COVID-19

Since March 2002, the U.S. economy has been in a recession brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. While the Great Recession of 2008 caused a jump in business and consumer bankruptcy filings, the COVID Recession has not yet resulted in any such increase. Indeed, consumer bankruptcy filings since March 2020 have seen a historic decline. This panel will explore the economic differences between the Great Recession and the COVID Recession, and attempt to explain their inconsistent effects on bankruptcy filings. It will also consider why a bankruptcy wave has been slow to form under the COVID Recession, what events will eventually trigger a wave, and what the impact of the Great Recession suggests about the size, shape and timing of the coming wave of bankruptcy filings.

Presented by the Hon. Steven W. Rhodes Consumer Bankruptcy Conference This session will address the impact that COVID-19 has had on consumer bankruptcy law practice, and what the post-COVID future might look like. The panelists will discuss how court policies and procedures have changed over the course of this health crisis, and will provide a high-level review of substantive issues that have been altered in consumer bankruptcy practice, such as mortgage-forbearance issues. The panelists also will share their experiences working to safely and effectively meet the needs of clients, manage firm business and improve remote work practices. Highlighted will be the importance of proper data-privacy and client-confidentiality measures, and the valuable role of staff productivity measures and tracking controls. The session will also delve into creating emergency-preparedness plans to uphold attorney duties and adequately meet the needs of clients and firm staff in the event of an emergency, untimely death or disability of a firm’s principal or key employee.

Presented by the Hon. Eugene R. Wedoff Seventh Circuit Consumer Bankruptcy Conference This session will provide a judge’s perspective on preferences for virtual hearings and trials, trustee and debtor attorney discussions on § 341 meetings, and best practices from U.S. Trustee and debtor’s attorney points of view.

Presented by the Hon. Steven W. Rhodes Consumer Bankruptcy Conference Explore the latest in what constitutes disposable income, raising and overcoming good-faith objections, evolving strategies in student loan treatment, unique issues arising due to COVID-19, and other advanced and challenging issues facing the chapter 13 practitioner.

As the world has now endured months of disruption from COVID-19, this panel will highlight individual measures being undertaken by various countries to cope with the pandemic.

Presented by the American Bankruptcy Institute The COVID-19 pandemic has plunged the global aviation industry into its deepest crisis ever, with no recovery in sight. What happens next? This panel will look into what's happened so far and what to expect in the year(s) to come.

Presented by TMA Europe COVID-19 made the Europeans discover that they are able to work together! The measure of the recovery funds is the evidence. Is working together is a new reality? How will the U.K. react to this after Brexit? How will the USA and China look at this?

Panel presented by the International Insolvency Institute (III) This panel will discuss a proposed solution for a response to the need for funding to recapitalize and provide liquidity to viable businesses seeking to emerge from the disruption.

Presented by INSOL This panel will explore several measures that have been put into place across the globe during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how those measures will affect businesses, insolvency proceedings and more.

Presented by the Real Estate and Unsecured Trade Creditors Committees This panel will explore the myriad legal conundrums landlords have been facing in bankruptcy cases across the country since the COVID-19 pandemic took hold. Discussion points will include landlord rights to assumption/rejection and timing, the ability of debtors to defer rent payments to landlords for lengthy periods of time, and the impact of force majeure clauses in these disputes.