Agenda

Webinar instructions will be emailed before the date of the webinar.

Please log into the webinar 15 – 30 minutes before start time.

Log into Webinar
8:30 – 9:00 am CDT
Morning Session
9:00 am – 12:15 pm CDT
Break
12:15 – 12:45 pm CDT
Afternoon Session
12:45 – 4:30 pm CDT

 

Agenda
Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Basics                     M. Kivitz
Bankruptcy options for individuals and organizations
Goals of Chapter 7 bankruptcy and typical outcomes
Pre-bankruptcy planning and alternatives

Eligibility for and Objectives of Chapter 7 Bankruptcy                     N. Martin
Eligibility issues in Chapter 7
Assessing the debtor’s objectives in filing bankruptcy

Preparing and Filing Petition and Schedules                     L. Vargas
Collecting and organizing information from the debtor
Preparing and filing petition and schedules

Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Practice                      R. Crowley
Purpose and effect of the automatic stay               J.D. Krekeler
Operation of trustee
Administering the bankruptcy estate
Obtaining discharge

Creditors’ Claims                     S. Stolte
Treatment of secured and unsecured claims
Filing claims
Attending examinations and meetings
Effect of the automatic stay
Preparing for plan confirmation and discharge
Filing objections

Ethical Issues in Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Practice                     R. Barr
Making a full disclosure to the bankruptcy court
Dealing with the secretive or dishonest client
Preventing conflicts of interest
Avoiding the unauthorized practice of law

 

 Webinar Instructions

All attendees must log-on through their own email – attendees may not watch together if they wish to earn continuing education credit. HalfMoon Education Inc. must be able to prove attendance if either the attendee or HalfMoon Education Inc. is audited.

Certificates of completion can be downloaded in PDF form upon passing a short quiz. A link to the quiz will be sent to each qualifying attendee immediately after the webinar. The certificate can be downloaded from the Results page of the quiz upon scoring 80% or higher.

Webinars are presented via GoToWebinar, an easy-to-use application that can be run on most systems and tablets. Instructions and login information will be provided in an email sent close to the date of the webinar. It is highly recommended that you download, install and test the application before the webinar begins by clicking on the link in the email.

GoToWebinar App requirements:
Windows 7 – 10 or Mac OSX Mavericks (10.9) – macOS Catalina (10.15)

Web Browser:
The two most recent version of the following browsers:
Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Microsoft Edge
Internet Explorer v11 (or later) with Flash enabled

Internet connection: Minimum of 1Mbps       Hardware: 2GB RAM or more

For more information, visit the Support section at www.gotowebinar.com

Credits

Paralegal/Legal Assistant
6.5 CLE Hours (1 ethics hour)

Texas Certified Paralegal
6.5 Bankruptcy Law CLE Hours

NALA
6.5 CLE Hours (1 ethics hour)

NFPA
6.5 CLE Credits (1.0 Ethics)

 

Continuing Education Credit Information
This webinar is open to the public. Paralegal certification is not required in order to participate.

The National Association of Legal Assistants has approved this course for 6.5 CLE hours, including 5.5 substantive hours and 1.0 legal ethics hour.

The National Federation of Paralegal Association (NFPA) has approved this course for 6.5 CLE hours, including 1.0 ethics hours, for certified paralegals.

This seminar has been approved by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization for certification and recertification continuing legal education for paralegals (6.5 Bankruptcy Law).

Completion certificates will be awarded to participants who complete this event, respond to prompts and earn a passing score (80%) on the quiz that follows the presentation (multiple attempts allowed).

Speakers

Robert D. Barr

Partner at Koehler Fitzgerald LLC
Robert D. Barr has over 20 years of experience in commercial litigation, bankruptcy and real estate, with an emphasis on representing bankruptcy trustees in Northeast Ohio. Mr. Barr was appointed a Chapter 7 Trustee in 2017. He has been and is presently counsel for numerous creditors, creditor committees, and corporate and consumer debtors in Chapter 7, 11 and 13 bankruptcy cases. Mr. Barr is an active leader and speaker in regional bar associations, having served as chair of the Bankruptcy and Commercial Law Section of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, and twice as co-chair of the William J. O’Neill Great Lakes Regional Bankruptcy Institute.

Robert Crowley

Attorney at Krekeler Strother, S.C., in Madison, Wisconsin
Robert Crowley began his legal career at the dawn of BAPCPA. Mr. Crowley has practiced as a bankruptcy professional since 2005. As an attorney, he has successfully assisted thousands of working individuals in Southeastern Wisconsin to obtain financial freedom through the bankruptcy process. Mr. Crowley holds a J.D. degree from Marquette University and a B.A. degree in History/Political Science from Greensboro College in North Carolina.

Mark R. Kivitz

Owner of the Law Offices of ​Marc R. Kivitz in Baltimore, Maryland.
His practice focuses upon reorganization, bankruptcy, and commercial law, representing financial institutions and asset-based lenders, unsecured creditors, creditors’ committees, and debtors in Chapter 11 and 13 reorganization cases and in Chapter 7 liquidation cases. In addition to his practice, Mr. Kivitz was employed as a United States Bankruptcy Trustee, from 1980-1996, administering bankruptcy cases filed in Baltimore. He served as Law Clerk to Judge Harvey M. Lebowitz, U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland in 1979-80 and authored  “Judgment Avoidance — Exemptions and Lien Stripping” published by the Maryland State Bar in 2020. He is a frequent lecturer on various bankruptcy topics at the annual Maryland State Bar Association, the Bankruptcy Bar Association and the Maryland Institute for Continuing Professional Education of Lawyers (MICPEL) as well as National Business Institute.

 

J. David Krekeler

Founding Principal and Shareholder with the firm of Krekeler Strother, S.C., in Madison, Wisconsin
J. David Krekeler devotes his practice to debtor-creditor and bankruptcy matters, representing debtors, creditors, and bankruptcy trustees in cases under Chapters 7, 11, 12, and 13 of the Bankruptcy Code. He has been Board Certified in Bankruptcy Law for over 27 years. Mr. Krekeler is also the 2021 recipient of the John Lederer Distinguished Service Award from the State Bar of Wisconsin Solo, Small Firm, & General Practice Section and is the author of Bankruptcy, Asked and Answered: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Bankruptcy and Financial Problems.

Nancy S. Martin

Partner with the law firm of Boggs, Avellino, Lach & Boggs LLC
Nancy S. Martin practices in the areas of creditors’ rights, bankruptcy law, civil defense litigation, and business disputes in the states of Missouri and Illinois. She has extensive experience in bankruptcy law, having represented bankruptcy clients prior to and since the enactment of the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act (BAPCPA). Prior to joining Boggs, Avellino, Lach & Boggs, L.L.C., Ms. Martin headed up the bankruptcy department of a high-volume, multi-district creditors’ rights practice, representing residential mortgage creditors under Fannie/Freddie default servicing guidelines. In that capacity, she handled all aspects of bankruptcy representation, including plan analyses and objections, claim filings and defense, motion practice, and bankruptcy litigation.

Sharon L. Stolte

Shareholder with Sandberg Phoenix and Leader of the firm’s Bankruptcy group
Sharon L. Stolte brings more than 25 years of experience in business law and business and commercial litigation. Her legal practice focuses on bankruptcy, Chapter 11 debtor and creditor issues, as well as Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 consumer debtor matters. She has represented creditors in all aspects of creditor rights litigation, claim objection litigation, collateral realization, mechanic liens, collections, foreclosures and replevin litigation. Ms. Stolte has also assisted financial institutions, lenders and large suppliers with consumer and commercial restructuring of troubled credits and other business matters. In addition to representing clients before both state and federal courts, she has served as national counsel for several Kansas City-based construction industry firms.

Lyndel Anne Vargas

Shareholder at Cavazos Hendricks Poirot, P.C. in Dallas, Texas.
In her practice, she serves as litigation counsel for Chapter 7 Trustees in the liquidation and administration of bankruptcy estates. She also represents creditors in Chapter 7, 11, and 13 proceedings and business debtors in Chapter 7 and 11. Ms. Vargas holds active licenses in Florida, Texas, and New York, and she has also practiced in California and Missouri, where her licenses are now inactive. Ms. Vargas is a member of the American Bankruptcy Institute and the Christian Legal Society. She received a B.A. degree, with honors, from California State University at Sacramento, and a J.D. degree, with distinction, from the McGeorge School of Law, University of the Pacific, in California.