Bankruptcy, distressed debt and corporate renewal professionals will hear three panels discuss Chapter 11 reform, transforming credit risk, and strategies for corporate renewal and restructuring at this year's Credit & Bankruptcy Symposium being held at Mohegan Sun Resort & Casino in Uncasville, Conn., on May 7-8. 

Now in its 9th year, the annual event is sponsored by the Connecticut Turnaround Management Association (CTTMA), American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI), and New York Institute of Credit (NYIC).

The first panel, Views from the Bench, features four bankruptcy court judges who will discuss the impact and various issues that courts have identified from the Final Report of the ABI Commission to Study the Reform of Chapter 11. The panel will focus on those aspects of the Final Report that may affect or influence bankruptcy jurisprudence and practice.

Issued in December and intended to ignite a dialogue on possible changes to the Bankruptcy Code and bankruptcy process, the Final Report "has been a significant topic of discussion among bankruptcy professionals, and we are very fortunate to have judges from Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey and New York who will share their views on its recommendations," says Joshua Cohen, CTTMA vice president of programs and co-chair of the Bankruptcy and Restructuring Practice Group at Hartford-based Day Pitney, LLP. 

The controversial report by a 22-member committee, is 400 pages long, took three years to produce and contains over 200 recommendations.  As reported by The Deal, it calls for, among other reforms, "providing debtors more flexibility in arranging debtor-in-possession financing, clarifying lender rights, disclosing additional information about the debtor to stakeholders, and allowing time at the beginning of a case so the debtor and stakeholders can assess the situation and restructuring alternatives."  Causing consternation among lenders, the recommendations would give bankrupt U.S. companies "more leeway to impose restructuring plans over creditors’ objections," Reuters reported. 

Panelists include:

• Hon. Joan N. Feeney, U.S. Bankruptcy Court (D. Mass.); Boston
• Hon. Michael B. Kaplan, U.S. Bankruptcy Court (D. N.J.); Trenton
• Hon. Julie A. Manning, U.S. Bankruptcy Court (D. Conn.); New Haven
• Hon. Elizabeth S. Stong, U.S. Bankruptcy Court (E.D.N.Y.); Brooklyn

The panel will be moderated by Andrew I. Silfen, managing partner of Arent Fox LLP's New York office and chair of the firm's Bankruptcy and Financial Restructuring Group.

The second panel, "Financial Alchemy: Turning Financial Lead into Gold" will discuss the ways in which one lender's hating a deal creates an opportunity for other lenders up and down the financial food chain.

Panelists, all lenders, include:

• William McAndrew, senior vice president, Citibank Middle Market Lending Group; New York and a CTTMA director
• Robert Meyers, head of sales at Bibby Financial Services; Chicago
• Andrew H. Moser, Co-Founder, President and CEO,  Salus Capital Partners; Needham, Mass.
• Greg Pignataro, a CTTMA director and a vice president at People’s United Bank; Hartford, Conn.

The panel will be moderated by David M. Weinstein, CTTMA president and a senior vice president of Ares Capital Management in Tarrytown, N.Y.

The third panel, "How to Ensure that You Are the Sharpest Tool in Your Client’s Toolbox: A Multi-Disciplinary Look at Middle-Market Corporate Renewal and Restructuring" features a multi-disciplinary group of experts who will provide insights and strategies for corporate renewal and restructuring in the middle market . Panelists will cover issues from the perspectives of attorneys, turnaround advisors, lenders and judges, including an examination of portions of the ABI Final Report.

The panelists include:

• Daniel C. Cohn, a partner in Stamford, Conn.-based Murtha Cullina LLP's Boston office;
• Thomas Donnelly, senior vice president and head of the loan workout unit at Waterbury, Conn.-based Webster Bank;
• Hon. Allan L. Gropper, recently retired judge of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court (S.D.N.Y.)
• Bert Weil, a managing director of New York-based turnaround and restructuring firm Getzler Henrich & Associates LLC and a member of the board of the Turnaround Management Association’s New York chapter.

The conference begins on May 7 with networking activities, including golf at the Lake of Isles Golf Course or an afternoon at Elemis Spa at the resort, followed by a cocktail reception.

Attendees are eligible for continuing legal and professional education and certified turnaround professional credits. 

For information and registration, click here.