Business Reorganization

In recent years, chapter 11 proceedings have garnered increasing attention from the media and the public in general. With congressional hearings on mass-tort bankruptcies, Texas-Two Steps and venue reform, politicians have sought soundbites about bankruptcy law to drive media coverage. Additionally, high-profile events tied to bankruptcy filings, like the collapse of FTX and other cryptocurrency firms, have drawn the attention of many who otherwise ignore the goings on of bankruptcy courts. This panel will discuss these current public perceptions (and misperceptions) of bankruptcy proceedings and how they affect the day-to-day practices of lawyers and judges.

This panel will discuss how to develop litigation skills in the production, limitation and introduction of testimonial and documentary evidence. The panelists will cover strategies for both introducing evidence and dealing with objections to or limitations on an opponent’s evidence.

What is a “good faith” bankruptcy filing after LTL? Is there a “good faith” requirement at all, and is it subjective or objective? How much financial distress is necessary (if any), and how can a debtor know when it gets there? What lessons should smaller debtors take from large mass tort cases? Is there really a split in the circuits on these issues? Join this ABI/IWIRC panel for a lively and interactive discussion of good-faith (and bad-faith) filings.

Regional judges will strive to answer questions on current issues.

ABI’s editor-at-large sits down with an appeal court judges to discuss bankruptcy circuit splits and U.S. Supreme Court cases.

This panel will discuss the historical relationship between secured and unsecured creditors in reorganization cases, and explore recent instances where the groups have worked together to create value for their constituents. The panelists will include an overview of the key positions taken by each group, and will provide first-hand descriptions of how the constituents were able to achieve consensus.

This panel will explore the basics of privilege and how it is used in bankruptcy litigation. Do members of an LLC have access to privileged info? Do former board members have rights to privileged info? Does a trustee of an individual debtor have rights to the individual debtor's privileged information? Is a trustee required to turn over his/her privileged information to the debtor after it retakes possession? Can mediation privilege be used to cloak an entire bankruptcy case so that all information is immune from discovery from non-mediation parties or its adversaries?

This panel will explore plan-confirmation considerations for chapter 11 debtors in small business cases compared to those debtors that have elected to proceed under subchapter V, with a focus on comparing the cramdown requirements and select plan-confirmation issues.

This panel will explore an as-yet-untested question: Can a domestic debtor use the law of another country to effect the restructuring of all or some of its debt, then commence a chapter 15 case and bind U.S. creditors to the terms of that foreign restructuring? Some think that this scenario is inevitable. The panelists will discuss how U.S. and foreign insolvency laws may be utilized by U.S. debtors, and the potential incentives, benefits and risks associated with this type of restructuring.