West Virginia CLE Course Catalog

This panel will focus on the impact of government funding and other recovery programs on valuation in health care, life sciences and other industries. The panelists also will discuss how traditional methods of valuation are being challenged by the current situation, and the programs that have emerged to address the resulting distress.

This session’s panelists, all of whom have experience in the renewable energy and power sectors, will discuss valuation and other relevant issues in the context of expanding alternative and renewable energy sources, and the pressures this expansion will have on the merchant power sector.

Chesapeake Energy, an exploration and production company, filed for chapter 11 on June 28, 2020, in the Southern District of Texas and emerged from bankruptcy on Feb. 9, 2021. This session’s panelists, all of whom were involved in the bankruptcy court hearings, will contrast (in a non-advocating fashion) the different valuation methodologies used by the debtors’ and UCC’s valuation experts with the primary legal arguments raised by the debtors’ and UCC’s legal teams.

While COVID-19 has led to a substantial increase in the number of bankruptcy filings, its impact on valuation issues in the context of chapter 11 cases is less clear. Employing their differing perspectives, the panelists will explore how the uncertainty created by COVID-19 has affected the analysis of issues like plan feasibility, cost of capital, the pricing of risk, and the application of valuation methodologies in chapter 11 proceedings, with a particular emphasis on retail cases.

Up-tier exchanges, covenant-stripping and removal of collateral from secured lenders' reach have been in vogue for some time, going back to the Marblegate district court opinion and its reversal on appeal. The immense number of capital-chasing deals that have occurred since have continued this trend, and that obviously affects valuation, especially in litigated cases. This panel will explore the key issues involved, and how valuation plays a role in how disputes are resolved.

It's no secret that large-chain entertainment companies such as theaters and theme parks have been suffering through the pandemic. This panel will discuss restructuring options, hurdles and prospects for a broad array of these entities. The panelists will also discuss and debate the dynamics related to the fact that company projections and capital markets have priced in substantial recoveries for these entities in the second half of 2021.

This session will explore current trends in distressed real estate, along with strategies for secured creditors, borrowers and investors as they continue to weather the pandemic, the legal implications of recent legislation and case law, and more.

Learn concrete trial and evidentiary skills in this lively mock examination.

This panel will provide an overview of the requirements to file an involuntary bankruptcy case, along with the advantages and pitfalls that arise from these filings, including petitioner liabilities.