Ethics

Join us for another round of the infamous “ABI Talks,” with speakers focusing on topics only a bankruptcy guru could love, such as whether courts delegate too much authority to trustees, spoliation of evidence and ESI issues, ethical obligations between debtor’s counsel and creditors and trustees to their clients, and more!

Avoiding being sued along with or in lieu of your client and avoiding ethical violations and malpractice.

What are bankruptcy crimes, what are the duties of the various parties in a case to investigate and report them, and what are the protections for those who do? The panelists will discuss actual-intent fraudulent transfers and the crime/fraud exception; recent cases suggest that a “fraud” that may trigger the crime/fraud exception to attorney/client privilege and that the work-product doctrine may not be limited to crimes and serious frauds, but rather may include transactions exhibiting only some “badges of fraud,” such as fraudulent transfers (Fragin, Husky International).

It isn’t enough to just be ethical; professionals employed at the bankruptcy estate’s expense have additional responsibilities as well. This panel will explore these additional responsibilities and duties, what they are, and to whom they are or are not owed.

Lien-Perfection Issues; Ethical Considerations for Debtors’ Counsel; Authority to File; Creditor Standing to Prosecute Estate Claims; Cash Collateral/Adequate Protection

Attorney/Client Privilege and the Crime/Fraud Exception; Busting Up “Bankruptcy Remote” Entities

This panel will explore cutting-edge issues dealing with the ethical implications of social media and advancing technology on the practice of law.