ABI Developments

1ST QUARTER 2024

VOL. 11, NO. 1

DEVELOPMENTS
From the ABI Anthony H.N. Schnelling Endowment Fund

UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS WINS MOOT COURT COMPETITION

The 32nd Annual Duberstein Bankruptcy Moot Court Competition was held March 2-4 in New York and was sponsored by ABI and St. John’s University School of Law. Thanks to generous donations, the ABI Endowment was able to offer $13,000 in cash prizes to the following winners of the annual Duberstein Moot Court Competition:

1st-place team: University of Texas School of Law
2nd-place team: Florida International University College of Law
3rd-place teams: Fordham University of Law and University of Memphis-Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law (Tie)
Best Brief: Florida International University College of Law
Best Advocate: Tansy Nicholson of Baylor University School of Law

First-Place Winning Team from the University of Texas School of Law.

GRANT UNDER CONSIDERATION

ABI’s Research Grants Committee is considering a grant request from Prof. Joe Schomberg of Drake University Law School. Prof. Schomberg has sought ABI’s support for research that would expand upon a growing body of work in the field of behavioral economics that addresses a phenomenon called the “fresh-start effect” (not to be confused with the “fresh start” that is ubiquitous in bankruptcy nomenclature). Prof. Schomberg proposes to examine whether filing for bankruptcy as an individual has such an effect by analyzing credit data and attempting to determine whether a bankruptcy fresh start results in positive changes in consumer debtors’ financial behavior.

RECAP OF RECENT EVENTS

ANNUAL PASKAY ENDOWMENT HOCKEY GAME
Endowment supporters gathered on February 15 (the first day of the Alexander L. Paskay Memorial Bankruptcy Seminar) to watch the Tampa Bay Lightning triumph over the Colorado Avalanche with a score of 6-3. A big “thank you” goes to Shumaker Loop and Kendrick LLP/ Steve Berman for hosting the event in a suite at Amalie Arena, and to everyone who attended this fun event. All proceeds benefited the Anthony H.N. Schnelling Endowment Fund.

ENDOWMENT DINNER HELD AT ABI PRESIDENT’S HOME
ABI President Soneet R. Kapila of KapilaMukamal, LLP and his wife, Prabodh, hosted the winning bidders of the Endowment Fund's 2023 Southeast Bankruptcy Workshop silent auction at their Fort Lauderdale, Fla., home on March 10 for an evening of homemade Indian cuisine.

Endowment supporters enjoying the hockey game from a suite at Amalie Arena.

The winning bidders of a dinner at the Kapilas' home.

UPCOMING ENDOWMENT EVENTS

BOURBON AND BUBBLES AT THE ANNUAL SPRING MEETING!
Join ABI’s Anthony H.N. Schnelling Endowment Fund on the evening of Thursday, April 18, the opening day of ABI's Annual Spring Meeting, for a fun, casual get-together featuring drinks and hors d’oeuvres. Network with colleagues and catch up with the insolvency community while supporting the Endowment Fund. Individual tickets are $250, and sponsorship is $1,200 (includes two tickets). To participate in this event, you must be registered for the conference.

TEQUILA TASTING AT SOUTHEAST: The Endowment Fund will be hosting a tequila tasting event during ABI's Southeast Bankruptcy Workshop, being held July 25-28 at The Ritz-Carlton, Naples in Naples, Fla. Additional details will be forthcoming soon.

L.A. WINE DINNER: Save the date for our annual L.A. Wine Dinner on October 23, 2024. This year, we will be changing locations and hosting this event at the Skirball Cultural Center! Details will be available this summer.

If you would like to be a sponsor or attend any of these events, please contact Erin Green at egreen@abi.org.

Announcing the Generation Showdown Endowment Competition!

Calling all members of ABI’s “40 Under 40” classes and those who are past the age of 40! We are thrilled to announce the inaugural ABI Generation Showdown Endowment Competition. Throughout the months of April and May, we will be tracking donations and pledges from each group. The group that contributes the most will have its members entered into a drawing to win an exciting prize! Make a difference by helping to secure ABI’s future.

Endowment Silent Auctions

This year, we will be hosting two Endowment silent auctions: at the Annual Spring Meeting next month, and during the Southeast Bankruptcy Workshop July 25-28. We are always looking for donations of silent auction items for these events. The price of your donated item will be reflected on your ABI account and go toward your Endowment contributions. If you would like to donate an item, please reach out to ABI Endowment Manager Erin Green at egreen@abi.org.

CALL TO ACTION

The ABI Endowment Fund has created a committee that is working to find bankruptcy cases with remnant assets that can be donated to the Endowment Fund. If you are involved in a case or know of any cases that have remnant assets that can be donated, please reach out to ABI Endowment Manager Erin Green at egreen@abi.org.

Additional Way to Donate: THE ABI FOUNDERS SOCIETY

By becoming a member of the ABI Founders Society, you can continue to support the Endowment and ABI for years to come through estate-planning. All the proceeds benefit the ABI Endowment Fund and are 100 percent tax-deductible. When you include ABI in an estate plan, your generosity helps provide additional funding for the Endowment so that it can continue to support current and future industry members. Please visit the ABI Founders Society for more information, or contact ABI Endowment Manager Erin Green at egreen@abi.org.

SCAN QR CODE to make a donation

Endowment Fund Development Committee

Vice President—Development:
Bradley D. Sharp
Development Specialists, Inc.

Committee Members:
Steven M. Berman
Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP

Marchand Boyd
Axos Bank

Dawn M. Cica
Carlyon Cica Chtd.

Eric J. Fromme
Pacheco & Neach, P.C.

Kristina M. Johnson
Jones Walker LLP

Donald A. Workman

Regional Endowment Chairs

Mid-Atlantic
Chair: Donald A. Workman
Kara Hammond Coyle –
Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor, LLP
Charles Forman – Forman Holt
Neil B. Glassman – Bayard, P.A.
Matthew B. Harvey – Morris, Nichols, Arsht & Tunnell LLP
Michael R. Herz – Fox Rothschild LLC
Warren Martin – Porzio, Bromberg & Newman, PC
James E. Van Horn – Barnes
& Thornburg LLP

Midwest
Chair: Lisa Vandesteeg – Levenfeld Pearlstein, LLC
Daniel A. DeMarco – Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP
Richard S. Lauter – Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP
James A. Lodoen – Spencer Fane LLP
Claire Ann Richman – Richman
& Richman LLC
Sheryl L. Toby – Dykema Gossett PLLC

New England
Chair: Jeffrey T. Varsalone – G2 Capital Advisors, LLC

New York Metro
Co-Chair: Marchand Boyd – Axos Bank
Co-Chair: Elyssa S. Kates – BakerHostetler

Rocky Mountain
Co-Chair: Annette W. Jarvis – Greenberg Traurig, LLP
Co-Chair: Lynne Long – Riveron Consulting, LLC

South
Chair: Kristina M. Johnson –
Jones Walker LLP
Laura Ashley – Jones Walker LLP
Craig M. Geno – Craig M. Geno, PLLC
James R. Irving – Dentons Bingham Greenebaum
Derek F. Meek – Burr & Forman LLP
Emily Taube – Burr & Forman LLP
Mary Tipton Thalheimer –
Rose Law Firm, PA

Southeast
Chair: Steven M. Berman – Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP
Terri L. Gardner – Gardner Law, PLLC
Neil C. Gordon – Arnall Golden Gregory LLP
Jerry Markowitz – Markowitz, Ringel, Trusty + Hartog, P.A.
Jennifer McLemore – Williams Mullen
Jennifer M. Meyerowitz – SAK Management Services, LLC
Edward J. Peterson, III – Stichter, Riedel, Blain & Postler, PA
Lynn Lewis Tavenner – Tavenner & Beran, PLC
Glenn Thompson – Hamilton Stephens Steele & Martin, PLLC

Texas & Southwest
Co-Chair: Jason S. Brookner – Gray Reed & McGraw, LLP
Co-Chair: Scott Van Meter – B. Riley Advisory Services
Jordan A. Kroop – Pachulski Stang Ziehl & Jones LLP
John D. Penn – Perkins Coie LLP
Thomas J. Salerno – Stinson LLP

West
Chair: Randye B. Soref – Polsinelli
Dawn Cica – Carlyon Cica Chtd.
Larissa Gotguelf – FTI Consulting, Inc.
Victor Owens – East West Bank