It’s been another great year for the Real Estate Committee. First, as co-chairs, we would like to thank its members for their support and continued participation on the Real Estate Committee for 2016. The committee is really only as good as its members and their contributions. In that vein, the committee is always looking for contributors to its newsletter, suggestions for presentation topics, or help producing new webinar content. If you are interested in contributing to the committee, please reach out to any of the committee leaders. Their contact information can be found on the Real Estate Committee’s web page, committees.abi.org/real-estate.
In 2016, several committee members helped by contributing 13 original articles for its quarterly newsletter, and several others are in currently in the planning stages for a committee webinar on commercial mortgage foreclosures, which is likely to be broadcast sometime in March 2017. Please stay tuned for more details on the webinar and plan to attend. Please also plan to help us continue to help the committee better serve its members in 2017. All of its newsletters and past webinars may be accessed by ABI members at the Real Estate Committee’s web page, committees.abi.org/real-estate.
Here are few highlights of the committee’s activities over the past year:
Committee Panel at the 2016 Annual Spring Meeting
The Real Estate Committee paired with the Bankruptcy Taxation Committee at the 2016 Annual Spring Meeting to present “Hospitality and the Tax Man: Historical Hospitality Tax Issues in Distress” on April 16, 2016, from 8:30-9:30 a.m. The panelists included Joshua Cohen (Day Pitney LLP, New Haven, Conn.), Elizabeth Green (BakerHostetler; Orlando, Fla.) and Jeffrey Sklarz (Greene and Sklarz LLC; New Havden, Conn.). The panel was well prepared, thoughtful and entertaining, and we thank all that helped put the program together.
Committee Panel at the 2016 Winter Leadership Conference
The Real Estate Committee paired with the Health Care Committee for the 2016 Winter Leadership Conference to present “Fuse, Sever and Heal: Health Care Facilities in Bankruptcy” (more materials found here and here) on Dec. 3, 2016, from 8:45-9:45 a.m. The panelists included Thomas R. Califano (DLA Piper; New York), Patricia B. Jefferson (Miles & Stockbridge P.C.; Baltimore), Shawn M. Riley (McDonald Hopkins LLC; Cleveland) and Frank P. Terzo (GrayRobinson, P.A.; Fort Lauderdale, Fla.). There was an interesting and entertaining discussion regarding health care bankruptcy issues.
Planning for 2017
2017 is already shaping up to be a great year for the committee. The committee will be pairing with the Financial Advisors and Investment Banking Committee for the 2017 Annual Spring Meeting. While still in the early planning stages, the panel promises to be a great overview of the key role of financial professionals in real estate cases and recent developments in real estate bankruptcy law. Please plan to attend and support the Real Estate Committee. Finally, the Real Estate Committee is considering several special projects for 2017, including the potential development of an ABI Marketplace website for ABI members aimed at helping our members market and find distressed real estate finance and sale opportunities.
Help Any Way You Can in 2017
We are always looking for new ideas and opportunities from committee members, so if there is a topic you think should be covered at one of the annual meetings, in a newsletter or as part of a webinar, or if there is any way you think the Real Estate Committee can provide more value to you, please reach out to us and share your ideas and time. Thanks again for a great year!