Contact: John Hartgen
             703-739-0800
             [email protected]

 
June 25, 2008, Alexandria, Va. — Offering Chicago-area practitioners the opportunity to examine current issues affecting the consumer bankruptcy profession, the American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI) will hold the Chicago Consumer Bankruptcy Conference on Oct. 13 at The Standard Club in Chicago. Faculty members include experienced local chapter 7 and 13 consumer attorneys, bankruptcy judges and panel trustees from the Northern District of Illinois and a representative from the Executive Office for the U.S. Trustees. In addition, attendees are invited to join ABI Executive Director Samuel J. Gerdano for a lunchtime discussion on current developments in and future prospects for consumer bankruptcy legislation on the eve of the 2008 Congressional and Presidential elections.
 
Panel sessions include:
 
Bankruptcy Judge Manuel Barbosa (N.D. Ill.; Rockford), David J. Frankel of Sorman & Frankel, Ltd.; (Chicago) and John E. Gierum of Gierum & Mantas (Rosemont, Ill.) will be the featured panelists for the “Keeping Your Collateral: Reaffirmation, Redemption and Post-petition Financing” session.
 
The “Disposable Income: Choosing a Chapter under the Means Test” session includes panelists Joseph E. Cohen of Cohen & Krol (Chicago), Keisha M. Hooks, a staff attorney for the chapter 13 trustee in Chicago, Mark A. Redmiles, the Deputy Director for the Executive Office for the U.S. Trustees (Washington, D.C.) and Bankruptcy Judge Eugene R. Wedoff  (N.D. Ill.; Chicago).
 
The “Recurring Automatic Stay Issues in Consumer Bankruptcy: Section 362(c)” session panel will include Joseph A. Baldi of Joseph A. Baldi & Associates, PC (Chicago), Michael C. Burr of Robert J. Adams and Associates (Chicago), A. Stewart Chapman of Pierce & Associates (Chicago) and Bankruptcy Judge Pamela S. Hollis (N.D. Ill.; Chicago).
 
Bankruptcy Judge A. Benjamin Goldgar (N.D. Ill.; Chicago) and Catherine L. Steege of Jenner & Block LLP (Chicago) will take part in the “Litigation Practice Skills: Writing Good Motions, Briefs, Complaints and Answers” session.
 
The “Is Bankruptcy the Real Answer? Moral and Ethical Issues Attorneys (Should) Face When Deciding if Bankruptcy is in the Client's Best Interest” session will feature panelists Bennett A. Kahn of the Law Offices of Melvin Kaplan and Associates, PC (Chicago), Prof. Deborah K. Thorne of Ohio University (Athens, Ohio) and David S. Yen of the Legal Assistance Foundation of Chicago (Chicago).
 
For more information on ABI’s Consumer Bankruptcy Conference, please visit http://www.abiworld.org/CH08/. 

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 nearly 11,700 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.