Alexandria, Va.— Jacques N. El-Chayeb of the University of North Carolina School of Law in Chapel Hill, N.C., won the American Bankruptcy Institute’s Ninth Annual Bankruptcy Law Student Writing Competition. El-Chayeb’s paper, “Caught in a Vicious CERCLA: GM’s Environmental Turnaround,” received the highest overall score from a panel of judges that included top bankruptcy practitioners and a bankruptcy judge. El-Chayeb will receive a $2,000 cash prize, publication of the paper in the June ABI Journal and a one-year ABI membership.

William J. Diehl of Georgia State University College of Law won second place for his paper, “A Step Too Far in the Right Direction? FTI Consulting Narrowly Interprets 546(e)’s Settlement Payments Safe Harbor, Potentially Exposing Securities Markets.” Diehl will receive a cash award of $1,250, publication of the paper in a future ABI committee newsletter and a one-year ABI membership. Trevor Fehr of the UC Davis School of Law received third place for his paper, “The Diocesan Dilemma: How an Asset Dispute in a Diocesan Bankruptcy Created a Crucial Question in Modern Bankruptcy Law.” He will receive a cash award of $750, publication of the paper in a future ABI committee newsletter and a one-year ABI membership.

Law students submitted papers from January 1 to March 1 for the competition, which focused on current issues regarding matters such as bankruptcy sales, plan confirmation and other topics that involve jurisdiction, litigation or evidence in the bankruptcy courts. The panel of judges assembled to review the papers included Ira Herman of Blank Rome LLP, Vincent Lazar of Jenner & Block LLP and Bankruptcy Judge Kevin Carey (D. Del.). All papers were judged on substance, style and relevance. Blank Rome LLP sponsored the first-place prize, Jenner & Block LLP sponsored the second-place prize and Wolcott Rivers Gates sponsored the third-place prize.

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ABI is the largest multi-disciplinary, nonpartisan organization dedicated to research and education on matters related to insolvency. ABI was founded in 1982 to provide Congress and the public with unbiased analysis of bankruptcy issues. The ABI membership includes more than 12,000 attorneys, accountants, bankers, judges, professors, lenders, turnaround specialists and other bankruptcy professionals providing a forum for the exchange of ideas and information. For additional information on ABI, visit www.abiworld.org. For additional conference information, visit http://www.abiworld.org/conferences.html.