Contact: John Hartgen
             703-739-0800

ABI’S NEWEST PUBLICATION PROVIDES CONSUMER BANKRUPTCY BASICS FOR FINANCIAL INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS

January 4, 2008, Alexandria, Va. —The American Bankruptcy Institute’s (ABI) newest publication, Bankruptcy Fundamentals for the Financial Services Industry: A Handbook for Non-lawyers, is designed for nonlawyer professionals who service consumer bankruptcy accounts for financial institutions, servicing companies and debt collectors. Written by Debra Lee Hovatter (Spilman Thomas & Battle, PLLC; Morgantown, W.Va.), the Handbook is a guide to understanding the bankruptcy process, debtors’ rights and how bankruptcy affects a creditor’s rights with respect to a consumer bankruptcy account. Among the topics covered are the basics of bankruptcy, the attributes of the different chapters under which a consumer may seek protection, the automatic stay and discharge, reaffirmation and avoiding liens in bankruptcy. This handy primer complements a financial institution’s policies and procedures, and can be a helpful guide for lawyers who do not practice in the bankruptcy arena, but want to understand the concepts.

The 176-page softbound manual is available for purchase ($15 members; $25 non-members) at ABI’s Online Bookstore. Click here to order.
http://www.abiworld.org/abistore

###

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 more than 11,500 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.