Bankruptcy Skills Workshop

Registration is now closed.
Thank you for your interest in the 28th Annual Bankruptcy Skills Workshop.
Registration is available tomorrow on a first come, first serve basis. If you have any questions, please email segura@miami.edu.

The 28th BANKRUPTCY SKILLS WORKSHOP presents useful basics on consumer bankruptcy practice in the Southern District of Florida.

Last year's program focused on where the practice of consumer bankruptcy is going and more complex issues that arise in cases. There were panels on emerging chapter 13 issues, individual chapter 11 practice for debtors over the debt limits, the intersection of ethics and technology, and the ever popular View from the Bench section with our Southern District of Florida Judges. 
Join the Conversation: #BSWMiami

Program 

(View Full Program Brochure)

8:00 – 8:30 AM Registration

8:30 – 9:30 AM Practice from the Perspective of Chapter 7 Trustees and the Assistant United States Trustee
Topics include: Common errors and omissions in chapter 7 schedules; trustee’s interest in property of the debtor estate; frequent areas of examination at Section 341 meetings; Section 727 objections to discharge; and grounds for referral to the U.S. Attorney.
Panel discussion featuring: Chapter 7 Panel Trustees Southern District of Florida: Maria M. Yip, CPA, CFE, CIRA, CFF, and Ross R. Hartog, - Miami Division; Robert C. Furr – West Palm Beach Division; Steven D. Schneiderman, trial counsel Office of the United States Trustee.
Moderated by: Scott N. Brown, Chapter 7 Panel Trustee, Fort Lauderdale Division

9:30 – 10:15 AM Chapter 13 Practice from the Perspective of the Standing Trustees
Topics include: Revisions to the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure which went into effect December 1, 2017. The revised Rules make chapter 13 practice more uniform across the nation. The panel will also discuss the new plan form, the impact of shortened creditor claims deadlines, and how to get a chapter 13 plan confirmed quickly.
Panel discussion featuring: Nancy K. Neidich, Standing Chapter 13 Trustees for Monroe and Miami-Dade County Division; James Schwitalla, counsel for debtors; Gerard Michael Kouri, Jr., counsel for secured lenders; Neisa I. Garcia Ramirez, creditors' rights counsel.
Moderated by: Kelly Roberts

10:15 – 10:30 AM Coffee Break

10:30 AM – 12:00 PM Bankruptcy Judges’ View from the Bench
Topics include: Bankruptcy related United States Supreme Court decisions and developing case law in the Southern District of Florida. Panel discussion featuring: United States Bankruptcy Court Judges for the Southern District of Florida: The Hon. Laurel M. Isicoff, Chief Judge; The Hon. A. Jay Cristol; The Hon. Robert A. Mark; The Hon. John K. Olsen; The Hon. Raymond B. Ray; and The Hon. Mindy A. Mora.
Moderated by: Patricia A. Redmond, Stearns Weaver Miller

12:00 – 12:45 PM Lunch

12:45 – 1:45 PM Practice in the Southern District of Florida from the Perspective of Bankruptcy Clerk of Court
Topics include: An update of court operations, recent administrative orders, CM/ECF, and clerk's office initiatives. A separate courtroom deputy panel will also review Judges' filing and calendaring tips, submission of orders, and other local practice requirements.
Panel discussion featuring: Joe Falzone, Clerk of Court; Nora Blanco, Operations Manager; Susan Gutierrez, Courtroom Deputy and other Deputies.

1:45 – 2:00 PM Coffee Break

2:00 – 3:00 PM Mindfulness as a Skills Training
Topics include: Mindfulness after the dust settles; mindfulness practices to develop greater focus and resilience; tips for practice in everyday life.
Featuring: Scott Rogers, Director of the University of Miami School of Law’s Mindfulness in Law Program.

3:00 – 4:00 PM Ethical Practice in the Bankruptcy Court – Perspective of The Florida Bar
Topics include: Recent Florida Supreme Court rulings governing ethical practice in state and federal courts; trust accounting violations and conduct which prompts an investigation and prosecution.
Panel discussion featuring: Arlene K. Sankel, prosecutor and managing attorney of the Miami branch of The Florida Bar; Jennifer Falcone, investigator and prosecutor; Thomas Duarte, CPA, Certified Fraud Examiner.
Moderated by: Barbara L. Phillips, Barbara L. Phillips, P.A.

Fees

Registration fees support the Louis Phillips Scholarship Fund. Course materials, lunch, and parking are included in the cost of registration. We look forward to you joining us in the 28th Annual Bankruptcy Skills Workshop.

EARLY Registration (until May 4, 2018): $290.00 SOLD OUT
Registration (after May 4, 2018): $325.00
Government Rate: $25.00

Materials

CLICK HERE to download materials (password protected)

Steering Committee

The Hon. A. Jay Cristol, Chief United States Bankruptcy Judge Emeritus, Southern District of Florida; Barbara L. Phillips, Esq., Jerry M. Markowitz, Esq., Kelly K. Roberts, Esq., and Daniel N. Gonzalez, Esq.

All proceeds from the Workshop will benefit the Louis Phillips Scholarship Fund at the University of Miami School of Law.