Contact: John Hartgen
         703-739-0800
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JO ANN BRIGHTON ELECTED TO ABI’S BOARD OF DIRECTORS

April 11, 2008, Alexandria, Va. — The American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI) announces that Jo Ann J. Brighton of Kennedy Covington Lobdell & Hickman, LLP (Charlotte, N.C.)has been elected to ABI’s Board of Directors. An ABI member since 1996 and frequent speaker at ABI conferences, Brighton has served on ABI’s editorial, Web and education boards, and has been a contributing editor to the ABIJournal and ABILaw Review. Shewill serve a term of three years on the 60-member ABI Board of Directors.

Brighton focuses her practice on financial restructuring, representing institutions and lenders in all areas of commercial and bankruptcy law. Her work has included such matters as  syndicated debtor-in-possession (DIP) financing loans, litigation in bankruptcy court involving relief-from-stay motions, cash collateral, extension of exclusivity, DIP arrangements, disclosure statements and plans of reorganization, and negotiation, documentation and restructuring of loan obligations. Brighton is also a member of the International Women's Insolvency & Restructuring Confederation and recently became a Fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy.

The complete list of directors and officers is available at http://www.abiworld.org/Content/NavigationMenu/About_ABI/Board_of_Directors/Board_of_Directors.htm.

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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 11,700 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.