ABI's Commercial Fraud Task Force Committee, which studies and develops strategies in the current legal and regulatory environment, is co-chaired by Sandra T. Rasnak and Jack Seward.

Sandra T. Rasnak is the acting deputy chief of the criminal enforcement unit of the U.S. Trustee Program and also serves as an assistant U.S. Trustee for Region 11 in Chicago. She has served as a speaker at numerous private and government national training programs on bankruptcy and bankruptcy fraud. In 1994, Ms. Rasnak received the Attorney General's Distinguished Service Award for her leadership in establishing the U.S. Trustee Program in the forefront of prosecuting of bankruptcy crimes.

Jack Seward of Jack Seward & Assoc. LLC in New York is a digital forensic accounting technologist providing avant garde litigation support, e-discovery services and computer forensics. He has more than 35 years of managing and consulting experience in the fields of accounting, forensics and information technology. Mr. Seward is a contributing editor to the ABI Journal's Straight & Narrow and Beyond the Quill columns, as well as the bankruptcy treatise Norton Bankruptcy Law and Practice, 2d. He is member of the Advisory Group for the development and publishing of the OCEG Internal Audit Guide on corporate governance. In addition, he has published and been quoted in more than 40 articles and papers in professional journals on matters related to bankruptcy fraud, bankruptcy litigation, computer security, digital/computer forensics, digital forensic accounting, digital fraud, e-discovery and protecting confidential and privileged electronic communications and work product in bankruptcy and commercial litigation.

More Members in the News

The merger of Blank Rome and Healy & Baillie became effective Oct. 1, 2006. The combined firm will house the nation's largest Maritime practice. ABI members include Samuel H. Becker, Bonnie Glantz Fatell, Rocco A. Cavaliere and Leslie J. Polt.

Bridge Associates LLC announced the addition of Gregory K. O'Briant as a principal. Prior to joining Bridge, he served as CFO and senior operations executive of Mail Contractors of America. He received his B.S. and M.B.A. from the University of Arkansas.

Corporate Revitalization Partners LLC announced the opening of a new office in Washington, D.C., which will be headed by Lisa Poulin. She will be responsible for marketing the firm's turnaround management services and actively managing client engagements. Ms. Poulin is a Certified Turnaround Professional and a Certified Insolvency and Restructuring Advisor and has been an ABI member since 1989.

Jack Seward has been appointed to the steering committee for the Association of Digital Forensics, Security and Law 2007 annual conference. He has been an ABI member since 2004.

Joseph Baldiga of Mirick O'Connell DeMallie & Lougee, LLP has been named to The Best Lawyers in America in the bankruptcy and creditor/debtor rights law category. He has been an ABI member since 1998.

The firms of Day, Berry & Howard LLP and Pitney Hardin LLP announced their intent to merge by the end of the year. The new firm, Day Pitney, will have a total of 400 lawyers. ABI members include Richard M. Meth, Conrad K. Chiu, Jennifer A. Johnson, Thomas D. Goldberg, Marjorie Callan Carson and James J. Tancredi.

Edward J. DiDonato recently joined the Philadelphia office of Fox Rothschild LLP as a partner. He was previously a partner with the Philadelphia firm of DiDonato & Winterhalter for 12 years. He has been a member of ABI since 1996.

Stephen K. Gallagher has joined the Washington and Virginia offices of Venable LLP as a partner in the firm's Bankruptcy and Creditors' Rights Group. Recently selected as one of The Best Lawyers in America for 2007, Mr. Gallagher received his J.D. from George Mason University School of Law. He has been an ABI member since 1993.

Klee, Tuchin, Bogdanoff & Stern LLP has announced the addition of Jonathan Shenson as a partner. He has been a member of ABI since 1999.

CM&D Capital Advisors LLC and Conway MacKenzie & Dunleavy are pleased to announce the receipt of the 2005-2006 Transaction of the Year Award from the Detroit chapter of the Turnaround Management Association. The award is in recognition of CM&D Capital Advisors' role as exclusive investment banking advisor to Hastings Manufacturing Co. in its sale to The Anderson Group and Conway MacKenzie & Dunleavy's role as turnaround consultant. ABI members include Thomas H. Gordy, James S. Mahoney, Kevin A. Berry, Todd A. Eddy and Lisa M. Schrot.

Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP had 42 attorneys named to The Best Lawyers in America for 2007. Among them are ABI members Mike Ahrens, Alan Martin, Dave McCarty and Joel Ohlgren.

Patrick M. O'Keefe of O'Keefe & Associates was elected to the International Turnaround Management Association's board of directors and also vice chair of the president's council. He has been an ABI member since 1999. In addition, O'Keefe & Associates received the Turnaround of the Year Award from the Detroit chapter of the Turnaround Management Association and is also a finalist for the M&A Advisor's middle market Retail Deal of the Year. Turnaround Management Association's panel discussion on "Turning Around the Michigan Economy." This award was one of two awards presented by Marc Bakst, member of the board of directors for the Detroit Chapter of TMA. The awards were chosen based on the importance of the transaction, unique deal characteristics, transaction difficulty, and overall impact on the industry. Additional ABI members include Russell Long and David Distel.

Peter C. Anderson has been appointed as the U.S. Trustee in the Central District of California. He previously practiced bankruptcy law in Los Angeles and served 14 years as a chapter 7 panel trustee for the Central District of California. He received his J.D. from Loyola Law School.

Bridge Associates LLC announced the addition of Louis E. Robichaux IV as the managing director of the firm's new Health Care Turnaround and Restructuring Practice. Prior to joining Bridge, Mr. Robichaux was a senior managing director with FTI Health Solutions.

Reed Smith LLP and Sachnoff & Weaver Ltd. announced their intent to merge, which will become effective in March 2007. The combined office will be known in Chicago as Reed Smith Schanoff Weaver. ABI members include Mike C. Buckley, Kurt F. Gwynne, Amy M. Tonti, Arlene N. Gelman, Charles P. Schulman and Kurt A. Winiecki.

David Sweig has joined Piper Jaffray & Co. as a managing director in the firm's Chicago office. He previously served as a managing director with Giuliani Capital Advisors. Mr. Sweig received his master's degree in management from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Business at Northwestern University. He has been an ABI member since 2002.