Arkansas State Approved Sessions

Divorces are messy enough without introducing bankruptcy into the equation — but when there is a bankruptcy aspect, there are a ton of issues to sort through. What happens in divorce court doesn’t always fly in bankruptcy proceedings, and vice versa. Learn tips for navigating through these often-contradictory laws.

Successful consumer bankruptcy cases often hinge on the intake process, particularly the details gathered on the intake form. What questions should be asked? What resources should be used? Discover best practices for getting the right information from the very beginning, which can avoid all kinds of headaches later. (No one wants to discover a fraudulent transfer at the 11th hour!).

The Eastern and Western Districts of Wisconsin, along with Florida’s Middle District, have all set up successful mortgage-mediation programs. This panel will spill the details on how they did it, particularly the ways in which they used web-based portals for document exchanges. Also on tap: the role of mediators and the court’s role in overseeing order processes and timelines.

To ease the financial fallout from the pandemic, there could be increased congressional interest in consumer bankruptcy reform. Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Jerrold Nadler already have proposed a complete overhaul of the consumer bankruptcy system and a new chapter 10 for all individual debtors. Several pending legislative proposals would make it easier to discharge student loans in bankruptcy. Profs. Robert Lawless and Adam Levitin will explain these proposals, the motivating factors behind them, and what else might be coming in the consumer bankruptcy world.

Bankruptcy filings fell dramatically during this latest recession and pandemic. The practice of law, especially insolvency law, was (temporarily?) upended. This panel will explore how the past might inform future filings.

Bankruptcy Judges Elizabeth Brown and Michael Romero will discuss the year’s widest splits and most controversial opinions with ABI Editor-at-Large Bill Rochelle.

The experts on this panel will show you how to get the best valuation evidence before the courts, and will discuss how volatile COVID-19 conditions have impacted their valuation opinions.

This panel will reveal strategies and tactics for introducing evidence properly and effectively in bankruptcy court to make persuasive case presentations.

Featuring the judges of the Rocky Mountain Bankruptcy Conference, this session will strive to answer questions you have on current issues.

The panel will address the legal framework by which bankruptcy courts and federal district courts are authorized to hold parties or attorneys in contempt of court. The discussion will focus on the authority of the bankruptcy court, as an Article I tribunal, to enforce the Bankruptcy Code and its orders through civil contempt powers and the penalties associated with those powers. The panel will also cover applicable law and procedure in relation to seeking criminal contempt in the federal district court.