Our Seminars
2025 Annual Meeting and Winter Seminar
March 14, 2025 (tentative)
Information coming soon!
Planning our seminars is an ongoing process.
Please submit any comments and suggestions for speakers or topics below.
Prior Seminars:
2024 Fall Consumer Bankruptcy Seminar
Friday, October 18, 2024
6.5 total CLE hours.
Agenda
Opening Remarks (8:25 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.)
Michael A. Cox, Esq. CEC President
Case Law Update (8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.)
John W. Kennedy, Esq., Strip, Hoppers, Leithart, McGrath & Terlecky Co., LPA
Nationwide overview of significant bankruptcy decisions over the past two years, covering cases from US bankruptcy courts, US district courts, US courts of appeal, and the US Supreme Court
AI & Ethics (9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.)
Merisa K. Bowers, Esq., Ohio Bar Liability Insurance Company
Kiran Bellubbi, CEO and Co-Founder of Noodle
Athena Inembolidis, Esq. (Moderator), Athena Legal, LLC
The panel will discuss bankruptcy-specific AI software and the ethical considerations for attorney who use AI in their practice
BREAK (11:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.)
Bad Paper: Chasing Debt from Wall Street to the Underworld (via Zoom) (11:15 p.m. – 12:15 p.m.)
Jake Halpern, Best-selling Author and Journalist
Author discussion about the secret world of consumer debt collectors
LUNCH -PROVIDED (12:15 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.)
SBA Loans (1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.)
Bethany J. Hamilton, Assistant U.S. Attorney
Phillip K. Stovall, Esq., Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP
Panel discussion on representing clients with SBA loans in and out of bankruptcy, and how to effectively work with the SBA
Nationwide TSF (2:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.)
Patrick K. Schaefer, Founder and CEO Nationwide TFS
BREAK (2:30 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.)
Hot Topics (2:45 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.)
Faye D. English, Standing Chapter 13 Trustee
Edward A. Bailey, Standing Chapter 13 Trustee
Stephen R. Franks, Esq., Manley Deas Kochalski
Michael R. Jones, Esq., The Jones Law Firm, LLC
The panel will discuss current case trends and issues: Mortgage Maturity Dates: Prepetition vs. During the Case, Long-term Car Loans, Upcoming Changes to FRBP 3002, Preparation by Attorneys and Debtors for 341 Meetings, Attorney Fees on Motions for Relief from Stay
2023 Fall Consumer Bankruptcy Seminar
Friday, September 29, 2023
6.75 total CLE hours
Agenda
Coffee and Continental Breakfast (8:00 a.m. – 8:25 a.m.)
Opening Remarks (8:25 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.)
Courtney A. Cousino, Esq. CEC President
Case Law Update (8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.)
Thomas D. DeCarlo, Esq., Osipov Bigelman, PC (Southfield, MI)
Nationwide overview of significant bankruptcy decisions over the past two years, covering cases from US bankruptcy courts, US district courts, US courts of appeal, and the US Supreme Court
BREAK (10:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.)
Chapter 7 Case Trends and Options for the Small Business Debtor (10:15 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.)
Jim Coutinho, Esq., Allen Stovall Neuman & Ashton
Myron Terlecky, Esq., Strip, Hoppers, Leithart, McGrath & Terlecky Co., LPA
David Whittaker, Esq., Isaac Wiles
Chapter 7 Trustee panel discussion of current asset case trends and options for the small business debtor.
LUNCH -PROVIDED (11:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.)
Gambling -Professional Conduct (12:45 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.)
Michael Burke, Director at NCPG
‘Never Enough: One Lawyer’s True Story of How He Gambled His Career Away’
How to Deal with the Gambling Client (1:45 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.)
Andrew R. Vara, United States Trustee, Regions 3 and 9
Michael Cox, Esq., Guerrieri Cox & Associates
Stacey O’Stafy, Esq., Staff Attorney, Chapter 13 Trustee Faye D. English
Differences between Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 treatment of gambling debts and preparing your client’s case for the best possible outcome.
BREAK (2:30 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.)
PPP Loans & Business Debtors (2:45 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.)
Edward “Ted” Cahill, Esq., Asst. U.S. Trustee
Pamela Arndt, Esq. Office of the U.S. Trustee
Jeff Pfriem, Bankruptcy Analyst, Office of the US Trustee
Student Loan Update (3:45 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.)
Joseph M. McCandlish, Esq., Asst. U.S. Attorney
Matthew Thompson, Esq., Nobile & Thompson Co., L.P.A.
2024 Winter Seminar
Via Zoom Friday, March 1, 2024
9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Annual Membership Meeting- Members in good standing invited and encouraged to attend to vote on Board Members.
Speakers: Paul Bryson, Sondra Bryson, Edward H. Cahill & Brian Wood
- In depth look at divorces and the ways they can impact a bankruptcy
- Pre- and post-petition transfers in Chapter 13 cases
- Paying debt pursuant to a divorce decree
- United States Trustee investigation and involvement related to domestic orders
Speakers: Chapter 13 Trustees Edward A Bailey and Faye D English
- Emerging issues in Chapter 13 Bankruptcy
- Recent procedural changes and recommendations for successful confirmation
- Zoom 341 Meetings – Best Practices
2.00 total CLE hours
2023 Winter Seminar
Friday, March 10, 2023
Held via Zoom.
2.00 hours CLE instruction.
9:30 AM – 10:30 AM National Data Center: Offering Essential Tools to Facilitate Plan Completion and Discharge
- How debtor-clients are benefiting today with higher case completions using the NDC system
- How to save money using tools and data only available on NDC
- How to use the Trustee electronic document distribution and warehouse system on NDC
- How to utilize reports to detect and avoid dismissal
- How NDC reports can aid in organizing your Trustee disbursements/payments
- How your clients can self-help with NDC
- How to easily register your clients for NDC access
10:30 AM – 10:45 AM BREAK
10:45 AM – 11:00 AM Sponsorship Remarks: Karoline Ross
- Special Finance & Compliance Director, Germain Automotive Partnership
11:00 AM – 12:00 AM CertificateofService.com: Offering Essential Tools to Ensure Proper Service
- What CertificateofService.com offers
- How CertificateofService.com works
- How CertificateofService.com saves you time and money
- How CertificateofService.com ensures compliance with Rules 7004 & 2002
- What is a “professional” under §327(a), §363(b) or Rule 2014, and why CertificateoService.com is not categorized as a “professional.”