The American College of Bankruptcy and the International Insolvency Institute cordially invite you to an International Program on November 5-6, 2026 in London, UK.
With many thanks to Mark Bloom, the educational sessions will be held at the law offices of Baker McKenzie (280 Bishopsgate, London EC2M 4RB).
For planning purposes, please register by October 23, 2026.
AGENDA
Thursday 5 November 2026
6:00 pm - 9:30 pm Cocktail Reception & Dinner at 8 1/2 London
Please join us for a cocktail reception and seated dinner at 8½ London, a Grade I–listed building and Scheduled Ancient Monument on Dowgate Hill in the heart of the City. Once known as Copped Hall, the site dates back to 1295 and was rebuilt after the Great Fire of London. Its historic halls have recently undergone an award-winning renovation that blends seven centuries of heritage with striking contemporary design.
The dinner will also feature remarks commemorating Guy Fawkes Day (also known as Bonfire Night), observed each year on November 5th. The tradition marks the failure of the 1605 Gunpowder Plot, in which Guy Fawkes and a group of conspirators attempted to blow up the House of Lords during the State Opening of Parliament in a bid to assassinate King James I. Fawkes was discovered guarding barrels of gunpowder beneath Parliament, and the plot was foiled. The British have marked the day ever since with bonfires, fireworks, and festivities across the country. Our program's timing offers a fitting opportunity to celebrate this distinctly British tradition together.
Friday 6 November 2026
9:00 am - 9:30 am Breakfast and Welcome Remarks
9:30 am - 10:30 am The Public Policy Exception: Article VI as the Third Rail of the UNCITRAL Model Law
This session will trace the history and development of the case law from the US and other jurisdictions under the "public policy exception" codified in Article VI of the UNCITRAL Model Law on Cross-Border Insolvency (enacted as Section 1506 of the US Bankruptcy Code) and explore the exercise of judicial activism and restraint in its application in the context of larger policy considerations in the jurisprudence of key adopting nations.
Moderator: Mark D. Bloom, Partner, Baker McKenzie (US); Past Chair and President, American College of Bankruptcy; Immediate Past Chair, International Insolvency Institute
G. Eric Brunstad Jr., Partner, Dechert (US); Visiting Lecturer in Law, Yale Law School; Adjunct Professor of Law, New York University School of Law
Hon. Christopher S. Sontchi, Chief Judge (ret.), US Bankruptcy Court, District of Delaware (US); International Judge, Singapore International Commercial Court; Lecturer in Law, The University of Chicago Law School
Felicity Toube KC, Barrister, Mediator, and Arbitrator, South Square (UK); Visiting Professor of Practice, University of Oxford
10:30 am - 10:45 am Break
10:45 am - 11:45 am Rescue or Raid? Liability Management, Contractual Autonomy, and Judicial Oversight
Liability management exercises have become an increasingly prominent means of addressing capital and liquidity pressures outside formal restructuring proceedings. Their rapid evolution has also generated litigation across the United States, England, and the Netherlands concerning contractual interpretation, creditor discrimination, value allocation, and the appropriate limits of judicial intervention.
Our panel will consider why debtors and sponsors choose LMEs over in-court processes, how courts are responding, and when these transactions should be understood as indispensable restructuring tools and when as mechanisms for appropriating value from disfavored creditors.
Moderator: Lord David Richards, Justice (ret.), Supreme Court of the United Kingdom (UK)
Hon. Stacey Gaye Cowand Jernigan, Judge, United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas (US)
Dr. Riz Mokal, Barrister, South Square (UK)
Robert van Galen, Partner, Van Galen Insolvency Law, Amsterdam (Netherlands)
11:45 am - 12:00 pm Break
12:00 - 1:30 pm Luncheon & Presentation: July 4, 1776 – The View from Abroad
Over lunch, attendees will be treated to a scholarly presentation by Tom Cutterham, Associate Professor of US History at the University of Birmingham and author of two books on the American Revolution and the founding of the United States. Drawing on recent scholarship, he'll offer a British perspective on the imperial crisis, the Declaration of Independence, and the broader Atlantic significance of the thirteen colonies' break with Crown and Parliament.
1:30 pm - 1:45 pm Break
1:45 pm - 2:45 pm Developments Under Part 26A
This panel will focus on the use of Part 26A proceedings as an alternative to plenary cases.
2:45 pm - 3:00 pm Closing Remarks
TRAVEL LOGISTICS
There are several hotels in the area at various price points to suit your preference. The following are a short walk from the meeting location:
SPONSORSHIP
We welcome firms interested in sponsoring this year's London Program. Sponsoring at the $2,500 level includes one complimentary conference registration for a firm attendee. If you'd like to sponsor, please select the option below and provide the details needed for an invoice.
QUESTIONS?
Please reach out to ACB/III Director CC Schnapp with any questions.