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A panel of eminent U.S. professionals will discuss current trends in U.S. insolvencies and restructurings, explore current legislation, comment on developments in the financial sector for distressed lending and highlight any emerging trends.

This panel will discuss various ethical issues in consumer- and business-related bankruptcy cases and other restructurings.

This panel will feature a roundtable discussion with bankruptcy judges from the Ninth Circuit and across the country. The judges will share their thoughts and perspectives, as well as take questions from the audience, on topics of current interest in both business and consumer cases.

John W. Lucas, Moderator Pachulski Stang Ziehl & Jones LLP; San Francisco Judicial Debate Resolved: Structured dismissals of chapter 11 cases must always follow the Bankruptcy Code's priority structure. Pro: Hon. August B. Landis U.S. Bankruptcy Court (D. Nev.); Las Vegas Con: Hon. Deborah L. Thorne U.S. Bankruptcy Court (N.D. Ill.); Chicago Business Debate Resolved, a company deriving income indirectly from marijuana sales that are legal under state law should be eligible for relief under the Bankruptcy Code. Pro: Daniel J. Garfield McAllister Law Office P.C.; Denver Con: Candace C. Carlyon Morris Polich & Purdy LLP; Henderson, Nev. Consumer Debate Resolved: The filing of a Proof of Claim, for a debt on which the statute of limitations has run, is a violation of the FDCPA. Pro: Stephen E. Berken Berken and Associates; Denver Con: Alane A. Becket Becket & Lee, LLP; Malvern, Pa.

In the first decision addressing the point, the Ninth Circuit held that there’s a difference between an insider and a claim held by an insider. The ruling blessed an insider’s sale of a claim, relieving the claim of any taint and allowing the new holder to vote on confirmation. The panel looks at the developing issues on whether the buyer is a nonstatutory insider and whether the plan can be pursued in good faith after such a sale.

This panel will discuss the various obstacles attorneys can encounter when collecting fees. The discussion will include enforcement of contractual and statutory rights to payment, over- and undersecured claims, preference claims arising from the payment of attorneys’ fees, fees incurred defending fee application objections, and other related issues.

This panel will include a survey of recent developments in consumer bankruptcy law and will discuss when filing a proof of claim for a stale claim is a violation of the FDCPA (e.g., CFPB v. Hanna Law Firm, chapter 13 attorneys’ fees after the Supreme Court decision of Viegelahn v. Harris, chapter 7 trustees’ ability to prime certain liens in favor of other creditors using § 724, state of student loan discharges), among other issues.