2015

This panel will discuss the increasingly prevalent use of receiverships under state and federal law by lenders to distressed companies as an alternative to bankruptcy. But the two schemes are not mutually exclusive, and sometimes they collide. The panel will explore the various legal and practical differences, benefits and disadvantages of receiverships vs. bankruptcy, and issues that arise when the two meet.

Health care bankruptcy filings went up 38 percent between 2010-14. This panel will examine current issues facing the health care industry and the intersection of health care law and bankruptcy. Topics will include 363 sales, reorganization, issues related to provider agreements, regulatory issues and health care ombudsmen.

Hear from a noted Supreme Court scholar and the Reporter to the ABI's Commission to Study the Reform of Chapter 11.

Commission Recommendations on Resolving Court Splits: Coming Soon to a Judicial Opinion Near You ABI's Commission to Study the Reform of Chapter 11 identified more than 30 splits in case law on important issues. Such a split of authority results in delay, increased litigation costs and above all, uncertainty -- imposing a kind of "ambiguity tax" on the system, as one witness put it in testimony before the Commission. The recommendations contained in the Commission's final report, in many cases, can be implemented by judicial opinion at the bankruptcy court or court of appeals level, without need for action by Congress. This program featuring some of the most experienced and thoughtful judges on the bench today, will assess the Commission recommendations, and identify some that might be effected soon.

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.

This panel will cover the critical relationship between professional responsibility and rules of discovery. The panel will discuss the pitfalls and common mistakes that attorneys make with digital discovery and electronic evidence.

Just what is and is not property of the estate? This panel will present a thorough review of § 541 and its application in real-world situations.