross-examination skills of both new and seasoned litigators.