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

ABI’S POPULAR SOUTHWEST BANKRUPTCY CONFERENCE
SET TO TAKE PLACE SEPTEMBER 7-9

May 19, 2006, Alexandria, Va. –More than 500 participants are expected to attend ABI’s 14^th Annual Southwest Bankruptcy Conference at the Wynn Las Vegas, the newest luxury resort on the famed Vegas strip. The conference provides an opportunity for attendees to earn up to 10 hours of continuing education credits including 1.5 hours of ethics. Program chairs for the conference are Jeffrey N. Pomerantz of Pachulski Stang Ziehl Young Jones & Weintraub LLP (Los Angeles) and T. Scott Avila of Corporate Revitalization Partners LLC (Santa Monica, Calif.). The Judicial Chair is Bankruptcy Judge Gregg W. Zive (Reno, Nev.).

Programs at the conference include:

'Skills: How to Conduct a Valuation Hearing,” moderated by James Patrick Shea of Shea & Carlyon, Ltd. (Las Vegas) features a panel including Eric D. Goldberg of Stutman, Treister & Glatt, PC (Los Angeles), Michael Hackman of Hackman Capital Partners, LLC (Los Angeles), Dillon Jackson of Foster Pepper PLLC (Seattle), William C. Kosturos of Alvarez & Marsal, LLC (San Francisco) and Bankruptcy Judge Gregg W. Zive (Reno, Nev.).

“KERPs, Comp and Bonus Issues under the New Code, Including Pension Benefits and Union Contracts” will be moderated by Thomas J. Salerno of Squire, Sanders & Dempsey, LLP (Phoenix) and include panelists Trent P. Cornell of Stohl Cowen Crowley LLC (Chicago), Catherine Steege of Jenner & Block, LLP (Chicago) and Bankruptcy Judge Eugene R. Wedoff (Chicago).

Bankruptcy Judge Bruce A. Markell (Las Vegas) will moderate “Small Business Chapter 11s: New Rules and Roles” with panelists Victor A. Sahn of SulmeyerKupetz, APC (Los Angeles) and Teri Stratton of Giuliani Capital Advisors LLC (Los Angeles).

“Ethical Issues in Professional Compensation,” moderated by Robin E. Phelan of Haynes and Boone, LLP (Dallas) will feature panelists Robbin L. Itkin of Kirkland & Ellis LLP (Los Angeles), T. Edward Malpass of the Law Offices of T. Edward Malpass (Irvine, Calif.), Mike Nakagawa of Nakagawa and Rico (Sacramento, Calif.) and Carl H. Young, III of Bridge Associates, LLC (Tulsa, Okla.)

Bankruptcy Judge Theodore C. Albert (Los Angeles) will moderate “Navigating the Minefields of Representing Chapter 11 Committees- Getting Employed, Managing Inter-Committee Conflicts and Complying with BAPCPA” featuring panelists Julie J. Becker of Wells Fargo Bank Minnesota, NA (Minneapolis), Jeffrey N. Pomerantz of Pachulski Stang Ziehl Young Jones & Weintraub LLP (Los Angeles) and Ron Tucker of Simon Properties (Indianapolis).

“Changing Roles in Commercial Cases: The Impact of Hedge Funds and Private Equity Funds on the Restructuring Landscape” features moderator Peter M. Gilhuly of Latham & Watkins LLP (Los Angeles) with panelists Paul S. Aronzon of Imperial Capital (Los Angeles), Susan M. Freeman of Lewis and Roca LLP (Phoenix), Eric D. Maloy of Bank of America Business Capital (Dallas) and Steven R. Strom of Jefferies & Company, Inc. (New York).

Bankruptcy Judge Linda B. Riegle (Las Vegas) will moderate the “Current Developments in Consumer Bankruptcies: After the Flood” session with panelists Timothy S. Cory of Timothy S. Cory & Associates/Chapter 7 Trustee (Las Vegas), Steven Jay Katzman, Assistant U.S. Trustee, Region 15 (San Diego), Dianne C. Kerns, Chapter 13 Trustee (Tucson, Ariz.) and   Dianne Wilkman of Sbringboard Nonprofit Consumer Credit Management (Riverside, Calif.).

Bankruptcy Judges Eileen W. Hollowell (Tucson, Ariz.), Eugene R. Wedoff (Chicago) and Linda B. Riegle (Las Vegas) will hold a breakout session focused on consumer cases. A breakout session focused on commercial cases will also be held by Bankruptcy Judges Sarah S. Curley (Phoenix), Theodore C. Albert (Los Angeles), Bruce A. Markell (Las Vegas) and Gregg W. Zive (Reno, Nev.).

The “Views from the Bench” session will feature Bankruptcy Judges Gregg W. Zive (Reno, Nev.), Theodore C. Albert (Los Angeles), Sarah S. Curley (Phoenix), James D. Gregg (Grand Rapids, Mich.), Eileen W. Hollowell (Tucson, Ariz.), Bruce A. Markell (Las Vegas), Linda B. Riegle (Las Vegas) and Eugene R. Wedoff (Chicago).

For more information on the Southwest Bankruptcy Conference, visit http://www.abiworld.org/SW06

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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 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.