2021 Annual Spring Meeting

This session will outline the top 10 consumer issues any bankruptcy or other attorney practicing consumer law needs to know.

A number of Important dialogues in recent years have addressed lawyers struggling with mental health issues and drug/alcohol problems. But what happens when it's the debtors and creditors who have these issues, such as small equityholders and former employees of chapter 11 debtors? This roundtable discussion will focus on the issues the industry sees on a daily basis — mostly in the consumer context, but not always.

Creditors’ committees are integral to the success of chapter 11 cases. This panel will discuss what it takes to maximize results for unsecured creditors in today’s chapter 11 cases, including how to deal with the different interests of the creditors who sit on creditors’ committees.

Creditors’ committees are integral to the success of chapter 11 cases. This panel will discuss what it takes to maximize results for unsecured creditors in today’s chapter 11 cases, including how to deal with the different interests of the creditors who sit on creditors’ committees.

Hosted by the Consumer Bankruptcy and Legislation Committees This panel will compare Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s bill with the ABI Consumer Commission’s Final Report, released in 2019, and will address consumer bankruptcy legislation that could be introduced this spring.

A year into the global pandemic, U.S. businesses and consumers remain affected in unprecedented ways. This panel of public policy and insolvency experts will share their insights and answer questions relating to the most recent federal stabilization programs, including updates to the PPP program, relief for municipalities and other relief provisions. The panelists will also discuss the administration's priorities and additional potential congressional action. Sure to be part of the discussion are student loans, the Consumer Bankruptcy Reform Act and the SBRA.

The hotel and hospitality industry has been massacred by the pandemic. How can the Bankruptcy Code, chapter 11 and subchapter V help the industry restructure and survive? This panel will provide analysis and perspective.

Hosted by the Claims Trading and Financial Advisors & Investment Banking Committees This panel will discuss out-of-court loan-priming issues such as Serta and Transocean, among others.

This panel of ABC-certified judges will discuss the applicable rules of professional conduct and other authority implicated in electronic filing, the use of email, “phishing” scams and hacking, and technology issues raised by today’s pandemic practice. The panelists will also consider issues raised by the requirement that many professionals must file public fee applications in bankruptcy cases, as well as fee issues stemming from converted cases, insufficient content in the applications, and problems that arise when the results achieved and the fees sought bear little relationship to each other. Finally, the panelists will consider unique professionalism issues raised by attorneys and law firms as bankruptcy debtors, particularly involving clients and the use of IOLTA accounts, along with more general do’s and don’ts about practicing in bankruptcy court before, during and (hopefully) after the pandemic.

Insolvency professionals work in a multitude of environments, including firms of all sizes, in-house and at financial advising companies. Not every job will have a dedicated DEI department or director. This panel will address how legal professionals can still encourage diversity within the insolvency profession and promote the inclusion of diverse legal professionals at every level.