Members in the News

ABI's Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee, which
examines innovative uses of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms to
assist courts in handling disputes, is co-chaired by Hon. Barbara J.
Houser and Lester J. Levy.

Hon. Barbara J. Houser is a U.S.
Bankruptcy Judge in the Northern District of Texas. Judge Houser first
joined Locke Purnell Boren & Neeley in Dallas and became a
shareholder there in 1985. She joined Sheinfeld & Kay PC in 1988 as
the shareholder in charge of the Dallas office and remained there until
she was sworn in as a judge on Jan. 20, 2000. While at Sheinfeld, she
led the firm's representation of clients in a variety of significant
chapter 11 cases. The National Law Journal named her as one of
the 50 most influential women lawyers in America in 1998. She is a
member of the National Bankruptcy Conference and currently serves as a
member of its executive committee. She is also a member of the American
College of Bankruptcy and currently serves as a member of its board of
regents. Judge Houser lectures and publishes frequently on corporate
restructuring and insolvency law and is a visiting professor of law at
the Dedman School of Law at Southern Methodist University in Dallas,
where she teaches creditors' rights. She is a past chairman of the
Dallas Bar Association's committee on bankruptcy and corporate
reorganization and is a member and fellow of the Texas Bar Association
and Foundation and the American Bar Association and Foundation. Judge
Houser is a contributing author to Collier on Bankruptcy (15th
Ed.) and the Collier Bankruptcy Manual (3rd Ed.).

She received
her undergraduate degree from the University of Nebraska with high
distinction and her J.D. from Southern Methodist University School of
Law, where she was a member of its Law Review.

Lester J. Levy
is the managing director of JAMS bankruptcy practice in San Francisco,
where he has mediated bankruptcy matters and founded JAMS's Class Action
Settlement Program. He has settled, adjudicated and managed thousands of
complex cases in a broad array of subject-matter areas, and travels
nationwide and internationally to assist parties with cases. Mr. Levy is
a member of the International Bar Association and the ADR panels for the
Northern California Federal District Court, as well as the Superior
Courts of San Francisco, Marin, Sonoma and San Mateo Counties.
Previously, Mr. Levy practiced as a trial lawyer with Munger, Tolles

& Olson in San Francisco and Los Angeles, and as a law clerk for
Hon. Irving R. Kaufman of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second
Circuit. He trained in mediation/ negotiation at Harvard Law School and
spoke at the International Bar Association in Durban, South Africa, on
the "Innovative Use of ADR in Class Action and Mass Torts." He is a
frequent lecturer and is an adjunct professor of law at the University
of San Francisco Law School. Mr. Levy received his B.Mus. from the San
Francisco Conservatory of Music and his J.D. magna cum laude from
the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, where he was chief articles
editor of the Cardozo Law Review.

More Members in the
News

James Wannamaker (Bankruptcy Judges Division,
Administrative Office of U.S. Courts, Baltimore), Frank J.
Santoro (Marcus, Santoro & Kozak PC, Virginia Beach, Va., and
standing chapter 13 trustee in Norfolk and Newport News, Va.) and Hon.
Stephen S. Mitchell (U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern
District of Virginia) visited with Sarjit Singh, the Official Assignee
and Public Trustee of Singapore in July. Singapore is considering
changes to its bankruptcy system. Mr. Wannamaker, Mr. Santoro and Judge
Mitchell were invited to provide insights with respect to chapter 11 and
13 and to meet with public and private stakeholders.

U.S. Bankruptcy
Judge David W. Houston III hosted a dedication ceremony in his
courtroom inside the new Sen. Thad Cochran U.S. Bankruptcy Courthouse in
Abedeen, Miss., in August. The bankruptcy court was previously housed in
Aberdeen's Federal Building and also occupied a small building downtown.
The building houses the U.S. Trustee offices, U.S. Marshal/Court
Security office, judge's chambers, secretary's office, staff attorney's
office, clerk of the court and deputy clerks.

The Garden City Group
Inc. (GCG) recently announced the promotion of Jennifer M. Keough

to senior vice president and managing director of the company's west
coast operations in Seattle. Ms. Keough previously held the title of
vice president and managing director, west coast operations. As a former
GCG client and class action business analyst, Ms. Keough was responsible
for managing the settlement implementation and administration process
for large class action settlements at the Perkins Coie law firm, and
prior to that, she gained her legal expertise while working for a highly
regarded civil litigation firm in Seattle. Ms. Keough earned her B.A.
cum laude at Seattle University Albers School of Business, where
she also earned a Masters in Finance and Valuation. She received her
J.D. from Seattle University.

Stuart J. Lissner, CPA, formerly
of PPM America Inc., has joined CBM Capital Inc. in Glencoe, Ill., as
managing director to expand their distressed debt and special-situations
effort. Mr. Lissner has more than 10 years of investment experience
managing distressed and special-situation assets. He will target
undervalued situations caused by market inefficiencies, excess leverage
and cyclical industry downturns where he can add value through his
active management experience and long-term investment horizon. He has
significant experience managing troubled situations and has worked side
by side with lenders, other secured and unsecured creditors, equity
sponsors, management and their professionals to develop and implement
appropriate restructuring and financing solutions.

Alex Moglia,
president of Moglia Associates in Schaumburg, Ill., was a guest speaker
for the second year at the 35th Annual Iowa Bankruptcy Seminar, where
his presentation was entitled, "The Roles of the Corporate Turnaround
Professional and Chapter 11 Trustee and the New Act: Have the Roles
Really Changed?" Moglia Associates has offices in Chicago, Los Angeles
and Phoenix.

Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek S.C., announced that attorney
Daniel McGarry has joined the firm's Madison, Wis., office's
bankruptcy and reorganization practice, where he focuses on advising and
consulting financially troubled enterprises, including state and federal
insolvency proceedings, chapter 11 and 7 bankruptcies, workouts and
restructurings. Mr. McGarry has represented lenders, creditors,
committees, suppliers, lessors, purchasers, equity-holders, corporate
and individual creditors and debtors.

BMC Group announced that in
September it moved its Chicago office to 77 West Wacker Drive, 14th
floor, in Chicago. In New York, BMC Group now resides in midtown, on the
5th floor at 875 Third Avenue. These two new larger offices allow the
company to expand its presence in Chicago and New York. BMC Group also
has offices in Atlanta, Kansas City, Los Angeles, San Francisco and
Seattle. ABI members include Sean Allen, Susan Burnett, Tinamarie
Feil, Steve Kotarba, Michelle Patterson, Sean Reid, Rich Reilly,
Michelle Salazar, Julie Skidmore and Tauheed Williams.