COVID-19

Join us for a discussion on the key features of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the current legal landscape regarding the eligibility of companies in bankruptcy to receive PPP Loans, including an overview of SBA guidance and recent court decisions.

The novel coronavirus has certainly induced many systemic changes around the world, and the bankruptcy and restructuring industry is no exception. What once worked in a pre-COVID-19 world might not work anymore, so parties must adapt quickly, often with no precedence upon which to rely. This panel will discuss the idiosyncrasies and novel ways bankruptcy practice is operating, restructuring and adapting to a “new normal,” and how constituencies on all sides of the table are approaching its unique aspects.

This panel will provide an analysis of the current levels of financial distress across the hospital, skilled-nursing and home-health sectors using various measurements, including distributions by state.

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.

More than 14 years after Congress amended the Bankruptcy Code to provide special rules and procedures for “small business debtors,” it enacted the Small Business Reorganization Act of 2019. In the wake of the economic damage caused by COVID-19 and the necessary governmental response, Congress then amended the SBRA in the CARES Act to raise the debt limit to $7.5 million (subject to a possible one-year sunset). How will the SBRA change your practice? With a $7.5 million debt limit, standing trustees, a streamlined reorganization process, the elimination of the absolute priority rule and § 1129(a)(10), and the possible modification of certain mortgages, the SBRA presents new opportunities for small business debtors and their stakeholders. This panel will take a look at cases under the new law in its early days, as well as how it impacts eligible individual debtors (and their creditors).

Join ABI's Asset Sales Committee with a panel of experts that will highlight the current challenges facing insolvency professionals working on deals in the COVID-19 world and what to expect in the coming months.

What trends for consumer bankruptcy practice have emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic? What will consumer practice look like going forward? Join a panel of four experienced bankruptcy counsel as they discuss safety, case law trends and practical actions to take going forward. Some of the topics the panel will discuss include: Actions chapter 13 trustees are taking to hold down costs while continuing to assist debtors. Debtor counsel updates on practices that have developed due to the pandemic, including suspension of plan payments. Creditor counsel initiatives, including notices of forbearance and agreed orders, so debtors may stay in their homes. Variables that have caused consumer filings to drop precipitously due to the pandemic and what filing trends will look like moving forward.

ABI’s expert panel will discuss the changes in the process and practice of bankruptcy courts in the COVID-19 era. Learn how bankruptcy courts across the country have adapted to the crisis and have led the way in utilizing technology to keep their dockets moving and the bankruptcy system working, and hear how ABI’s panelists expect the “new normal” to continue to evolve, and how bankruptcy courts are preparing to handle an expected influx of filings.

Join our panel of automotive and insolvency experts as they discuss the current state of the global automotive industry, as well as the bankruptcy and non-bankruptcy processes that may be utilized to address insolvency issues in the wake of COVID-19.

Sponsored by the Real Estate Committee This panel will provide an overview of the real estate economy and take a look at what restructuring plans may entail in the post-pandemic economy, from large corporate players to small companies and investors, as well as what valuations may look like over the next few years.