San Fernando Valley Bar Program – March 22, 2012

Jon,

On Thursday, March 22^nd, from 12 noon until 1:15 p.m., the San Fernando Valley Bar Association will be putting on what I believe is a highly needed program, especially for bankruptcy attorneys new to chapter 11 practice or who are considering trying their hands at chapter 11.

As attorneys, we learn the law and how to apply it.  Chapter 11 is foremost not the practice of law; it is the practice of understanding.  Understanding people, e.g., the client or the client’s principal, understanding why they have failed and what we can do to help create success out of failure, understanding the creditors and seeing what we can do to bring them on board for the reorganization, and giving understanding the bankruptcy judge who will have reason to support the debtor too.

The attorney needs to set the rhythms of a case but the rhythms do not come from the law.  The things we learn in law school really do not help us in chapter 11.  What we learn in other areas of bankruptcy practice do not help us much in chapter 11 either.  We set the rhythms, we make a difference and we help our clients succeed by understanding business, understanding people and, of course, understanding the law.

The program on March 22^nd, addresses 3 topics:

1. Pre-planning a chapter 11 filing focusing on the financial and psychological.  What do you need to know
2. The use (and abuse) of first day motions
3. The rhymes and reason of moving a chapter 11 case along.

Here is the event information:

Sincerely,  Steven R. Fox