44th Annual Bankruptcy Institute

8:55 Welcome and Introductions

9:00 Disciplined Listening

Michael Reddington, InQuasive Inc, Charlotte

The success lawyers achieve in the courtroom is reliant on the truthfulness of the information they receive outside the courtroom. Lawyers who take the time to enhance their strategic observation and persuasive questioning skills increase their success while insulating themselves from unpleasant surprises. Learn how to apply disciplined listening techniques to your client, intake and witness interview as well as your mediation and courtroom room examinations.

10:06 Post-COVID: What Happened and What Happens Next

Marc E. Gustafson, Bell Davis & Pitt PA, Charlotte
Neil D. Jonas, Brock and Scott PLLC, Charlotte
Jill C. Walters, Womble Bond Dickinson (U.S.) LLP, Raleigh

The world changed in 2020, and when and where those changes end is still a mystery. This panel takes a look back into the past at what we went through and what they see for the future.

11:23 Break

11:33 The Ins and Outs of Exemptions

Kristen S. Nardone, Nardone Law Firm, Concord
George F. Sanderson III, The Sanderson Law Firm PLLC, Raleigh

All individual debtors need to navigate the system of exemptions, both before and during a case. Explore the intricacies of exemptions, exemption planning and objections to exemptions, and discuss recent challenges to the validity of some common exemptions.

12:34 Lunch Break

1:04 Emotional Bankruptcy: Real Talk About the Impact of Mental Health^†

Courtney D. Leak, North Carolina Lawyer Assistance Program (NCLAP), Charlotte

Emotional bankruptcy is the cost of ignoring our mental wellness. This presentation addresses the symptoms of emotional bankruptcy, discusses how to prevent or reverse emotional bankruptcy, and shares easy and sustainable practices that assist us in living a better life.

2:04 Practice Tips by District

Joseph A. "Jody" Bledsoe III, Chapter 13 Trustee, New Bern
Benjamin E. "Ben" Lovell, Chapter 13 Office, Durham
A. Cotten Wright, Grier Wright Martinez PA, Charlotte

As most NC practitioners know, each district has its own ways of doing certain things. This panel looks at those differences and how to navigate through them.

3:05 Break

3:15 Discharge of Criminal Fines, Restitution and the Like

Edward C. "Ed" Boltz, The Law Offices of John T. Orcutt, Durham
Melissa E. Swaby, The Law Offices of John T. Orcutt, Raleigh

As bankruptcy practitioners, we are used to seeing the typical debts, but some debtors have atypical debts such as fines and restitution. Listen as the presenter addresses strategies for dealing with, and possibly discharging, these sorts of debts.

4:01 Effects of Chapter 11 Cases on Third Parties: Injunctions, Third-Party Releases and More

Brian R. Anderson, Fox Rothschild LLP, Greensboro
Clint S. Morse, Brooks Pierce McLendon Humphrey & Leonard LLP, Greensboro

A Chapter 11 case can affect third parties in myriad ways, some intentional and some unintentional. This presentation dives into these issues and the strategies for parties-in-interest to deal with them.

5:03 Adjourn
† Indicates portion providing Substance Abuse/Mental Health credit

Thank you

Thank you for joining us for 44th Annual Bankruptcy Institute.

Description

The 44th Annual Bankruptcy Institute features a discussion of current and developing issues facing North Carolina bankruptcy practitioners.

Contributors

Brian R. Anderson

Brian R. Anderson is a partner at Fox Rothschild LLP in Greensboro. He concentrates his practice on bankruptcy, creditors' rights and commercial litigation. Brian regularly represents banking and financial institutions, credit unions, businesses, contractors, secured and unsecured creditors, trustees, executors and guarantors before state and federal courts. Brian also provides strategic counsel on a wide range of bankruptcy issues, including complex Chapter 11 cases, avoidance actions, adversary proceedings and out-of-court workouts.

Brian is a Board Certified Specialist in Business Bankruptcy Law by the American Board of Certification and the North Carolina State Bar Board of Legal Specialization. He also serves as a United States Bankruptcy Trustee for the Middle District of North Carolina.

Prior to joining Fox Rothschild, Brian was a member of the Bankruptcy and Financial Services Group at a Mid-Atlantic regional law firm. He also clerked for the Honorable Thomas W. Waldrep, Jr. of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of North Carolina.

Brian earned his B.S. from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2002 and his J.D., cum laude from American University, Washington College of Law, in 2008.

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Joseph A. "Jody" Bledsoe III

Joseph A. "Jody" Bledsoe III was appointed as a Chapter 13 Standing Trustee for the Eastern District of North Carolina on April 4, 2014, where he is the Trustee for the New Bern and Fayetteville Divisions. He replaced retiring Interim Trustee Robert R. Browning, and Standing Trustee Trawick H. "Buzzy" Stubbs.

Jody is originally from Fayetteville, and received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from North Carolina State University in Raleigh in 1989. He received his J.D. from the UNC School of Law in 1992.

Jody began is legal career as an associate with his aunt, Carol A. Morrison, who was at that time a consumer debtors' attorney. Jody credits his aunt for teaching him the bankruptcy "basics," and for giving him a strong foundation on which to build a career in bankruptcy.

Among the cases Jody successfully argued as a consumer debtors' attorney are In re Alexander, 344 B.R. 742 (Bankr. E.D.N.C 2006)(adopting the mechanical approach to determining projected disposable income) and Musselman v. eCast Settlement Corp., 384 B.R. 801 (E.D.N.C. 2008)(holding, among other things, that the IRS' Local Expense standards are fixed allowances). After becoming Trustee, Jody successfully argued against the findings in Musselman in In re Harris, 522 B.R. 804 (Bankr. E.D.N.C. 2014).

The cases of which Jody is most proud are In re Ingram, No. 06-02714-8-RDD, 2006 WL 6070518 (Bankr. E.D.N.C. Nov. 20, 2006); In re Bowden, No. 11-06168-8-SWH, 2012 WL 589657 (Bankr. E.D.N.C. Feb. 22, 2012); and In re Pryor, 479 B.R. 694 (Bankr. E.D.N.C. 2012). In em>Ingram, the Court allowed the Debtor to use a different six-month period for determining his CMI, after he suffered a substantial reduction in income immediately prior to his Chapter 13 filing.Bowden effectively restored the "ride-through" option for Debtors in Chapter 7. And in Pryor, the Court held that, in an adversary proceeding filed by the Debtors against a creditor for alleged violations of the automatic stay, state law claims asserted by the Debtors were not preempted by the National Bank Act of 1864.

In his spare time, Jody loves to perform on stage, having appeared in several scripted stage productions over the years, and also performing short- and long-form improvisation.

Jody has been happily married to his wife, Kimberly, for 25 years, who Jody says is his strength and inspiration. Together, they have a daughter and son.

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Edward C. "Ed" Boltz

Edward C. "Ed" Boltz is the managing partner at the Law Offices of John T. Orcutt PC, where he has represented clients in not only Chapter 7 and 13, but also in related consumer rights litigation, including fighting abusive mortgage practices and developing solutions for student loans.

Ed received his B.A. degree from Washington University in St. Louis in 1993 and his J.D. degree from George Washington University in 1996. He is a member of the North Carolina State Bar, where he has been certified as a specialist in consumer bankruptcy law. He is admitted to practice before the Districts Courts in both the Eastern and Middle Districts of North Carolina.

Ed served as the President of the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys (NACBA) from 2013 through 2016, and remains on its Board of Directors, co-chair the Legislative Committee. He was a commissioner on the American Bankruptcy Institute's Consumer Bankruptcy Commission from 2017-2019. He also served on the Bankruptcy Council for the North Carolina Bar Association, where he co-chaired the Committee which created a Mortgage Modification Program for the North Carolina bankruptcy courts.

Ed is a frequent speaker on bankruptcy issues at both national and local seminars, including at NACBA Conventions and Workshops, past NCLC Workshops, and the North Carolina Bankruptcy Institute.

Ed is also the President of the Monti, a North Carolina organization that produces live storytelling shows and recordings of his and other tales can be heard at www.themonti.org.

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Hillary B. Crabtree

Hillary B. Crabtree is a member of Moore & Van Allen PLLC in Charlotte. She brings considerable bankruptcy experience, corporate law and restructuring experience to her clients, which have been drawn from such areas as energy, airlines, auto, manufacturing, biopharmaceutical, and retail sales.

Hillary assists clients with reorganizations, finance transactions, contractual matters and general corporate law. In addition, she has extensive bankruptcy experience representing lenders, landlords, manufacturers, suppliers, vendors and debtors in reorganization proceedings. Crabtree is adept in handling commercial real property foreclosures and receiverships for secured lenders. Moreover, she has regularly represented administrative agents and collateral agents in syndicated credit facilities and other financial institutions in secured lending transactions and structured finance/securitization transactions.

Hillary is a member of the North Carolina Bar Association, American Bankruptcy Institute and the International Women's Insolvency and Restructuring Confederation – Carolinas Chapter. She received her B.A. degree from Davidson College 1992 and her J.D. degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law in 1999.

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Thomas C. Flippin

Thomas C. Flippin is the attorney owner of the Law Offices of Thomas C. Flippin PC in Elkin. He focuses on offering exceptional service in the areas of Elder Law, Estate Planning, Bankruptcy Law and Debt Relief.

Thomas earned his B.S. from Appalachian State University in 1997 and his J.D. from Campbell University, Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law, in 2000.

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Marc E. Gustafson

Marc E. Gustafson is with Bell Davis & Pitt PA Charlotte. He has been litigating for 19 years. He focuses his practice on litigation, employment law, and mediation.

Marc frequently advises clients on employment contracts, including non-compete, non-solicitation, and non-disclosure restrictions. He also counsels clients on a host of employment issues, including discrimination claims, charges of wrongful termination, FMLA leave, reasonable accommodations under the ADA, and wage and hour law violations.

In the courtroom, Marc represents clients in state and federal courts in lawsuits involving non-competition, trade secrets, race, gender and age discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation, whistleblowing, wage and hour claims, and breach of employment contracts. Marc practices in the state, federal and appellate courts in North Carolina and Georgia and regularly appears before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Department of Labor, the North Carolina Industrial Commission, and the North Carolina Employment Security Commission.

Marc has represented shareholders, managers, executives, and corporations in matters involving breaches of fiduciary duty, misappropriation of trade secrets, usurpation of corporate opportunities, breaches of contract, and fraud. Marc has also represented both employers and executives in internal investigations.

Marc has had articles published in NC Lawyers Weekly, Deal Lawyers, and the Charlotte Observer. He has also been featured by the Charlotte Business Journal and the North Carolina Bar blog. Marc is a Business North Carolina Legal Elite, Super Lawyer and Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent rated attorney.

Marc is also active in the community, having served as an Elder at First Presbyterian Church, the Chair of the Mecklenburg County Bar Labor and Employment Section and the Chair of the Public Art Commission He has also served on the board of the Arts and Science Council, the UNC Board of Visitors, the McColl Center for Art + Innovation, Common Grounds Farm Stand, the 24 Foundation, and the Spokes Group. Marc is an Eagle Scout.

Marc and his wife, Jane, have two young boys, Knox and William.

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Chief Judge Lena M. James

Chief Judge Lena M. James is a federal bankruptcy judge for the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of NC in Winston-Salem. She was appointed in 2013.

Prior to her appointment, Judge James worked as an attorney at Burns Price & Arneke where she represented debtors, trustees and creditors in bankruptcy proceedings and later at Womble Carlyle, Sandridge & Rice. She also served as the career law clerk for the Honorable Catharine R. Aron.

Chief Judge James earned her B.A. in English Literature from Swarthmore College and her J.D., with honors, from the University of North Carolina School of Law at Chapel Hill.
Neil D. Jonas

Neil D. Jonas is the staff attorney for the Chapter 13 Trustee in Charlotte. Prior to his current position, Neil accumulated nearly 10 years of experience representing mortgage lenders in consumer bankruptcy cases. Neil has also represented bankruptcy trustees as well as both creditors and debtors in Chapter 11 reorganization cases.

Neil is an active member of the North Carolina Bar Association, Bankruptcy Section. In addition, he is a frequent lecturer on bankruptcy topics.

Neil received his B.A. from the University of North Carolina in and his J.D. from Wake Forest School of Law.

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James C. "Jim" Lanik

James C. "Jim" Lanik is a partner at Waldrep Wall Babcock & Bailey PLLC in Winston-Salem. Prior to joining the firm, he was a partner at Waldrep LLP and an associate and then member at Roberson, Haworth & Reese PLLC focusing on business bankruptcy and municipal law.

Jim is Board Certified in Business Bankruptcy Law by the North Carolina State Bar and by the American Board of Certification. He has represented trustees, creditors, and debtors in all aspects of business bankruptcy cases. Jim is currently on the panel of Chapter 7 Trustees for the Middle District of North Carolina. Jim acts as a receiver in state court matters in addition to his Chapter 7 trustee practice.

Jim is also the Town Attorney for Midway, North Carolina, a small town in northern Davidson County which was incorporated in 2006.

Jim earned his B.A. from Lawrence University of Wisconsin and his J.D. from University of Denver College of Law.

Click here for more information about Jim.
Courtney D. Leak, LCSW, LISW-CP

Courtney D. Leak, LCSW, LISW-CP is a dynamic therapist, wellness curator and empowerment speaker who utilizes direct honesty wrapped in humor in order to spread the message of living a life that is whole and full of purpose and courage. Courtney received her Masters of Social Work from Winthrop University and has over 10 years of experience working with in the mental health field as a therapist. She specializes in working with those who have experienced trauma, grief and loss, attachment disorders, relationship complications and the mental health needs of marginalized populations.

Courtney is trained in EMDR, Experiential therapy and Psychodrama. Courtney currently sits on the board for the International Society for Experiential Professionals (ISEP). She also holds the Certified Experiential Therapist, level 2 credential with ISEP. She has presented at various conferences and symposiums focusing on the journey back to wholeness.

Courtney's fundamental belief is that everyone is naturally equipped with what they need to find and meet their purpose, but it is often hidden under fear, hurt, and negative views of ourselves. However, if we are willing to own our story, minus the fear and shame, we can embrace our true selves and live abundantly in our purpose.

Click here for more information about Courtney.
Benjamin E. "Ben" Lovell

Benjamin E. "Ben" Lovell is an attorney for the Office of Chapter 13 Trustee in Durham. His principal areas of practice are Chapter 13 bankruptcy and related litigation, including lien avoidance and plan confirmation issues.

Ben is licensed to practice in the United States District Courts for the Middle and Eastern District of North Carolina, and the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Ben received his B.A. degree from North Carolina State University in 1993 and his J.D. degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law in 1996.
Michael L. Martinez

Michael L. Martinez is a parter at Grier Wright Martinez PA in Charlotte. He commonly represents federal equity receivers, state court receivers, debtors-in-possession, chapter 11 trustees, and chapter 7 trustees, in addition to serving on the subchapter V trustee pool in Charlotte.

Michael is a Board-Certified Specialist in Business Bankruptcy Law by the North Carolina State Bar. He was selected to the American Bankruptcy Institute's 40 Under 40 Class of 2020 and has been recognized in Bankruptcy Law by North Carolina Super Lawyers since 2018 and by Business North Carolina's Legal Elite since 2021. He received the 2013 Legal Services of Southern Piedmont Outstanding Pro Bono Service Award and the 2018 Outstanding Achievement in Pro Bono Award from the NCBA Bankruptcy Section.

Michael earned his B.A., cum laude, in Political Science and English, with a Concentration in Film and Media Studies, from the University of Florida and his J.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law.

Click here for more information about Michael.
Clint S. Morse

Clint S. Morse is a partner with Brooks Pierce McLendon Humphrey & Leonard LLP in Greensboro. He is an experienced litigator who thrives in the courtroom. He represents a wide range of clients on issues related to intellectual property, bankruptcy, and general corporate disputes.

Clint represents state, regional and national businesses in various bankruptcy/financial restructuring matters. Clint enjoys challenging cases involving extensive court work and thrives on first day motions in Bankruptcy Court where there is an evidentiary hearing on short notice that can decide the outcome of the case.

Clint is recognized as one of the Triad Business Journal's "40 Leaders Under 40" (2021), selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© in Litigation – Bankruptcy (2020-2022) and a member of the North Carolina and American Bar Associations.

Clint earned his B.S. degree, with distinction in Mathematics, from James Madison University in 2004 and his J.D. degree, magna cum laude, from Wake Forest University School of Law in 2008.

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Kristen Scott Nardone

Kristen Scott Nardone is the founding member of Nardone Law Firm PLLC in Concord. She graduated from Wake Forest University School of Law in 2001. She served as a law clerk for the Honorable J. Craig Whitley in the WDNC and Thomas W. Waldrep, Jr. in the MDNC.

Kristen is certified as a specialist in consumer bankruptcy law by the North Carolina State Bar. She authored a chapter in the North Carolina Bankruptcy Practice Manual on Chapter 13 bankruptcy proceedings in 2012 and 2017.

Kristen has filed over 1,000 consumer bankruptcy proceedings as well as prosecuted adversary proceedings regarding violations of the Bankruptcy Code, mortgage servicing errors, and state law claims.

Kristen is married and has fourteen-year- old twin daughters. In her free time, she enjoys playing tennis and golf.

Click here for more information about Kristen.
Jeffrey E. "Jeff" Oleynik

Jeffrey E. "Jeff" Oleynik is a partner at Brooks Pierce McLendon Humphrey & Leonard LLP in Greensboro. He is a seasoned business litigator handling a wide range of corporate disputes, many of which end up in bankruptcy court. Jeff represents clients on disputes involving ownership, management and control of companies, and is frequently involved in antitrust matters.

Jeff often litigates antitrust issues, but also consults with clients on how to avoid "crossing the line" and creating antitrust and noncompetition issues on the front end, prior to any dispute with a competitor or vendor.

Separate and apart from handing litigation over unfair competition issues, Jeff also consults clients about business practices and compliance with both federal and state antitrust laws and regulations such as Hart Scott Rudino, including analysis of Hart Scott Rudino as applied to sale of a company or joint venture of companies in the same industry.

Jeff earned his B.A. from William & Mary in 1980 and his J.D. from University of Virginia School of Law in 1983.

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Michael Reddington, CFI

Michael Reddington, CFI, is President at InQuasive Inc in Charlotte. He is an expert at moving people from resistance to commitment. As a Certified Forensic Interviewer he achieved the highest professional designation available in the field of interview and interrogation and spent over a decade training investigators around the world on the successful application of non-confrontational interview and interrogation techniques. Never one to be satisfied with his achievements, Michael arrived at two key realizations while expanding his observation and persuasive skill sets. First, the very best leaders and the very best interrogators capitalize on the same two core skills - vision and influence. Second, the cognitive processes that lead customers to commit to saying "I'll buy it", employees to commit to saying "I'll do it" and suspects to commit to truthfully saying "I did it" are all nearly identical. These realizations caused Michael to recognize he could teach executives how to reduce missed opportunities and increase commitments to action. As a result, he developed the Disciplined Listening Method, transitioned to serving as an executive resource and founded InQuasive, Inc. Michael created the Disciplined Listening Method by integrating current business communication research and best practices with components of four non-confrontational interview and interrogation techniques. The resulting educational content represents a new and in-depth approach to applying strategic, ethical observation and persuasion techniques across the spectrum of business conversations

Michael has been invited by companies, government agencies and executive groups to facilitate his programs across the United States, Canada, The United Kingdom, Ireland, Europe, Africa and the Middle East. He has led over one thousand programs and educated over ten thousand participants from over 50 countries. He leads programs and advisory sessions designed to teach participants to activate the truth in the areas of leadership communication, sales, negotiation, conflict resolution, customer service, candidate interviews, family conversations and public speaking/influential instruction.

Click here for more information about Michael.
Ciara L. Rogers

Ciara L. Rogers is a partner at Waldrep Wall Babcock & Bailey PLLC in Raleigh. Her practice focuses on Debtors' and Creditors' Rights, Chapter 11 Bankruptcy, Representing Chapter 11 and Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Trustees, serving as a Subchapter-V Trustee, General Litigation, and Employment Law.

Before joining Waldrep Wall Babcock & Bailey, PLLC, Ciara was an attorney with the Law Offices of Oliver & Cheek. Prior to that, she was a law clerk to the Honorable J. Rich Leonard and the Honorable Randy D. Doub of the Eastern District of North Carolina, Bankruptcy Court. During law school, she interned with the Bankruptcy Administrator's Office in the Eastern District of North Carolina.

In 2018, Ciara was selected as the director of the Stubbs Bankruptcy Clinic at Campbell University School of Law. In that capacity, she supervises second– and third-year law students in providing pro bono bankruptcy representation to low wealth individuals in the Eastern District of North Carolina. She has also taught the foundations of bankruptcy law course at Campbell University School of Law and speaks at conferences on various bankruptcy related topics.

Ciara is a member of the North Carolina and Virginia State Bars and the North Carolina Bar Association. She is also certified as a specialist in business bankruptcy by the North Carolina State Bar.

Ciara earned dual B.S degrees in History and Political Science from Averett University and her J.D. from North Carolina Central University School of Law.

Click here for more information about Ciara.
George F. Sanderson III

George F. Sanderson III is the principal at The Sanderson Law Firm PLLC in Raleigh. For 20 years, George has advised individuals and companies on a wide array of business bankruptcy and business litigation matters. He was a partner in one of the top boutique law firms in North Carolina and has been associated with two other nationally recognized law firms. He has appeared in courts and arbitration tribunals in North Carolina and throughout the country.
George's bankruptcy experience includes representing debtors, creditors, officers, directors, and trustees in numerous corporate Chapter 11 and 7 bankruptcies. He has counseled clients on restructurings, loan workouts, asset purchases and sales, lease assumptions and rejections, preferences, fraudulent transfers, vendor claims, officer and director liability, and lender liability issues.
George's litigation experience includes disputes involving corporate lending, corporate control, receiverships, foreclosures, unfair and deceptive trade practices, covenants not to compete, antitrust, securities, liens, and real estate appraisal and other asset valuation issues.
George earned his A.B., magna cum laude, from Georgetown University and his J.D. from New York University School of Law.
Click here for more information about George.
Melissa E. Swaby

Melissa E. Swaby is an Associate Attorney at the Law Offices of John T. Orcutt, P.C., where she represents Debtors in Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy cases.
Melissa was born on the Caribbean Island of Jamaica, but largely grew up in Albany, New York. The third of six children, Melissa obtained her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from Hartwick College in Oneonta, New York and later obtained her Juris Doctor from Case Western Reserve University School of Law in Cleveland, Ohio.

After passing the North Carolina bar exam in 2014, Melissa began her career practicing consumer bankruptcy law, where she represented Debtors in their Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy cases. Thereafter, Melissa spent three years representing Creditors in consumer bankruptcy cases. Melissa joined the Law Offices of John T. Orcutt, P.C. in February 2020, where she continues to represent Debtors on their journey toward a fresh start.
Melissa is admitted to practice before the District Courts in the Eastern, Middle and Western Districts of North Carolina. Melissa is also a member of the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys and Capital City Lawyers Association.
Jill C. Walters

Jill C. Walters is a shareholder Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz PC in Durham, as part of their Corporate Restructuring & Bankruptcy group.

Jill has more than 15 years of versatile experience representing and counseling clients in the corporate insolvency, distressed lending, and restructuring and bankruptcy contexts including in complex Chapter 11 cases. Her clients include secured and unsecured creditors and creditor's committees in reorganizations and liquidations nationwide as well as purchasers and sellers of debt and assets in foreclosure sales, Article 9 sales, and Chapter 11 363 sales. She also has significant bankruptcy litigation experience centered on the prosecution and defense of preference actions, fraudulent transfers, and dischargeability contests – including significant student loan litigation experience.

Jill's bankruptcy experience is broad and spans multiple sectors including health care, agriculture, education, transportation, hospitality, retail, and manufacturing. She serves in a leadership capacity for several professional organizations including the International Insolvency and Restructuring Confederation (IWIRC), the National Democratic Institute (NDI), and the North Carolina Bar Association. She is also active in her local community serving on the boards of various non-profits.

Jill earned her B.A. from Lake Forest College and her J.D. from Michigan State University.

Click here for more information about Jill.
Judge David M. Warren

Judge David M. Warren was appointed as United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Eastern District of North Carolina in Raleigh on October 4, 2013 and took the oath of office on February 7, 2014. His chambers are in the Century Station Courthouse and Post Office in Raleigh.

Judge Warren also serves as an adjunct professor at the Norman A. Wiggins School of Law at Campbell University and as a guest lecturer at the Wake Forest University School of Law. He is a certified specialist in business and consumer bankruptcy law by the North Carolina State Bar Board of Legal Specialization and the American Board of Certification. He is a member of the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges and the American Bankruptcy Institute.

Judge Warren earned his B.A., cum laude, from Wake Forest University and his J.D. from the Wake Forest University School of Law.

Click here for more information about Judge Warren.
Judge J. Craig Whitley

Judge J. Craig Whitley is a judge for the United States bankruptcy court, Western District of North Carolina, in Charlotte, appointed in 1994.

Prior to his appointment, Judge Whitley practiced almost exclusively in the bankruptcy area representing debtors, creditors and trustees. He also served as a chapter 7 trustee in the Western District of North Carolina.

Judge Whitley earned his B.A. at Davidson College and his J.D. from Wake Forest University.
A. Cotten Wright

A. Cotten Wright serves as a member of the panel of chapter 7 trustees for the Western District of North Carolina. She is a member of the firm of Grier Wright Martinez PA in Charlotte, which focuses on representing trustees and receivers as well as distressed businesses.

Cotten has been a chapter 7 trustee since 2014, and before that, represented a non-attorney trustee for approximately 7 years. She is a member of the National Association of Bankruptcy Trustees and the National Association of Federal Equity Receivers. She currently serves as the Court-appointed receiver in a case brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission in the Northern District of Georgia as a result of a $110 million Ponzi scheme.

Cotten graduated from Jacksonville University in her hometown of Jacksonville, Florida, and after raising her two sons, moved to Chapel Hill to enroll in The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law. Following her law school graduation, she moved to Charlotte to clerk for The Honorable George R. Hodges.

In 2009, Cotten married her husband, Joel Cloud, but did not take his name to avoid having to introduce herself in court as "Cotten Cloud."

Click here for more information about Cotten.

Thank you

Description

Contributors

Brian R. Anderson

Joseph A. "Jody" Bledsoe III

Edward C. "Ed" Boltz

Hillary B. Crabtree

Thomas C. Flippin

Marc E. Gustafson

Chief Judge Lena M. James

Neil D. Jonas

James C. "Jim" Lanik

Courtney D. Leak, LCSW, LISW-CP

Benjamin E. "Ben" Lovell

Michael L. Martinez

Clint S. Morse

Kristen Scott Nardone

Jeffrey E. "Jeff" Oleynik

Michael Reddington, CFI

Ciara L. Rogers

George F. Sanderson III

Melissa E. Swaby

Jill C. Walters

Judge David M. Warren

Judge J. Craig Whitley

A. Cotten Wright