Conference Agenda

All times are Eastern Times (ET).
Additional speakers will continue to be added leading up to the conference. Agenda is subject to change.

WEDNESDAY, November 29, 2023

7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.

Registration and Continental Breakfast

8:00 a.m. – 8:10 a.m.

Opening Remarks – Conference Chairs

Harold L. Kaplan, Partner, Foley & Lardner LLP
Joshua A. Sussberg, Partner, Restructuring, Kirkland & Ellis LLP

Kaplan

Sussberg

8:10 a.m. – 8:45 a.m.

Annual Year In Review

Steven L. Gidumal, President and Managing Partner, Virtus Capital, LP

8:45 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.

Restructuring Roundtable

Matt Barr, Partner, Weil (Moderator)

Barr

9:45 a.m. – 9:55 a.m.

Morning Networking Break

10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Litigation Finance

Stephanie Wickouski, Partner, Locke Lord

Wickouski

11:05 a.m. – 11:55 a.m.

Distressed Commercial Real Estate

Greg Corbin, President, Northgate Real Estate Group

Corbin

12:00 p.m. – 1:10 p.m.

Harvey R. Miller Annual Awards Luncheon
Beard Group will present the Harvey R. Miller Outstanding Achievement Award for Service to the Restructuring Industry to Victor Khosla, Founder and Chief Investment Officer of Strategic Value Partners.
Learn More Here

Khosla

1:15 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Liability Management Panel A

Damian Schaible, Partner, Davis Polk
Anthony Sexton, Partner, Kirkland & Ellis
John Sobolewski, Partner, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz

Schaible

Sexton

Sobolewski

2:00 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.

Liability Management Panel B

Mark Hebbin, Partner, Foley & Lardner LLP
Evan Hill, Partner, Corporate Restructuring, Skadden
Dan Kamensky, Founder, Creditor Coalition

Hebbin

Hill

Kamensky

2:45 p.m. – 2:55 p.m.

Afternoon Networking Break

3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Pros and Cons of Professional Bankruptcy Directors
Do bankruptcy experts serving on a debtor's board help a company navigate chapter 11 expeditiously and maximize value for stakeholders? Or do they infringe, if not trample, on creditors' rights? Harvard Law Professor Jared Ellias provocatively suggested the latter two years ago. This diverse panel of corporate governance experts will explore the continuing trend of debtors engaging bankruptcy experts as directors and the positive and negative effects they've observed. Some panelists will oppose Professor Ellias, arguing the potential downsides outweigh the benefits. Others will passionately argue for the unique insights experienced corporate restructuring professionals bring to the table. A third group believes a broader range of management or industry knowledge is crucial because when directors focus mainly on restructuring they neglect generating revenue and profits by serving their customers. This thought-provoking discussion blends academic rigor with real-world examples, and may reshape your view on the role of bankruptcy specialists in boardrooms.

Steven Seiden, President, Seiden Krieger Associates
Lorenzo Marinuzzi, Partner, Morrison & Foerster
Jared Ellias, Professor of Law, Harvard Law School
Howard Brownstein, President, Brownstein Corporation
Hon. Lisa Beckerman, United States Bankruptcy Judge, Southern District of New York
Harvey Tepner - Independent Corporate Director

Seiden

Marinuzzi

Ellias

Brownstein

Beckerman

Tepner

4:10 p.m. – 4:50 p.m.

Annual Distressed Investors' Roundtable

Steve Gidumal, President and Managing Partner, Virtus Capital, LP
Matthew Dundon, Principal, Dundon Advisers, LLC
Gary Hindes, Managing Director, The Delaware Bay Company LLC
Richard Fels, Managing Director, Odeon Capital Group
Neil Subin, Director, Centrus Energy

Gidumal

Dundon

Hindes

Fels

Subin

5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Current and Former Judges

Josh Sussberg (Moderator), Partner, Restructuring, Kirkland & Ellis LLP
Hon. David Jones, Chief United States Bankruptcy Judge, Southern District of Texas
Hon. Brendan Shannon, United States Bankruptcy Judge for the District of Delaware
Hon. Michael Kaplan, Chief United States Bankruptcy Judge for the District of New Jersey
Hon. Shelley Chapman (RET.), Senior Counsel, Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP
Hon. Robert Drain (RET.), Of Counsel, Corporate Restructuring, Skadden