2025

This panel will provide guidance on identifying and addressing issues relating to personal-injury (PI) causes of action that arise (or are discovered) post-petition in consumer bankruptcy cases. When are they property of the estate? What disclosures are required, and when? How does judicial estoppel apply? In chapter 13 cases, does the debtor need court approval to retain and pay PI counsel? Is bankruptcy court approval required before the debtor settles a cause of action? The panelists will address these questions and more.

In the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s Purdue Pharma decision, courts and practitioners are navigating new uncertainties around third-party releases in bankruptcy. This panel will examine how courts are distinguishing estate property from third-party claims, the impact on stay provisions and litigation strategy, and the evolving standards for voting mechanisms and plan confirmation in both chapter 11 and chapter 15 cases.

This session will provide a foundational overview of directors and officers (D&O) insurance, with a focus on issues that commonly arise in bankruptcy and distressed scenarios. Attendees will explore the importance of Side A coverage and strategies for supplementing existing policies to protect chief restructuring officers and board members. The panelists also will cover key legal principles and practical litigation strategies related to D&O breach-of-fiduciary-duty claims, providing insights from both plaintiff and defense perspectives.

This session will provide a timely and practical overview of the current economic landscape, highlighting key trends shaping markets and industries. Included in the discussion will be the broader economic outlook, an assessment of the implications of the recently enacted One Big Beautiful Bill Act across various sectors, and an analysis of the current state and future trajectory of U.S. tariff policy.

As artificial intelligence transforms the legal landscape, understanding how to effectively and ethically integrate AI into legal practice is essential. This panel will explore successful strategies for employing AI in legal workflows, offer insights into ethical frameworks and considerations surrounding its use, and provide a comprehensive overview of the current market of AI-powered legal technology solutions. Attendees will leave with practical knowledge to navigate the evolving AI legal ecosystem with confidence and responsibility.

This panel will focus on state court receiverships, federal court receiverships, involuntary bankruptcies, assignments for the benefit of creditors and other alternatives to traditional workouts, all from a creditor’s perspective.

This panel will break down last year’s Supreme Court bankruptcy cases, notable circuit court of appeals decisions, and growing circuit splits, and will discuss how developments in bankruptcy appellate law have impacted bankruptcy practice.

In today’s volatile commercial real estate market, the intersection of lease law and bankruptcy is more complex than ever. This panel dives into the real-world challenges landlords and tenants face when bankruptcy hits, using recent high-profile cases — including WeWork and a wave of "Chapter 22" retail filings — to examine the growing tensions among market realities, restructuring costs and the Bankruptcy Code.

This panel canvasses practical tax-related considerations for consumer attorneys to help you avoid common pitfalls, including the impact of tax issues on the timing of filing, dischargeability, asset administration and exemptions; a survey of trust fund taxes, what they are, how they differ across the states, and what they mean for individual liability; the responsibilities of chapter 13 debtors from a tax perspective; and negotiating with taxing authorities.