ABI, the Association of Insolvency & Restructuring Advisors (AIRA) and our distinguished advisory board invite you to attend VALCON 2024 at The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans, located in New Orleans’ French Quarter.
VALCON 2024 is THE place to connect with leaders in the distressed-debt, restructuring and valuation industries. Dealmakers, fund investors, and financial and legal advisors, this is one conference you should not miss! Valuation professionals can expect advanced discussions and fresh perspectives on timely topics to help them navigate the shifting sands of valuation in bankruptcy today.
ABI’s Complex Financial Restructuring Program will be held on Monday, March 18, in conjunction with VALCON 2024.
Attend either program, or attend both programs at a reduced registration fee.
Schedule and programming are subject to change.
Registration Opens
Welcoming Remarks
Industry Overviews
Retail
Commercial Real Estate
Specialty Health Care Providers/Pharma
Energy
Megatrends create volatility in the energy market. In 2024, elections, various regional conflicts, concerns about climate change, and the feasibility and marketability of various forms of energy make the valuation of “energy” a potentially tenuous endeavor. This session will provide a how-to guide for five-year business plans, capital-adequacy tests and cash-flow tests across the energy industry, and will discuss how to meet the bar for stress-testing under Judge Shannon’s Kravitz v. Sampson Energy decision.
Keynote Speaker: Paul G. Vallas
Heralded by many as the savior and Mr. Turnaround of public school systems in post-Katrina New Orleans, as well as in Chicago and Philadelphia, Paul Vallas achieved proven track records for boosting reading scores, STEM competency, grade-level proficiencies and graduation rates across a broad band of neighborhoods and demographics, not to mention balanced budgets, labor relations and unprecedented post-hurricane rebuilding challenges. Viewing our national education system as the Achilles heel of 21st century America, Vallas will preview his upcoming three papers being published by the Manhattan Institute that provide a national fix-it plan to build a foundation for literacy, job skills, community safety, economic mobility and American competitiveness. Come hear the architect of one of our country’s greatest turnaround stories as he discusses his work and what’s next.
Sponsored by AlixPartners LLP and Pachulski Stang Ziehl & Jones LLP
Opening Networking Reception with the Participants of CFRP 2024
Join us for drinks and hors d’oeuvres with faculty and participants.
Sponsored by Cozen O’Connor and Malek Capital Advisors
Registration and Networking Breakfast
Welcoming Remarks
Third-Party Releases: Is There a Fair Price to Pay?
Under the SDNY ruling in Purdue, the extent of consideration paid to third-party releases is a factor in approving such releases. This panel will explore current trends in valuing contributions by affiliates, insurers and other guarantors in mass tort cases.
Lessons in Liquidation Value from the Transportation Industry
This panel will address various issues that the trucking company industry is facing, as well as valuation issues with rolling stock, terminals and leases.
Refreshment Break/Networking
Valu-AI-tion and Restructur-AI-ng: Navigating the Future with Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning have the potential to reshape the landscape of corporate restructurings and valuations by influencing the creation, protection, efficiencies and valuations of various asset classes. While AI presents opportunities for businesses to innovate, grow and protect their assets more effectively, it also brings new challenges and uncertainties that require careful consideration and adaptation. This panel discussion will address how AI might be used in corporate restructuring and valuation, and the potential benefits and risks.
Luncheon and Networking
Out-of-Court Liability Management Transactions/Lender-on-Lender Violence
Cross-Examining a Corporate Valuation Expert
Refreshment Break/Networking
The Impact of a Higher-Interest-Rate Environment: A New Normal?
This panel will discuss the impact of today’s persistently higher-interest-rate environment from several perspectives, including valuation, operational free cash flow and financial flexibility, private equity and M&A transaction activity, and liability management (LME) and restructuring transaction opportunities.
Networking Reception
Breakfast and Conversation with Judges About Today’s Hottest Topics
Sponsored by Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP
Ethical Considerations in AI Valuation
This panel will discuss the ethical implications of AI technologies and how they may affect valuation, including issues related to bias, fairness and responsible AI.
Adjourn
| Early (by 1/31/24) | Regular (2/1/24-2/26/24) | Late (after 2/26/24) | ||
| VALCON 2024 Registration Rates | ||||
| ABI/AIRA Member | $765 | $815 | $865 | |
| Gov't./Aca./Nonprofit ABI/AIRA Member | $375 | $425 | $475 | |
| New ABI/AIRA Member* | $1,165 | $1,215 | $1,265 | |
| New Gov't./Aca./Nonprofit ABI/AIRA Member* | $500 | $550 | $600 | |
| *Includes a one-year ABI and AIRA membership for first-time members only — a $750 value! You must be an ABI or AIRA member to attend. Membership is individual and nonrefundable. If your ABI membership has expired, select the member rate and add in your ABI membership renewal fee. | ||||
| Early (by 1/31/24) | Regular (2/1/24-2/26/24) | Late (after 2/26/24) | ||
| CFRP 2024 Registration Rates | ||||
| ABI Member | $575 | $625 | $675 | |
| Gov't./Aca./Nonprofit ABI Member | $375 | $425 | $475 | |
| Join and Save* | $975 | $1,025 | $1,075 | |
| New Gov't./Aca./Nonprofit ABI Member* | $500 | $550 | $600 | |
| * Includes a one-year ABI membership for first-time members only — a $425 value! You must be an ABI member to attend. Membership is individual and nonrefundable. If your ABI membership has expired, select the member rate and add in your ABI membership-renewal fee. | ||||
| Early (by 1/31/24) | Regular (2/1/24-2/26/24) | Late (after 2/26/24) | ||
| VALCON 2024 & CFRP 2024 Joint Registration Rates | ||||
| ABI/AIRA Member | $1,025 | $1,075 | $1,125 | |
| Gov't./Aca./Nonprofit ABI/AIRA Member | $600 | $650 | $700 | |
| New ABI/AIRA Member** | $1,425 | $1,475 | $1,525 | |
| New Gov't./Aca./Nonprofit ABI/AIRA Member** | $725 | $775 | $825 | |
| **Includes a one-year ABI and AIRA membership for first-time members only — a $750 value! You must be an ABI or AIRA member to attend. Membership is individual and nonrefundable. If your ABI membership has expired, select the member rate and add in your ABI membership renewal fee. | ||||
Cancellation Policy
All fees, except a $75 handling fee, will be refunded if written notice of cancellation is received by February 26, 2024. No refunds will be granted after February 26, but substitutions will be allowed. After February 26, upon written request, a coupon for 20% off the registration fee (not including optional events) will be issued, which can be used (by the canceling registrant only) for any ABI educational program up to one year after this conference, or for this same conference next year.
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. ABI also has reduced rates for government employees, professors, law clerks and students. Financial assistance is available for this program. Illinois Attorneys: If registration fees are more than $500, attorneys who qualify will receive at least a 50% reduction in the registration fee. For more information, please contact the American Bankruptcy Institute at (703) 739-0800, or send an e-mail to [email protected].
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.
Hotel
The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans invites visitors to its French Quarter retreat, set within a 1908 Beaux Arts building. ABI and AIRA have arranged a special conference rate of $309 per night from March 18-March 20, 2024. Reservations must be made directly with the hotel prior to February 26, 2024, to take advantage of the special conference rate. In order to be eligible for the group rate, reservations may be made only once you have registered for the program. Upon payment of the conference registration fees, you will receive hotel reservation information with your conference confirmation. Rooms are held on a first-come, first-served basis. ABI cannot guarantee any rooms after the specially rated ABI/AIRA block is filled.
Travel
Air: Fly into New Orleans International Airport (MSY).
Conference Attire
Attire is business casual throughout the conference.
Co-Chairs
Advisory Board
This program is expecting to be eligible for 9.25 hours of general CLE credit, including 1.25 hour of ethics/professionalism, in states calculating CLE on a 60-minute hour, and 11 hours of general CLE credit, including 1.5 hours of ethics/professionalism, in 50-minute-hour states. Credit hours are estimated and are subject to each state’s approval and credit-rounding rules and might not be approved prior to the program.
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. For persons unable to pay a reduced rate, we may allow the individual to work at our registration area for a few hours during attendee check-in, or assist in conference set-up. ABI also has reduced rates for government employees, professors, law clerks and students. Illinois Attorneys: If registration fees are more than $500, attorneys who qualify will receive a reduction of at least 50% off the registration fee. For information on tuition assistance, send an e-mail to [email protected].