Contact: John Hartgen
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ABI’s INAUGURAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM LOOKS TO ASSIST MID-LEVEL INSOLVENCY PRACTITIONERS

February 25, 2009, Alexandria, Va. — To better assist in the professional development of mid-level insolvency and restructuring practitioners in this busy bankruptcy market, the American Bankruptcy Institute will hold its Inaugural Professional Development Program in Chicago on May 28, 2009. The day-long program was developed by ABI's Young and New Members Committee and will be held in the Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP Conference Center.The program includes a morning educational session devoted to issues common to mid-level professionals in the areas of law, finance and accounting. The afternoon programs are specifically designed to assist the mid-level professional with networking, communication and business-development efforts and allow for hands-on dialogue and relationship-building opportunities with peers.

Program topics and speakers include:

The “Legal Session: The Importance of Understanding Fiduciary Duties” will feature panelists Alan K. Mills of Barnes & Thornburg LLP (Indianapolis), George N. Panagakis of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP (Chicago) and Catherine L. Steege of Jenner & Block LLP (Chicago).

Matthew R. Niemann of Houlihan Lokey (Chicago), Nancy A. Peterman of Greenberg Traurig, LLP (Chicago) and Lewis W. Solimene of Macquarie Capital (USA) Inc. (Chicago) will take part in the “Finance Session: Valuation Methodologies of Distressed Assets & Companies.”

The “Accounting Session: Identifying Financial Distress” features Michael C. Buenzow of FTI Consulting, Inc. (Chicago), Robert M. Caruso of Alvarez & Marsal (Chicago) and Holly Felder Etlin of AlixPartners LLP (New York).

Melissa Kibler Knoll of Mesirow Financial Consulting, LLC (Chicago) will moderate the “How Do I Advance at My Firm and Within My Profession?” session with panelists Michael M. Eidelman of Vedder Price P.C. (Chicago), James H. M. Sprayregen of Kirkland & Ellis LLP (Chicago) and Bettina M. Whyte of Bridge Associates, LLC (New York).

Paula Giovacchini of Gio Group, Inc. (Chicago) will lead the “Building Relationships to Generate Business” session to introduce attendees to a business-development process and activities to enhance relationships with existing clients and generate new business with prospective clients.

The “Putting the ‘Working’ in Networking” session, featuring Deborah Knupp of Akina (Chicago), is designed to provide practical tools and tips for enhancing the value of networking events to establish new relationships that can lead to future business.

Robert Gigliotti of Gio Group, Inc. (Chicago) will exemplify the difference between influence and manipulation and how to scan a situation to determine the best individual influence strategy in the “Enhancing Influence Skills to Get What You Want” session.

To find out more about ABI’s Inaugural Professional Development Program, please visit http://www.abiworld.org/MLPD09.

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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 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.