NACBA's 33RD Annual Convention: Full Schedule

WELCOME TO NACBA’s 33RD ANNUAL CONVENTION!

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7:00am PDT

vLex Fastcase - An Overview of Your Legal Research Benefit

Saturday April 26, 2025 7:00am - 8:00am PDT

Join us for a session designed to help you harness the full potential of vLex Fastcase, your legal research member benefit with the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys! Explore cutting-edge legal research tools, discover customizable features, and experience game-changing AI-driven insights, like Case Analysis with Headnotes. This session will provide actionable insights and tips to save time and supercharge your legal research process!

Saturday April 26, 2025 7:00am - 8:00am PDT
Dolby Ballroom Salon 3 5th Level

8:30am PDT

Newbie/Paralegal Session Part 1 Fee Agreements, Intake, Consultation, BK and NON BK Options, Red Flags

Saturday April 26, 2025 8:30am - 9:30am PDT

Dolby Ballroom Salon 3

Starting Strong: Mastering the Bankruptcy Intake Process, Fee Agreements, and Consultations
Laying the foundation for a successful bankruptcy practice starts with an efficient intake process, clear fee agreements, and effective client consultations. This session will provide practical strategies for streamlining case management, ensuring compliance with key legal requirements, and building strong client relationships. Learn how to identify red flags, leverage digital tools for secure document management, and conduct consultations that set the right expectations from the start. Perfect for new practitioners and paralegals looking to enhance their bankruptcy practice.

Speakers

Hon. Elizabeth Gunn

Bankruptcy Judge, United States Bankruptcy Court, District of Columbia

Hon. Elizabeth L. Gunn was appointed to serve as bankruptcy judge for the District of Columbia on September 4, 2020. A COVID-era selection and appointment, she was sworn in by Zoom from her living room. Before her appointment, Judge Gunn served as an Assistant Attorney General for... Read More →

Sarah Beth Withers

Attorney, Inner Banks Legal Services

Sarah Beth is the founder of Inner Banks Legal Services, a non-profit law firm committed to bridging the justice gap in Eastern North Carolina. As a Board Certified Consumer Bankruptcy Law Specialist, she focuses on representing consumers in Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy cases... Read More →

Saturday April 26, 2025 8:30am - 9:30am PDT
Dolby Ballroom Salon 3 5th Level

Beginner, Fee Agreements

9:30am PDT

Newbie/Paralegal Session Part 2 Means Test & Chapter Selection

Saturday April 26, 2025 9:30am - 10:30am PDT

Dolby Ballroom Salon 3

A concise overview of the Means Test in Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcies, focusing on calculation of income, allowable expenses, and the application of IRS standards. Attendees will also learn how to identify and present special circumstances to ensure accurate and fair outcomes for the debtors.

Moderators

Alisa Admiral

Alisa Admiral is a consumer bankruptcy practitioner in the Central District of California. She has successfully representedthousands of debtors in chapter 7 and chapter 13 cases. She is a former board member of the Central District Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys Association (CDCBAA... Read More →

Speakers

Michael Primus

Michael Primus has been practicing consumer bankruptcy since 1992 in the San Francisco Bay Area. He actively participates in his local bar association and teaches continuing education from time to time. He is a husband and father to two great kids. He and his wife enjoy live... Read More →

Nancy Clark

Partner, Borowitz & Clark, LLP

Nancy B. Clark is a Partner at Borowitz & Clark, LLP. She received her BA from Boston University where she double majored in History and Political Science. She received her JD from California Western School of Law. Ms. Clark has served on the Board of the Central District Consumer... Read More →

Saturday April 26, 2025 9:30am - 10:30am PDT
Dolby Ballroom Salon 3 5th Level

Beginner, Means Test

11:00am PDT

Newbie/Paralegal Session Part 3 Best Practices, Petition Prep, Bank Statements

Saturday April 26, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT

Dolby Ballroom Salon 3

Navigating bankruptcy documentation and petition preparation can be overwhelming for new practitioners and paralegals. This session will provide a step-by-step guide to document collection, client intake, and petition preparation while ensuring compliance with the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure. Attendees will learn best practices for verifying debtor identity, handling bank statements, organizing financial records, and preparing clients for the meeting of creditors. Whether you're new to bankruptcy or looking to refine your workflow, this session will equip you with essential skills to streamline case preparation and ensure accuracy in filings.

Moderators

Mike Gouveia

Owner, Law Office of Michael Gouveia

Michael Gouveia represents consumer debtors in Riverside, California. This is the fourth timethat he has presented at the NACBA Convention.Mike teaches newer attorneys as the mentoring chair for the Central District ConsumerBankruptcy Attorney Association in Los Angeles, CA and as... Read More →

Speakers

Richard Nemeth

Co-Managing Partner, Nemeth & Perry, LLC

Mr. Nemeth has been representing consumers and small businesses in bankruptcy proceedings in Northern Ohio and elsewhere for over 30 years. In April, 2013 Mr. Nemeth was the first recipient of the NACBA Hammes-Shulman Award for his significant achievements in legislative advocacy... Read More →

Carol Colliersmith

Attorney, Law Office of Carol Colliersmith

Ms. Colliersmith received her law degree from the Fredric G. Levin College of Law at the University of Florida and has practiced exclusively consumer and small business bankruptcy law since 2001. She has been an active member of the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys... Read More →

Saturday April 26, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT
Dolby Ballroom Salon 3 5th Level

Beginner, Best Practices

1:30pm PDT

Newbie/Paralegal Session Part 4 341 Meetings, Post Filings, Redemption, Trustee Compliance

Saturday April 26, 2025 1:30pm - 2:30pm PDT

Dolby Ballroom Salon 3

Ever wonder what the chapter 7 bankruptcy trustee does in your bankruptcy case?
Now is the time to learn at an informal chat with Larry Simons, Chapter 7 Trustee for the
Riverside Division of the Central District of California.
Topics include:
Questions asked at the meeting of creditors;
Documents needed post-filing;
What is a redemption; and
What the trustee needs to complete the case;
And much more!
Join us for this interactive discussion.

Speakers

Mike Gouveia

Owner, Law Office of Michael Gouveia

Larry Simons

Managing Attorney, Janus Law

Larry D. Simons is the managing attorney of Janus Law, with offices in Riverside and the San Fernando Valley. Mr.Simons’ represents all parties before the bankruptcy court, including debtors, creditors and trustees.Larry was appointed to the panel of Chapter 7 Trustees for the Riverside... Read More →

Saturday April 26, 2025 1:30pm - 2:30pm PDT
Dolby Ballroom Salon 3 5th Level

Beginner, Best Practices

2:30pm PDT

Chapter 13 Draft Plans

Saturday April 26, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm PDT

Dolby Ballroom Salon 3

This panel will discuss the dos and don’ts practitioners should consider when drafting the
debtor’s plan. Panelists will discuss issues relating to feasibility of the debtor, dealing with
creditor claims, good faith, liquidation analysis and the means test and how all these things can
impact confirmation of a plan.

Speakers

Akihito Koyama

Akihito “Aki” Koyama is the senior staff attorney for Chapter 13 Trustee Kathy A. Dockery from the Central District of California, Los Angeles Division. In 1998, He started his legal career as a bankruptcy associate representing primarily debtors and moved to the Trustee’s... Read More →

Carey Ebert

Standing Chapter 13 Trustee, Office of the Standing Chapter 13 Trustee

Ms. Ebert received her B.A. degree from H. Sophie Newcomb College of Tulane University, cum laude in Public Policy in 1982. She received her J.D. in 1985 from Texas Tech University. She was been a member of the firm, Ebert Law Offices, P.C. since 1989 until 2019. Ms. Ebert is admitted... Read More →

Saturday April 26, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm PDT
Dolby Ballroom Salon 3 5th Level

Chapter 13

4:00pm PDT

Insights into Bankruptcy Appeals: Make Your Record, Draft Your Brief, and Argue Your Appeal

Saturday April 26, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm PDT

Dolby Ballroom Salon 3

This session offers a rare and invaluable opportunity to hear directly from Bankruptcy
Appellate Panel Judges and a seasoned bankruptcy attorney who also clerked for a
BAP judge. The panelists will share their perspectives on the most pressing issues in
bankruptcy appeals, from making a record and drafting your brief to arguing your
appeal. They will also cover the standards of review and winning strategies. With
firsthand insights into how the appellate courts evaluate and decide cases, this
discussion will provide attendees with a deeper understanding of appellate procedures.
This session is a must-attend for both practitioners and legal scholars alike.

Speakers

Hon. Laura Taylor

Judge Taylor has served as a United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Southern District of California since January 2008. She ended a seven year term as Chief Judge in October of 2019.In January 2013, Judge Taylor was appointed to a seven year term on the Ninth Circuit Bankruptcy Appellate... Read More →

Hon. Meredith Jury (Ret.)

UCLA Law 1976. Best Best & Krieger, Riverside, CA 1976-1997. Bankruptcy Judge Central District of California, Riverside Division 1997-2018. 9th Cir. BAP 2007-2017, Chief of BAP 2015-2017. Retired doing pro bono mediations and consumer appellate work.

M. Jonathan Hayes

Partner, Resnik Hayes Moradi LLP

I am Senior Counsel to RHM Law LLP in Encino, CA. I have practiced bankruptcy law for 43 years representing debtors and creditors including litigation and appeals. Most recently I took a two-year sabbatical and served as a Law Clerk to Judge Laura Taylor sitting on the 9th Circuit... Read More →

Saturday April 26, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm PDT
Dolby Ballroom Salon 3 5th Level

Appeals