28th Annual Debtor-Creditor Law Conference

Friday, February 15, 2008

Sheraton Madison Hotel
Madison, Wisconsin

Continuing Legal Education for Wisconsin (CLEW) refers to the continuing education activities of the University of Wisconsin Law School and University of Wisconsin Extension.

Debtor-Creditor Law Conference

A Tradition of Excellence in Bankruptcy Education

The practices of nearly all lawyers are regularly and significantly affected by problems arising from the creation and nonpayment of debts.  All lawyers need a greater understanding of the problems of borrowers and lenders to provide adequate counsel to clients both inside and outside the commercial field.

This program annually provides practice-oriented instruction that is valuable to all attorneys - not simply those attorneys whose practice is devoted exclusively to handling consumer and business bankruptcies.  The speaker's panel, selected by the law school, has identified issues for this year's conference which examine issues at the forefront of bankruptcy practice.

If you have never attended the Debtor Creditor Law Conference in the past, you should be aware of two special features which have become the hallmark of this program and which prior participants have found extremely interesting and educational.  The first feature of the conference is its use of the problem approach to present the material.  Each presentation by the faculty is structured around a problem.  Each problem was selected for its current importance in debtor-creditor law and its potential interest for the practitioners in attendance.  Both general practitioners and specialists will benefit from the opportunity to consider these problems with the outstanding faculty.  Problems will be discussed from both creditor and debtor viewpoints.

The second feature of the program is the format of the presentations, which involves a primary speaker with substantial comment from the entire faculty of bankruptcy judges and experienced attorneys.  In addition, comments and questions from the lawyers in attendance are encouraged.  The result of this exchange of views, strategies, comments, and anecdotes is an interesting program that is practice oriented and useful to all persons attending the program.

Faculty of Bankruptcy Judges and Attorneys

Hon. Barbara J. Houser - Judge Houser is a United States bankruptcy judge for the Northern District of Texas.  She is a contributing author of Collier on Bankruptcy, 15th ed., and Collier Bankruptcy Manual, 3d ed., and lectures frequently around the country on insolvency, bankruptcy, and debtor/creditor relationships.  Judge Houser is a member of the prestigious National Bankruptcy Conference and is also a fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy, the American Bar Foundation, and the Texas Bar Foundation.

Mark L. Metz - Mr. Metz is a partner in the Milwaukee law firm Leverson & Metz, S.C.  He advises debtors, trustees, secured creditors and creditor committees on out-of-court workouts, foreclosures, Chapter 11 reorganizations, bankruptcy litigation and other aspects of the debtor-creditor relationship.  He has served as the chair of the Bankruptcy Section of the Milwaukee Bar Association, and is a member of the Bankruptcy Section of the State Bar of Wisconsin.  He lectures frequently regarding bankruptcy-related topics to creditor organizations and professional groups.  Mr. Metz received his undergraduate degree, magna cum laude, from Lawrence University and his law degree, cum laude, from Harvard Law School.

Gerald F. Munitz - Mr. Munitz is a principal in Goldberg, Kohn, Bell, Black, Rosenbloom & Moritz, Ltd., in Chicago, Illinois.  He is a member of the National Bankruptcy Conference and the American College of Bankruptcy.  Mr. Munitz is a contributing author of Collier on Bankruptcy Practice Guide (1984 rev. ed.) and Bankruptcy Litigation Manual (1988).

William J. Rameker - Mr. Rameker is a shareholder in the Madison law firm of Murphy Desmond, S.C.  He is a member of the Panel of Trustees for the Western District of Wisconsin.  His expertise includes representation of secured and unsecured creditors in Chapter 11 proceedings and restructuring troubled companies both inside and outside of Chapter 11.  Mr. Rameker has acted as attorney for the creditors' committee and for the debtor in numerous business bankruptcies in a variety of industries.  He has also acted as the trustee or attorney for the trustee in the liquidation of numerous businesses.

Thomas L. Shriner, Jr. - Mr. Shriner is a partner in the Milwaukee office of Foley & Lardner.  Mr. Shriner chairs the Public Law Practice Group.  He practices in a broad range of civil litigation areas, concentrating in commercial and public law.  Since the mid-1970s, Mr. Shriner's practice has included bankruptcy work.  Mr. Shriner has lectured frequently on both appellate practice and bankruptcy law.  He has both litigated and counseled for bankruptcy and creditors' rights, business acquisitions, law applicable to banks and other financial institutions (including lender liability and loan participation).

Michael L. Temin - Mr. Temin is Of Counsel to Wolf, Block, Schorr and Solis Cohen, LLP, in Philadelphia.  He is the Scholar in Residence of the American College of Bankruptcy and teaches a course in Chapter 11 at the University of Pennsylvania Law School.  Mr. Temin is also the co-editor of the Pennsylvania Ethics Handbook.

Brady C. Williamson - Mr. Williamson's practice in Madison and in Milwaukee with LaFollette Godfrey & Kahn involves several disciplines and law firm teams including the Financial and Business Restructuring and Litigation Practice Groups.  In 1996, the president of the United States appointed him to chair the National Bankruptcy Review Commission.

Andrew J. Wronski - Mr. Wronski is a partner in the Litigation Department of Foley & Lardner's Milwaukee office.  His practice focuses on complex commercial litigation and trial work in a wide array of substantive areas, including banking and finance, commercial loan enforcement and workouts, insolvency-related litigation under the United States Bankruptcy Code and state law insolvency provisions, the Uniform Commercial Code, securities law, the Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organizations Act, software licensing disputes, and other matters involving sophisticated commercial transactions.

Jane F. (Ginger) Zimmerman - Ms. Zimmerman is a shareholder in Murphy Desmond S.C.  Her practice combines her experience in business, real estate, municipal law, bankruptcy, secured transactions, agricultural and commercial transactions and litigation.  She represents creditors, debtors and Trustees in bankruptcies, collections, reorganizations and liquidations.

Program Agenda and Topics

Registration:  8:30 to 9:00 a.m.

Instruction:  9:00 a.m. to 12:00; 1:15 to 4:15 p.m.

Program Moderator:  Hon. Robert D. Martin

Issue 1:    Building an Asset Case
    William Rameker
    Ginger Zimmerman

Issue 2:   The "Loan-to-Own" Transaction:  Applying Familiar Principles in a New Context, and a Few Novel Issues, Too
    Thomas Shriner, Jr.
    Andrew Wronski

Issue 3:    Executive Compensation After the 2005 Amendments
    Michael Temin

Issue 4:    Statutory Change:  New Congress, New President, New Attitude?
    Brady Williamson

Issue 5:    Confirming a Chapter 11 Plan in a Case Involving an Individual
     Gerald Munitz

Issue 6:    Strategic Implication of the Limits on Post-Confirmation Jurisdiction
      Hon. Barbara Houser

Issue 7:    The Use of Humor in Reported Bankruptcy Opinions
    Mark Metz

Registration Information

Date:  Friday, February 15, 2008.

Location:  Sheraton Madison Hotel, 706 John Nolen Drive, Madison, WI  53713.  Phone:  608-251-2300.

Schedule:  Registration from 8:30 - 9:00 a.m.  Instruction from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon and from 1:15 to 4:15 p.m.  There will be a 15 minute break during the morning and afternoon sessions.  Lunch is not included in the program.

Program Fee:  The $169.00 fee per registrant includes a course outline and refreshment breaks.  Please make checks payable to the UW Law School.

Materials:  Materials for this program can be ordered separately for $49.00 plus applicable sales tax.  Please see the enrollment form for the amount due, including sales tax.  Check the appropriate box on the enrollment form and include a check made payable to the UW Law School.  Materials will be sent out after the program.

Refund Policy: Refunds will be paid in full if requested before February 11, 2008.

Continuing Education Credit:  Up to 6.5 hours of Wisconsin CLE credit may be earned through attendance at this program.  Members of bars in other mandatory CLE states are requested to contact the CLEW office for information on obtaining credit in their states.

This is a program of the University of Wisconsin Law School and University of  Wisconsin Extension.

For More Information:  Please call 1-800-355-5573 or (608) 262-3833 or fax (608) 263-3472.

Program Attorney:  Scott C. Minter

Program Manager:  Lynn F. Thompson

The University of Wisconsin provides equal opportunities in employment and programming, including Title IX requirements.  Please advise the CLEW office at the time of registration if you are handicapped and desire special accommodations.  Your request will be kept confidential.

HOW TO REGISTER

ONLINE:  You can register online using a credit card. 

MAIL/FAX:  Please print the online registration form and mail with payment to CLEW-Debtor-Creditor Law Conference, Law School Building, 975 Bascom Mall, Room 2348, Madison, WI  53706, or fax with payment information to 608-263-3472.