Members in the News

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May 2005

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ABI's Unsecured Trade Creditors Committee, which
studies the rights of unsecured trade creditors in bankruptcy, is
co-chaired by Deborah L. Thorne, Douglas G. Fox and Berry D.
Spears.Deborah L. Thorne is a partner in the Chicago office of
Barnes & Thornburg LLP, where she concentrates her practice in the
areas of creditors' rights, bankruptcy, financial restructurings and
commercial transactions. Ms. Thorne is a frequent lecturer and has
authored numerous articles for legal and business publications. An ABI
member since 1994, she is bankruptcy chair of the Seventh Circuit Bar
Association, serves on the editorial board of ABI World and is a
contributing editor to the ABI Journal. Ms. Thorne received her
B.A. in history from Macalester College, her M.A.T. from Duke University
and her J.D. with honors from the Illinois Institute of Technology,
Chicago Kent College of Law.Douglas G. Fox is contacts manager for
the systems and engineering department at Bosch Rexroth Corp. in
Bethlehem, Pa., where he focuses on unsecured credit, bankruptcy,
contracts, mechanics' liens, surety bonds, insurance and regulatory
matters. Mr. Fox has received the Executive Award of the Graduate School
of Credit and Financial Management and is designated a Certified Credit
Executive, NACM's highest professional designation. An ABI member since
1995, he is a widely published author and was a contributor to the

ABI Preference Handbook, as well as the ABI Manual on Trade
Creditors' Rights of Reclamation & Stoppage. He has served as
the chairman of more than a dozen official and unofficial unsecured
creditors' committees, including a mass tort case where unsecured claims
are estimated to exceed $ 1 billion. Mr. Fox received his undergraduate
degree from Lafayette College.Berry D. Spears is a shareholder and
chair of the bankruptcy section at Winstead Sechrest & Minick PC in
Austin, Texas, where he assists clients in navigating all aspects of
bankruptcy and insolvency proceedings as well as nonbankruptcy
reorganizations and liquidations. A leader within the firm, Mr. Spears
has participated at all levels of the firm governance, including having
been managing shareholder of the Austin office and having been
previously elected to the firm's compensation committee. An ABI member
since 1998, he is a member of the State Bar of Texas, the American,
Austin and Houston Bar Associations and is a fellow of the Texas Bar
Foundation. He earned his B.A. at Austin College and his J.D. from the
University of Texas School of Law.<h3>More Members in the
News</h3>Scott Winicour has been promoted to vice president of
sales and marketing for Gibraltar Financial Corp., based in the firm's
Chicago office. Mr. Winicour will be responsible for originating
asset-based loans, including DIP financings under $5 million secured by
accounts receivable and inventory, commercial real estate and production
equipment.Alec P. Ostrow, a shareholder at Stevens & Lee
PC in New York, has been named a fellow by the American College of
Bankruptcy. Mr. Ostrow was one of only 34 bankruptcy and insolvency
professionals from around the world inducted into the American College
of Bankruptcy's 16th class. The induction ceremony was held March 18 in
The Great Hall of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. Mr. Ostrow
concentrates his practice in bankruptcy, corporate reorganization,
creditors' rights and commercial litigation. He is an adjunct professor
for St. John's University School of Law LL.M. Bankruptcy Program, where
he teaches the drafting bankruptcy and commercial agreements and
documents courses. Mr. Ostrow is a member of the Panel of Mediators for
the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York and is
co-chair of the ABI's Real Estate Committee. He also is a member of The
Association of the Bar of the City of New York, the New York State Bar
Association and the New York County Lawyers Association.Margolin,
Winer & Evens LLP, a CPA and business advisory firm with offices in
New York and Garden City, N.J., recently promoted John F.
Lemanski, MBA, CFE, to senior manager of the litigation consulting,
valuation and bankruptcy services department. Mr. Lemanski previously
served as a manager in the department and is experienced in the areas of
workouts and restructuring, litigation support, crisis management, due
diligence, business and intangible asset valuation and bankruptcy
consulting for debtors, creditors and secured lenders. At MWE, Mr.
Lemanski specializes in business valuations, including intangible
assets, fraud and forensic examinations and advising all constituencies
of the chapter 7 and chapter 11 bankruptcy process. Mr. Lemanski is a
member of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, the Turnaround
Management Association and the New York State Society of Certified
Public Accountants.Clear Thinking Group LLC, a retailing, consumer
products and industrial manufacturing consultancy headquartered in
Hillsborough, N.J., has formed a claims administration unit that will
execute all facets of bankruptcy claims processing and administration on
behalf of debtors. The unit is an extension of Clear Thinking Group's
creditors' rights practice, headed up by Joseph Myers, a partner
and managing director of the firm. Some functions of the unit will
include the assisting debtors through each step of the claims
administration process and handling disbursements. Also serving Claims
Administration Unit clients will be Clear Thinking Group manager

Dorene Robotti.Bill Kannel, a member in Mintz Levin's
bankruptcy, restructuring and commercial law section in Boston, has been
inducted as a fellow into the American College of Bankruptcy. Mr. Kannel
practices primarily in the area of commercial law, workouts and
corporate reorganization and has represented various institutional
lenders, indenture trustees, bondholders, other creditors, debtors and
trustees in all manner of insolvency proceedings in courts throughout
the United States. He has substantial experience in all phases of
bankruptcy litigation, practice and case management from both the debtor
and creditor's perspective including relief from stay, adequate
protection, valuation, preference, fraudulent transfer, subordination
and competing plan litigation. He is a member of the American Bar
Association and the Massachusetts Bar Association and is a member of and
former chair of the Bankruptcy Law Section of the Boston Bar
Association.The law firm of Mendes & Gonzales PLLC in Nashville,
Tenn., recently announced its new name and new corporate identity of
MGLAW PLLC. The firm represents debtors, creditors, creditors'
committees, trustees and purchasers of assets in chapter 11
reorganizations and liquidations. The firm's litigation practice
aggressively pursues resolution of a broad range of client business
disputes. The planning practice provides practical advice to guide
clients in structuring and managing their businesses. ABI members
include Robert J. Gonzales, Robert J. Mendes and Robin Bicket
White.Squire, Sanders and Dempsey LLP, based in Palo Alto,
Calif., welcomed Penn A. Butler in March, where he will join
Josefina Fernandez McEvoy to help grow the firm's bankruptcy
practice. Mr. Butler serves as a lawyer representative for the Northern
District of California Judicial Conference and as a member of the
Congressman Don Edwards Inn of Court.Prof. Anthony Michael
Sabino, professor of law at the Peter J. Tobin College of Business
at St. John's University and a partner at Sabino & Sabino, both in
New York, was recently published in the ABI Law Review on the

Rousey case. He was also published in the University of
Tennessee Journal of Business Law on the demise of critical-vendor
motions.Francesco DiGiannantonio was named managing director
of Morris-Anderson's new office in Chicago, where he will lead the
practice with his expertise in operational restructuring, change
management and valuation experience. Mr. DiGiannantonio has led various
major turnarounds and restructurings both nationally and internationally.

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ABI

Journal Date

Sunday, May 1, 2005 - 12:00

Bankruptcy Rule

2005

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