2026

This panel dives into the who, what, where and how of post-confirmation liquidation of assets, including litigation, to augment the estate for the benefit of creditors. The panelists explore the court’s jurisdiction and fiduciaries’ authority to pursue asset recovery, as well as reasonable procedures for pursuing litigation and monetizing claims, causes of action and other assets.Learning Objectives:Attendees will identify the parties, structures, and mechanisms available for post-confirmation liquidation of assets and litigation to augment the estate for the benefit of creditors.Attendees will analyze the scope of the court's post-confirmation jurisdiction and the fiduciaries' authority to pursue asset recovery, including causes of action and other estate assets.Attendees will evaluate reasonable procedures and practical strategies for pursuing post-confirmation litigation and monetizing claims to maximize creditor recoveries.

This session explores emerging ethical issues surrounding attorneys' fees in the evolving legal landscape, with a primary focus on how AI is reshaping billing practices, professional responsibility and the ethical concerns highlighted in Prof. Nancy Rapoport's scholarship. The panelists also examine recent developments involving chapter 13 trustee fees, litigation financing and attorney compensation in subchapter V cases, highlighting key decisions and practical considerations for bankruptcy practitioners.Learning Objectives:Attendees will identify the emerging ethical issues surrounding attorneys' fees arising from the use of AI in billing practices, and analyze the professional responsibility concerns highlighted in relevant scholarship.Attendees will analyze recent case law and developments affecting Chapter 13 trustee fees, litigation financing, and attorney compensation in Subchapter V cases.Attendees will evaluate practical strategies for structuring and defending fee arrangements in consumer and business bankruptcy cases in light of these ethical and legal developments.

This lunchtime showdown pits partners against associates and age-old wisdom against cutting-edge knowledge in a game show-inspired gauntlet that tests contestants on the Bankruptcy Code, Big Law lore, and even bankruptcy-adjacent pop culture. Can the contestants survive the final exam without AI? Find out!Learning Objectives:Attendees will identify key provisions of the Bankruptcy Code and recall foundational bankruptcy concepts tested through the competition's format.Attendees will analyze how well-known bankruptcy cases, terminology, and "Big Law" practice conventions are applied and recognized in real-world contexts.Attendees will evaluate their own familiarity with core bankruptcy concepts relative to contestants' performance, reinforcing retention of key substantive knowledge in an engaging format.

This panel explores the unique challenges and issues posed by diocese bankruptcy cases and the developing case law in this subspecies of mass tort bankruptcy.Learning Objectives:Attendees will identify the unique legal and procedural challenges presented by diocese bankruptcy cases as a distinct subspecies of mass tort bankruptcy.Attendees will analyze developing case law addressing issues specific to diocese bankruptcies, including claims resolution, plan structuring, and the treatment of survivor claimants.Attendees will evaluate practical strategies and lessons learned from diocese bankruptcy proceedings that inform the handling of other mass tort bankruptcy cases.

The panel works through usual and unusual issues facing owners, contractors, subcontractors, sureties and lenders when contracting parties default and file for chapter 7 or 11 bankruptcy relief. The discussion focuses on leverage points, negotiation and litigation tools, cost-benefit considerations and constructive solutions for all parties.Learning Objectives:Attendees will identify the common and unusual issues facing owners, contractors, subcontractors, sureties, and lenders when a contracting party defaults and files for Chapter 7 or Chapter 11 bankruptcy relief.Attendees will analyze the leverage points and available negotiation and litigation tools for each stakeholder in a constructionrelated bankruptcy, along with the cost-benefit considerations that inform strategy.Attendees will evaluate practical, constructive solutions for resolving construction disputes in bankruptcy that address the interests of owners, contractors, subcontractors, sureties, and lenders alike.

This panel addresses the unique issues implicated by restructurings pursued by companies operating in the gaming and liquor industries, including the overlay of the applicable regulatory regimes, tools available (or not available) to companies seeking to restructure in these industries, and an overview of specific factors driving distress in these industries. The panel will be split into two sections, the first focused on gaming and the second on the liquor industry.Learning Objectives:Attendees will identify the regulatory regimes governing the gaming and liquor industries and analyze how these frameworks affect restructuring options for distressed companies operating within them.Attendees will analyze the specific factors driving financial distress in the gaming and liquor sectors, and the tools available—or unavailable—to companies seeking to restructure in each industry.Attendees will evaluate practical strategies for advising gaming and liquor industry clients navigating restructuring, taking into account the regulatory and operational considerations unique to each sector.

This panel discusses the continued influence of private credit and nontraditional lenders, and how negotiations with them differ from negotiations with traditional regulated institutions.Learning Objectives:Attendees will identify the key characteristics of private credit financing and non-traditional lending arrangements, and how they differ from conventional bank financing for small businesses.Attendees will analyze how private credit loan structures, covenants, and lender remedies affect restructuring options and negotiating dynamics when a small business borrower faces financial distress.Attendees will evaluate practical strategies for advising small business debtors, private credit lenders, and other stakeholders navigating workouts and bankruptcy proceedings involving non-traditional financing.

Federal receivers play a vital role in government enforcement actions, whether initiated by the SEC, CFTC, FTC, Department of Justice, or through private litigation. Acting as agents of the court, receivers work to preserve and maximize assets for the benefit of defrauded investors and to manage business operations— whatever their nature may be. This session dives into this role and how it impacts bankruptcy law.Learning Objectives:Attendees will identify the role and authority of federal equity receivers in government enforcement actions brought by agencies such as the SEC, CFTC, FTC, and Department of Justice, as well as in private litigation.Attendees will analyze how federal equity receiverships intersect with bankruptcy law, including the legal and practical distinctions between the two frameworks for asset preservation and creditor recovery.Attendees will evaluate the strategic considerations for counsel and stakeholders when a receivership and bankruptcy proceeding interact, including how to maximize asset recovery and manage business operations for the benefit of defrauded investors.

The panel explores the alternatives available to plan proponents in addressing third party releases in the post-Purdue world. While Purdue was a major roadblock, did it end the journey altogether? Attend and explore!Learning Objectives:Attendees will identify the Supreme Court's holding in Purdue Pharma and analyze its impact on the availability of nonconsensual third-party releases in Chapter 11 plans.Attendees will analyze alternative structures and strategies plan proponents may use to address third-party claims and liability protection in the post-Purdue landscape.Attendees will evaluate the risks, limitations, and practical viability of these alternatives when advising clients on plan structuring in cases involving third-party releases.

Bill Rochelle will facilitate a discussion on what prompted bankruptcy and appellate courts to issue what can only be described as harsh rulings. The panel will educate the audience on the lessons to be learned from these decisions so practitioners can avoid similar consequences in their own practices.Learning Objectives:1. Attendees will identify notable bankruptcy and appellate court rulings widely regarded as harsh, and analyze the factors and conduct that prompted courts to rule as they did.2. Attendees will analyze the legal and practical missteps underlying these decisions to better understand how similar consequences might arise in their own matters.3. Attendees will apply the lessons drawn from these rulings to develop practice strategies that help avoid comparable outcomes for clients in future bankruptcy proceedings.