Consumer

This panel will review the implications — both good and bad — of the new plan and Rule changes from the debtor, creditor and trustee perspective and discuss what is working, what is not, workarounds, and what further reform is needed.

Is the legal profession’s vision for the law firm of the future already outdated? Can the law firm of today cope with the incredibly dynamic and changing competitive legal services environment, or will it go the way of the dinosaur? Greater and new competition in the forms of artificial intelligence, disruptive technology, the Big Four accounting firms, enlarged in-house legal staffs, and alternative legal service providers are eating law firms’ lunch. Clients are demanding service, efficiency and transparency in a way that puts tremendous pressure on the traditional law firm model. On top of that, the battle for the best talent is intensifying while the very nature of that talent is transforming as millennials start to dominate the talent pool. Our panel will discuss what a law firm must do to evolve and survive and how it potentially can thrive in a rapidly changing legal market.

Calling all up-and-comers in the bankruptcy industry! Join us for this new, half-day program exclusively for emerging leaders attending the ABI Northeast Conference or Consumer Forum. We invite lawyers, financial advisors, bankers, etc. with less than 10 years of insolvency expertise, either consumer or business focus, to participate in an interactive program involving common insolvency issues facing junior insolvency professionals. Participants will break into small working groups led by emerging leader facilitators and bankruptcy judges to consider issues of substantive law as well as practical procedures for both the courtroom and boardroom. A reception for Emerging Leaders will immediately follow this program.

This panel will review and debate issues regarding the new official form for chapter 13 plans, including how courts are tinkering with Rule 3015.1 — and why courts think they have the ability to do so.

Join us for a round of the “ABI Talks,” with speakers focusing on the ABI Consumer Commission, litigation finance in bankruptcy, transfers and more.

This panel will discuss pre-petition considerations, disposition of assets and conversion concerns at issue in individual chapter 11 cases.

This panel will focus on numerous chapter 7 issues, such as avoidable transfers, abandonment, exemptions, reopening of cases and asset-protection trusts.

This panel will address various discharge and dischargeability issues such as standing, imputation of knowledge and limitations on reopening cases.