Wyoming

The winds of change have blown strongly through the Caribbean recently, with new bankruptcy laws having been passed, or soon to be passed, in many jurisdictions over the last 12-18 months. Two of these new laws were modeled after Canadian law. This panel will examine the provisions of the new laws in broad terms and undertake a brief “compare and contrast” exercise to discuss the new laws in relation to the U.S. Bankruptcy Code and restructuring statutes in other Caribbean jurisdictions that take English law as their model.

This panel will review and discuss the Puerto Rico Public Corporation Debt Enforcement and Recovery Act, which was signed into law on June 28, 2014. The constitutionality of this Act has already been challenged by at least three separate lawsuits brought by different bondholder groups. A special courtroom has been designated in the San Juan Superior Courthouse, and two judges have been specially designated to deal with any filings brought pursuant to this new Act in the Commonwealth Courts.

Commission members will report on the Commission’s progress and final recommendations to Congress.

The Till v. SCS Decision was handed down in May 2004, making 2014 the 10-year anniversary of one of the most important bankruptcy decisions of all time. This panel, which features the lawyers who argued the matter before the Supreme Court (Eric Brunstad), as well as others who have argued significant post-Till interest rate cases, will discuss the evolution of Till and where we are today.

This panel will explore cutting-edge issues dealing with the ethical implications of social media and advancing technology on the practice of law. Issues to be discussed include professional responsibility requirements for attorneys using social media for advertising and other purposes, best practices for crafting social media policies, and a review of recent case law and state rules and opinions.