ABI and the Northeast Advisory Board are excited to present the 2021 Northeast Bankruptcy Conference & Consumer Forum in a virtual format! Over three days of insightful and timely programming, top practitioners and regional judges will take on the most current commercial and consumer bankruptcy issues. Design your own learning experience all from the comfort of your home or office.
This online conference will also provide participants with ample opportunities to network virtually and in person (your choice!) with bankruptcy professionals in the Northeast and beyond.
Take advantage of the flexibility that an online conference offers. The Northeast Bankruptcy Conference & Consumer Forum session recordings will be viewable until August 15, 2021.
Sponsorships are available; please email Michelle Burnett at [email protected].
Emerging Leaders Program: Hot Topics in Evidence
This panel will cover essential topics that up-and-coming restructuring professionals need to know: how to craft and when to use leading vs. open-ended questions when examining a witness; a tutorial for admitting common kinds of evidence; and tips for advocates and experts alike when preparing each other for expert testimony. It will conclude with a virtual happy hour featuring New England bankruptcy judges.
Opening Reception
Sponsored by DiCicco, Gulman & Company LLP
Plenary Session
Welcome and Wellness Issues Facing Insolvency Professionals
With the erosion of boundaries between work life and home life in remote-work settings, professionals need to balance competing objectives, including how to maintain client satisfaction while addressing fears and anxieties among colleagues and family members. Those challenges will continue as the country shifts back to more “normal” work settings. This plenary session will examine the increased pressures faced by insolvency professionals today.
Sponsored by Deloitte
Stretch Break
Concurrent Sessions (choose Consumer or Business)
Consumer Breakout
Consumer Practice Legislative Potpourri
Recent legislation and judicial decisions have changed consumer bankruptcy practice substantially over the last year. This panel will provide perspectives and analysis from the judiciary and debtors’ and creditors’ attorneys regarding the various legislative changes that have been enacted or proposed since early 2020, and will explore the ever-changing landscape of bankruptcy practice today. The panelists will also discuss the impact of recent Supreme Court and First Circuit decisions on consumer cases.
Business Breakout
The Walking Dead: How (and When) to Address Post-Pandemic Debt Zombies
This panel will address how we deal with the new crop of corporate zombies that have been emerging as a result of the influx of debt to balance sheets during the pandemic. What tools are available to address this phenomenon? When will the Fed’s credit-tightening or other regulatory requirements force regulated lenders and borrowers to address these issues? How will nonbank lenders react? Finally, how will the Main Street Lending Program (and the Fed’s role as lender) play into this discussion?
Sponsored by Drummond Woodsum
Start the last day of the Northeast Bankruptcy Conference & Consumer Forum with a cup of coffee, courtesy of Pachulski Stang Ziehl & Jones. Be sure to check your email for your free voucher.
*Registered attendees only.*
Plenary Session
Great Debates: The Circuit Split Edition
This plenary will present two exciting debates on timely circuit split topics. Judges will be paired with emerging regional leaders to face off over key bankruptcy issues.
Resolved: The automatic stay terminates automatically after a repeat filing only to property of the debtor, and not to estate property.
Resolved: A “makewhole” provision may be enforced against a debtor and is not disallowed as “unmatured interest” pursuant to Bankruptcy Code § 502(b)(2).
Sponsored by Pierce Atwood LLP and Mirick, O'Connell, DeMallie & Lougee, LLP
Stretch Break
Concurrent Sessions (choose Consumer or Business)
Consumer Breakout
Subchapter V Demystified
The Small Business Reorganization Act has been in force for over a year, and trustees, debtors, creditors and attorneys have spent the last year trying to work through what subchapter V means for them. This panel will discuss the case law that has developed, as well as the benefits and constraints of subchapter V on debtors and creditors. The panelists, featuring a trustee, judge, and debtors’ and creditors’ attorneys, will also discuss the implications of representing related entities and insiders, as well as navigating uncertainties in the new law.
Business Breakout
Where Federal Statutes Collide: What § 363 Does Not Clear Out
Three cases in the last year have demonstrated that § 363 does not fix everything. In Dean Foods, § 363 did not protect the purchaser from the Sherman Antitrust Act; the purchaser was forced to divest itself of purchased assets in a U.S. DOJ antitrust action. In GNC, CFIUS interposed (unsuccessfully) to try to prevent the sale of assets to a Chinese company owned by the PRC government. Finally, in Exide, CERCLA rendered four contaminated properties unsalable, resulting in abandonment (arguably in contravention of the SCOTUS Midlantic decision, appeal pending). This panel will discuss these issues and more.
Sponsored by Preti, Flaherty, Beliveau & Pachios, Chartered, LLP
Optional Event*
Golf Tournament
Granite Links Golf Club, Quincy, Massachusetts
Home to 27 championship holes and meticulously manicured, with breathtaking views of the Boston Skyline, Granite Links is the most stunning entertainment experience in Greater Boston. The $250-per-person fee includes green fee and cart, prizes, and dinner and beverages at The Tavern. Please select the appropriate box on the online registration form to play, and indicate your handicap.
*You must register for the Northeast Bankruptcy Conference & Consumer Forum in order to attend this optional event.Sponsored by Zeisler & Zeisler, P. C.
Beverage Cart Sponsored by Green & Sklarz LLC
Dinner Sponsored by Mackinac Partners
Optional Event*
Cocktail Reception
Hardshore Distilling Company, Portland, Maine
Experience a range of gin and whiskey cocktails distilled on the rugged shore of Portland, Maine, at Hardshore Distilling Company. The cost for this event is $50 per person, which includes drinks, hors d’oeuvres and gratuities. To register for this event, please check the appropriate box on the online registration form. Space for this event is limited!
*You must register for the Northeast Bankruptcy Conference & Consumer Forum in order to attend this optional event.Sponsored by Bernstein, Shur, Sawyer & Nelson, P. A .
Conference Rates
| Northeast Bankruptcy Conference | |
|---|---|
| ABI Member/Non-Member: | $300 |
| Registration + ABI Membership for New Members*: | $650 |
| Gov’t./Aca./Nonprofit: | $200 |
| Gov’t./Aca./Nonprofit for New Members*: | $325 |
| Northeast Consumer Forum | |
|---|---|
| Member/Non-Member: | $100 |
| Registration + ABI Membership for New Members*: | $450 |
* Includes a one-year ABI membership for first-time members — a $375 value! Membership is individual and nonrefundable. If your membership has expired, select the regular rate and add in your membership-renewal fee.
Cancellation Policy
No refunds will be granted for this online program. Should you become unable to attend any or all of the sessions, a recording of all sessions will be sent to you, along with the corresponding educational materials.
Anti-Harassment Policy
The American Bankruptcy Institute is dedicated to providing a harassment-free conference experience for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, age or religion. We do not tolerate harassment of conference participants in any form. Sexual language and imagery are not appropriate for any conference venue, including talks. Conference participants violating these rules may be sanctioned or expelled from the conference without a refund at the discretion of the conference organizers.
Our anti-harassment policy can be found at https://www.abi.org/about-us/bylaws-and-policies.
Financial Hardship Statement
ABI acknowledges that in some instances there will be persons who need to attend an educational seminar for CLE credit who are not able to pay full registration fees. ABI will handle such instances on a case-by-case basis and will work with the individual on alternative solutions. For persons who cannot meet the full registration rate, ABI will offer a reduced rate based on what the individual can reasonably afford to cover the cost of meals and materials. ABI also has reduced rates for government employees, professors, law clerks and students. For information on tuition assistance, send an e-mail to [email protected].
Northeast Bankruptcy Conference Co-Chairs
Northeast Consumer Forum Co-Chairs
Advisory Board
The Northeast Bankruptcy Conference & Consumer Forum session recordings will be viewable until August 15, 2021.
5 hours of total CLE credit, including 1 hour of Wellness, are pending in states calculating CLE on a 60-minute hour, and 6.3 hours of total CLE credit, including 1.5 hours of Wellness, are pending in 50-minute-hour states.Credit hours granted are subject to each state’s CLE credit-approval regulations and might not be approved prior to the program.
Instructional Delivery Method: Group Live delivered online due to COVID-19.
CPE credit is NOT AVAILABLE for this conference.
When and how can I access the virtual conference?
Registered attendees will receive a link via email to the attendee website 48 hours before the first session begins. The link will be sent to the email address you used to register for the program, and this is how you will access all of the conference content. You’ll use the same link each day to access the attendee website for the live conference and whenever you choose to view the on-demand content.
What if I don’t receive the link?
Contact [email protected], and a member of the ABI team can provide you with your link.
Can I share this link with others?
As with in-person meetings, registrations cannot be shared. The registration link provides a secure single-sign-on experience for the user.
How much time should I expect to be online during the event days?
The virtual conference sessions take place on Tuesday evening for approximately 1.5 hours, Wednesday afternoon for approximately 4.5 hours and Thursday morning for approximately 3 hours.
Are there any specific technology requirements?
You will be able to access the program sessions without downloading any plug-ins or software. However, for best results, we recommend that you use Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Chromium Edge to access the sessions. The program will not be available on a mobile/cellphone (iPhone, Android, Blackberry), but can be accessed through laptop, desktop (PC or Mac) and certain other mobile devices (Surface Pro, iPad).
What are the suggested web browser prerequisites?
Internet Explorer 10 or higher
Chromium Edge 80 or higher
Google Chrome 53.0.2785 or higher
Safari 10.0.602.1.50 or higher
Firefox 76 or higher
Note: Mobile web browsers are not supported.