Bankruptcy Litigation

Presented by the Business Reorganization and Bankruptcy Litigation Committees This panel will focus on two important issues that have arisen during the COVID-19 pandemic: The availability of nunc pro tunc orders in the wake of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Juan, Puerto Rico v. Acevedo Feliciano, __ S. Ct. __, No. 18-921, 2020 WL 878715 (Feb. 24, 2020), and the battle between landlords and debtors across the country regarding the deferral of rent pending the pandemic and beyond the period authorized by the Bankruptcy Code.

Witness testimony at trial and in depositions is critical to winning. This panel of restructuring/insolvency litigators and expert witnesses will discuss how you prepare your fact and expert witnesses, including how to respond to direct examination, how to respond to personal attacks and lies, how to deal with an aggressive lawyer, how to prep a fact witness versus an expert witness, and how an expert witness should prep an attorney.

Ensuring Conflicts are Transparent in 2020 Hidden conflicts of interest in bankruptcy are a stain on the integrity of the bankruptcy system. What should be done to better police the clear standards of disinterestedness and sanction misconduct? Intersection of Bankruptcy and Social Issues Bankruptcy has been largely been viewed as a solution to solely economic and financial concerns. Historically, scholarship related to bankruptcy’s intersection with social issues has focused on the social problems that may result from bankruptcy or the social issues of which bankruptcy may be a symptom. Over the last several years, however, bankruptcy has been a common thread in some of the largest social movements of our generation. This discussion centers around the intersection of bankruptcy and some of today's social issues, including the “#MeToo” movement, the Catholic Church and Boy Scouts of America abuse scandals, and the racial justice demonstrations regarding housing and policing. The ways in which bankruptcy practitioners and the bench have been asked to craft solutions to address social ills will be explored within the framework of the Bankruptcy Code, as well as the ways in which bankruptcy will continue to play a part in addressing social issues. Lasting Impacts of COVID-19 on Law Firm Operations and Legal Service Delivery No business or industry has escaped the impacts of COVID-19. In this session, seasoned bankruptcy attorney and law firm Chairman Robert Sartin will discuss how the modern global pandemic has changed the future of law firm operations. He’ll also examine the challenges of leading in a fluid and unprecedented environment, and review what many firm leaders are predicting as the new landscape of practicing law and delivering legal services.

Based on the TED Talks format, this year’s ABI Talks will focus on three discrete issues: (1) the coronavirus, namely the reaction of the market, what industries have been/are going to be hurt the most, and the potential short-term and long-term financial implications of the outbreak, including bringing otherwise-healthy industries into the bankruptcy discussion (such as airlines, oil companies, cruise lines, etc.); (2) the changing public perceptions of bankruptcy, looking at the way history has moved from imprisoning debtors to bankruptcy being such a commonly accepted tool to address debts that even the President has used it; and (3) social issues in bankruptcy, such as the #MeToo movement and the Catholic priest and Boy Scouts scandals.

As Bankruptcy Courts hold hearings across a variety of remote platforms, how can attorneys and other bankruptcy professionals ensure they are most effectively representing their clients? This expert panel will discuss best practices for appearing remotely, offering tips on preparing witnesses for testimony, presenting an effective “virtual” courtroom presence, and maintaining proper courtroom etiquette in the new normal, and will also address several ethics considerations in our new "Virtual" reality. These include: Coaching the witness (or not!) Maintaining privilege/confidentiality when dealing with co-counsel and clients over a remote platform in real time

Sponsored by Burford Capital LLC Hear from leading bankruptcy practitioners on how they used litigation finance, the benefits and potential concerns in litigation and litigation trusts arising from the Great Recession and how litigation finance can be a tool as we confront the economic fall-out from the COVID-19 pandemic.

This session will feature a mock trial of a fraudulent-transfer case demonstrating email, Facebook, Instagram, smartphone, messaging and metadata issues.

Neither the Bankruptcy Code nor the Bankruptcy Code’s legislative history contains an exception to the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA). As a result, bankruptcy courts grappling with whether to enforce an arbitration clause in bankruptcy have focused on whether there is an inherent conflict between the Bankruptcy Code and enforcement of arbitration pursuant to the FAA. The determination that arbitration is required could be the death knell for bankruptcy debtors. This panel will explore, in instances where arbitration is required, how to avoid jeopardizing the central objectives of the Bankruptcy Code that enable debtors to obtain a fresh start, as well as how to ensure uniformity of results to avoid what could be “wildly inconsistent” outcomes in arbitration that impact debtors on an individual and case-by-case basis.

This session will provide practical tips from professionals — everything a mid-level associate should know about how to prepare a company to file chapter 11, as well as the coordination among advisors that is necessary along the way.

This session will provide practical tips from professionals — everything a mid-level associate should know about how to prepare a company to file chapter 11, as well as the coordination among advisors that is necessary along the way.