abiLIVE Webinars

It's become increasingly popular for businesses, developers and project sponsors to take advantage of specialized tax credit programs at the federal and state levels designed to incentivize investment in affordable housing, low-income communities and historic preservation. Bankruptcy and workout professionals should have a basic understanding of these tax credit programs and the unique issues that can arise in workouts and bankruptcies involving projects financed through the use of tax credits. This webinar will cover: 1)Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC); 2)New Market Tax Credit (NMTC); 3)Historic Tax Credit (HTC) programs; 4)And will explore some of the unique issues and challenges that arise in workouts and bankruptcies involving projects financed through such programs. ABI will seek 1.5 hours of general CLE credit in 60-minute-hour states and 1.75 hours of credit in 50-minute-hour states. CLE-Approved States: ABI’s live webinars and teleconferences ordinarily receive CLE credit in AL, CA, DE, GA, IL, MN, NE, NH, NJ, NY (approved jurisdiction policy), PA, TN and TX. ABI will obtain approval in additional states. ABI does not seek direct accreditation of live webinars in KS and OH. Credit hours granted are subject to approval from each state, which may not be determined prior to the program.

“Most official bankruptcy forms will be replaced with substantially revised, reformatted and renumbered versions effective December 1, 2015.” – U.S. Courts These new forms are part of a forms modernization project that was begun by the Advisory Committee on Bankruptcy Rules in 2008. Among other things, the new forms introduce different versions of case opening forms for individual debtors and non-individual debtors. The new forms are easier for debtors to understand and complete and are designed to work with scheduled enhancements to the federal courts’ case opening and electronic case management system. Join members of the Advisory Committee on Bankruptcy Rules, as well as a software expert from Stratus BK, to learn about the new forms.

This is the first of three webinars stemming from ABI's recently published book Fraud and Forensics: Piercing Through the Deception in a Commercial Fraud Case. Each webinar takes an in-depth look at areas of specialty, challenge and reward for forensic accountants and the professionals who work with them in commercial fraud cases. The second and third webinars will be: FRAUD AND FORENSICS: THE EXPERT WITNESS IN A COMMERCIAL FRAUD CASE - DECEMBER 9, 2015, 1:30 - 2:45 PM ET FRAUD AND FORENSICS: THE LAWYER AND FORENSIC ACCOUNTANT WORKING TOGETHER - JANUARY TBD This webinar will highlight important aspects of the investigation phase of a commercial fraud case from the perspective of a forensic accountant. Featuring three authors of the recently published Fraud and Forensics: Piercing the Deception in a Commercial Fraud Case, the presentation will cover different types of commercial fraud and how to detect it, along with the investigative techniques necessary to leverage witness information and the cache of data available on social media outlets. The panelists will also discuss cash-flow analysis, data-collection techniques, and methodologies for creating a database.

G. Eric Brunstad, Jr. (Dechert) and Dylan Trache (Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP) will discuss the Supreme Court’s ASARCO opinion, the practical impact of the opinion on your practice, and developing case law and arguments to be made in defending your fees. Is there a "work-around" where the retention agreement legally permits professionals to be compensated for defending fee awards? ABI will seek 1.25 hours of general CLE credit in 60-minute-hour states and 1.5 hours of credit in 50-minute-hour states. CLE-Approved States: ABI’s live webinars and teleconferences ordinarily receive CLE credit in AL, CA, DE, GA, IL, MN, NE, NH, NJ, NY (approved jurisdiction policy), PA, TN and TX. ABI will obtain approval in additional states. Credit hours granted are subject to approval from each state, which may not be determined prior to the program.

This webinar will discuss the effect of the hanging paragraph under § 523(a)(1), post-petition issues, considerations in filing tax returns for the individual chapter 11 debtor, and tax implications for trustees in administering debtors’ estates. The panel will also address the following questions: 1)Are any tax debts dischargeable in chapter 7? 2)What happens to installment agreements during the pendency of a bankruptcy case? 3)What happens when debtors default on offer and compromise agreements? 4)How does the IRS compute and impose fines and penalties post-petition, and where can the debtor access this information?

Any reform of current chapter 11 practice must account for the prevailing criticism that fees and costs are too high, and do it in a way that focuses on aligning incentives with case efficiency. This panel will discuss recommended reforms that provide for more effective oversight, as well as alternative fee structures consistent with professionals’ ethical obligations under the Code of Professional Responsibility.

The ABI Commission Report proposes some significant changes to the Bankruptcy Code, and the preferential transfer statute in Section 547 is no exception. This webinar explores the rationale behind the recommendations, such as the good faith belief for filing a demand letter or preference complaint, the increase in the statutory minimum to bring a preference action, and more. Most importantly, the panel will assess the practical effects and foreseeable impact of implementing these recommendations. This webinar is a must-attend for attorneys who regularly represent creditors, liquidating trustees, and panel trustees in preference actions.

As a result of falling energy prices, experts expect bankruptcy filings in the energy sector to increase, especially those in the oil and gas industry. Bankruptcy cases involving energy companies raise unique issues due to the interplay among the Bankruptcy Code, federal and state laws, the regulatory structure governing the energy industry, and the political and practical realities of the industry’s significance on national, regional and local levels. This webinar will explore the unique challenges that can arise in a § 363 sale of the assets of a business involved in the energy industry, with a particular emphasis on oil and gas bankruptcies.

This ABI Live Webinar — New Developments in Student Loans: Need to Know — will focus on three areas: dischargeability litigation, treatment in Chapter 13 and the status of student loans as a national economic crisis. Presented by members of ABI’s Consumer Committee, the webinar will include perspectives from both the debtor and lender sides, offering practitioners valuable balanced insights that they can use in their daily practice.

Presented by ABI's Labor and Employment Committee, this webinar will address current employee- and labor-related issues in chapter 11 and out-of-court restructurings, including: (a) whether private-equity sponsors may be subject to pension fund withdrawal liability under ERISA in light of the First Circuit’s Sun Capital decision; (b) whether pension plan withdrawal liability is entitled to administrative claim status; and (c) the status of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation’s moratorium on 4062(e) enforcement. Attorneys and other restructuring professionals who deal with the PBGC will learn about current developments in this dynamic and changing area of law, which plays an important role in many reorganizations today.