National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges 2026 Annual Meeting
The National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges (NCBJ) 2026 Annual Meeting is a premier event dedicated to advancing the field of bankruptcy law. Organized by the NCBJ, this conference brings together bankruptcy judges, practitioners, and professionals to discuss developments and challenges in the bankruptcy system.
The conference will cover a range of topics, including recent case law, legislative updates, and emerging trends in bankruptcy practice. Sessions will feature expert panels and workshops designed to enhance the knowledge and skills of attendees.
In addition to educational sessions, the event offers networking opportunities, an expo hall showcasing the latest legal technologies and services, and presentations by notable speakers in the field. Special programs like the Next Generation Program and Trial Skills Workshop provide targeted learning experiences for participants.
This conference is ideal for bankruptcy judges, attorneys, financial advisors, and other professionals involved in bankruptcy law. Attendees will gain valuable insights, earn Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credits, and connect with peers to foster professional growth.
Speakers(55)
Angela Shortall
Subchapter V Trustee at Districts of Maryland, Northern Virginia, and the District of Columbia
Angela Shortall serves as a Chapter 11 Subchapter V Trustee in the Districts of Maryland, Northern Virginia, and the District of Columbia.
Ben Weller
Postal Inspector at Chicago Division
Postal Inspector, Chicago Division. He investigates white-collar frauds, including mail and wire fraud, bankruptcy fraud, consumer fraud, investment fraud, mortgage fraud, and public corruption.
Bill Rochelle
Christina Sanfelippo, Esq.
Associate at Cozen O’Connor
Christina Sanfelippo is an associate in Cozen O’Connor’s Bankruptcy, Insolvency & Restructuring Practice and is based in the firm’s Chicago office.
Daniel Velasquez
Equity Partner at Latham, Luna, Eden & Beaudine, LLP
Daniel A. Velasquez is an equity partner with the Orlando based firm of Latham, Luna, Eden & Beaudine, LLP in the firm’s Bankruptcy and Business Reorganization Department. He is also Chairman of the firm’s Aviation Department advising clients in aviation related litigation matters and aircraft sales.
Debra Grassgreen
Partner at Pachulski Stang Ziehl & Jones LLP
Debra Grassgreen is a partner in the San Francisco office of Pachulski Stang Ziehl & Jones LLP. She has significant experience representing debtors, trustees, and creditors’ committees in large and complex chapter 11 cases nationwide and internationally.
Geoff Berman
Senior Managing Director Emeritus (Retired) at DSI
Geoff Berman retired from DSI as Senior Managing Director Emeritus at the end of 2022. He joined DSI in 1997 and was a resident in our Los Angeles office with over 45 years of experience in all types of insolvency case administrations with a special emphasis in the area of general assignments for the benefit of creditors and post-confirmation estate management through liquidating and creditor trust under confirmed Chapter 11 Plans of Reorganization. He is a past president of ABI and authored the ABI’s book on ABCs, “General Assignments For The Benefit of Creditor’s, The ABCs of ABCs”. He has been involved in the ULC ABC project since its creation.
Gregory S. Grossman, Esq.
Founding Shareholder at Sequor Law
Greg Grossman is a founding shareholder at Sequor Law. His practice focuses on bankruptcy, insolvency litigation, international asset recovery, international litigation, and litigation involving the Uniform Commercial Code.
Hon. August B. Landis
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge at District of Nevada
Hon. August B. Landis was appointed as a United States Bankruptcy Judge for the District of Nevada on November 27, 2013. He is also admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, the Eighth and Ninth Circuit Courts of Appeals, and the U.S. District Courts for the Northern and Southern Districts of Iowa.
Hon. Bonnie L. Clair
Chief Judge at U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Missouri
Hon. Bonnie L. Clair sits as the Chief Judge of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. Judge Clair currently serves as a pro tem member of the Bankruptcy Appellate Panel for the Eighth Circuit. She is also the Editor in Chief for the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges’ Conference News and sits on the NCBJ/U.S. Trustee Liaison Committee.
Hon. Brendan L. Shannon
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge at District of Delaware
Hon. Brendan Linehan Shannon is a United States Bankruptcy Judge for the District of Delaware. He received his undergraduate degree from Princeton University and his law degree from the Marshall-Wythe School of Law at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia.
Hon. Craig Goldblatt
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge at District of Delaware
Hon. Craig Goldblatt is a judge on the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. He earned his law degree, with honors, in 1993 from the University of Chicago Law School.
Hon. Daniel P. Collins
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge at District of Arizona
Judge Daniel P. Collins was appointed to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District of Arizona, effective as of January 18, 2013, and served as Chief Judge from 2014-2017, as well as the 2023 President of the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges.
Hon. David S. Jones
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge at Southern District of New York
Judge Jones has served in the SDNY since February 2021. He presides over a mix of adversary proceedings and cases under Chapters 7, 11, and 15 of the Bankruptcy Code. Before joining the bench, he was an AUSA in the SDNY for 24 years, with prior experience in private practice and as a district court law clerk.
Hon. Deborah L. Thorne
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge at Northern District of Illinois
Hon. Deborah L. Thorne was sworn in as a bankruptcy judge for the Northern District of Illinois and the 2021-2022 president of NCBJ.
Hon. Frank J. Bailey (ret.)
President at Pioneer Public Interest Law Center
Judge Bailey retired from the bench on June 1, 2022. He is now the President of Pioneer Public Interest Law Center, a public interest non-profit law firm in Boston.
Hon. Hannah L. Blumenstiel
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge at Northern District of California
Judge Hannah L. Blumenstiel is a United States Bankruptcy Judge in the Northern District of California (San Francisco). Prior to her appointment to the bench in February 2013, Judge Blumenstiel was a commercial litigator with a large Chicago-based law firm. She is an Executive Editor of the ABI Journal and serves on ABI’s Executive Committee as its Vice President for Research & Grants.
Hon. Heather Z. Cooper
Chief Judge at United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Vermont
Heather Z. Cooper, Chief Judge of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Vermont, was appointed by the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit on March 14, 2022. Judge Cooper is a member of the Texas, Massachusetts, and Vermont Bar Associations, the Federal Bar Council, the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges, American Bankruptcy Institute, and the National Association of Bankruptcy Trustees.
Hon. Hilary L. Barnes
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge at District of Nevada
Hon. Hilary L. Barnes was sworn in as a U.S. Bankruptcy Judge for the District of Nevada (Reno) on March 31, 2023, after 24 years of private practice. Judge Barnes currently serves as a member of the Ninth Circuit Bankruptcy Judges Education Committee, acting as BJEC newsletter editor, chairs the Nevada Local Bankruptcy Rules Committee, and acts as the judicial co-liaison to the ABI SW Conference. She earned her B.A. (with honors) from the University of Chicago and her J.D. from the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University.
Hon. Jacob 'Jay' Brown
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge at Middle District of Florida
Before joining the bench in 2021, Judge Brown was in private practice for over 20 years, representing creditors, committees, debtors, and trustees in bankruptcy, and handled commercial litigation and business law matters in state and federal courts. Judge Brown is a fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy, former chair of the Business Law Section of the Florida Bar, and past president of the Jacksonville Bankruptcy Bar Association.
Hon. James R. Ahler
Chief Bankruptcy Judge at United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Indiana
Hon. James R. Ahler is the chief bankruptcy judge for the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Indiana.
Hon. Kathy Surratt-States
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge at Eastern District of Missouri
Hon. Kathy A. Surratt-States was sworn in as U.S. Bankruptcy Judge for the Eastern District of Missouri on March 17, 2003, and served as Chief Judge from February 1, 2013 to June 30, 2022.
Hon. Lori V. Vaughan
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge at Middle District of Florida
Hon. Lori V Vaughan is a judge of the United States Bankruptcy Court Middle District of Florida. She assumed office on February 25, 2020. Her current term ends on February 25, 2034.
Hon. Martin Barash
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge at Central District of California
Hon. Martin Barash has been a United States Bankruptcy Judge in the Central District of California since 2015. Prior to his government service, he was a partner at Klee, Tuchin, Bogdanoff & Stern LLP (now called KTBS Law) in Los Angeles, representing debtors, creditors and other parties in chapter 11 cases and bankruptcy litigation.
Hon. Meredith S. Grabill
Chief Bankruptcy Judge at Eastern District of Louisiana
Judge Meredith Grabill started her tenure as the Chief Bankruptcy Judge in the Eastern District of Louisiana in 2019. Before then, she practiced chapter 11 bankruptcy, commercial, and oil and gas litigation in Louisiana and New York. In addition to her duties in the courtroom, Judge Grabill has taught chapter 11 bankruptcy and restructuring for eight years at Tulane Law.
Hon. Michael B. Kaplan
Chief Bankruptcy Judge at District of New Jersey
The Honorable Michael B. Kaplan was appointed as a bankruptcy judge on October 3, 2006, for the District of New Jersey and designated Chief Bankruptcy Judge on May 1, 2020.
Hon. Michael B. Slade
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge at Northern District of Illinois
Hon. Michael B. Slade was sworn in as United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Northern District of Illinois in November 2024. He is a graduate of Harvard Law School and Emory University.
Hon. Michelle M. Harner
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge at District of Maryland
Hon. Michelle M. Harner is a U.S. Bankruptcy Judge for the District of Maryland and Editor-in-Chief of the American Bankruptcy Law Journal.
Hon. Mina Nami Khorrami
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge at Southern District of Ohio
Hon. Mina Nami Khorrami was appointed on September 10, 2021 by the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit to serve as bankruptcy judge for the Southern District of Ohio. Prior to her appointment to the bench, Judge Nami Khorrami also served as a chapter 7 panel trustee.
Hon. Patricia M. Mayer
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge at Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Hon. Patricia M. Mayer is a United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania sitting in the Reading Division. In her spare time, she enjoys ballet class, yoga, Peloton and watching sports or Netflix with her husband and sons.
Hon. Paul R. Hage
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge at Eastern District of Michigan
Judge Hage was sworn in as a United States Bankruptcy Judge on September 30, 2024.
Hon. Peter Henderson
Chief Bankruptcy Judge at Central District of Illinois
Peter W. Henderson is the Chief Bankruptcy Judge for the Central District of Illinois. He was appointed in April 2023 after serving as an attorney with the Federal Public Defender’s Office. He graduated from Brown University (A.B. 2007) and the University of Illinois College of Law (J.D. 2012).
Hon. Rachel M. Blise
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge at Eastern District of Wisconsin
Hon. Rachel M. Blise is a United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. She was appointed by the Seventh Circuit on March 17, 2021. Prior to her appointment, Judge Blise was an attorney at Foley & Lardner LLP in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she focused her practice on representing financial institutions and other lenders and servicers in a variety of insolvency-related disputes.
Hon. Scott M. Grossman
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge at Southern District of Florida
Judge Scott M. Grossman was sworn in as a bankruptcy judge for the Southern District of Florida, Fort Lauderdale Division, on October 2, 2019.
Hon. Shon Hastings
Chief United States Bankruptcy Judge at District of North Dakota
Shon Hastings, Chief United States Bankruptcy Judge for the District of North Dakota; Chief Judge, Eighth Circuit Bankruptcy Appellate Panel.
Hon. Stacey G. C. Jernigan
Chief Judge at U. S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas
Stacey G. C. Jernigan is Chief Judge of the U. S. Bankruptcy Court for the NDTX. She was appointed in 2006, after 17 years at Haynes and Boone, LLP, where she headed the Bankruptcy practice group. She is an adjunct professor at the SMU Dedman School of Law. She is a frequent speaker and author, including many published legal articles and three legal thriller novels: He Watches All My Paths (2019), Hedging Death (2022), and Mystic Spires Post-Mortem (Oct. 2025).
Hon. William Lafferty III
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge at Northern District of California
Hon. William J. Lafferty, III, is a United States Bankruptcy Judge in the Northern District of California and the 2024 Education Chair.
James V. Block
Partner at Krautkramer & Block LLC
Jim is a partner at Krautkramer & Block LLC in Wausau, Wisconsin. He represents clients in bankruptcy, foreclosure, and collection matters. In 2023, the American Bankruptcy Institute named Jim to its Top 40 Under 40 Class. Outside of his legal career, Jim is an Eagle Scout and volunteers as a Cub Scout den leader, teaching values like community service and leadership.
Jeff Azuse
Senior Vice President at Hilco Real Estate
Jeff joined Hilco in 2012 and leads business development efforts and operations related to real estate disposition, brokerage, and auctions. He and his team craft both the strategy and execution of property sales, including new client relations, targeted marketing, website marketplace management, buyer interaction, event management, and facilitation of transaction closings.
Jeffrey S. Fraser
National Bankruptcy Partner at Albertelli Law (ALAW)
Jeff Fraser focuses on creditor representation at Albertelli Law (“ALAW”) and is the firm’s national Bankruptcy Partner. Jeff was named a 2017 Blackshear Fellow by the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges (NCBJ), a 2020 American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI) 40 Under 40 honoree.
Joseph J. Mascali
Consultant
Mr. Mascali has extensive experience in large property losses, especially large, complex losses arising from Superstorm Sandy and Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Maria, Ian, Helene, and Milton. His experience includes preparing, documenting, and quantifying insurance and FEMA claims on behalf of clients.
Katie Catanese
Partner and Vice Chair at Bankruptcy and Restructuring Group
Katherine R. Catanese is a partner and vice chair in the firm’s Bankruptcy and Restructuring Group, as well as a member of the Bankruptcy and Health Care Restructuring sub-team.
L. Todd Budgen
Director at Central Florida Bankruptcy Law Association
Mr. Budgen is a Director of the Central Florida Bankruptcy Law Association and a member of MENSA. He has served as a Subchapter v Trustee since 2020. He was born in Daytona Beach, FL. He is a former firefighter and enjoys amateur track driving events.
Michelle F. Zaltsberg
Shareholder at Baker Donelson
Michelle Zaltsberg is a Shareholder at Baker Donelson in Orlando, Florida. Ms. Zaltsberg primarily practices in the area of disaster recovery with a focus on the laws, regulations, polices, and procedures relating to eligibility for federal disaster and mitigation assistance under the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Public Assistance program.
Prof. Douglas Baird
Harry A. Bigelow Distinguished Service Professor at University of Chicago
Douglas Baird is the Harry A. Bigelow Distinguished Service Professor at the University of Chicago and Chair, National Bankruptcy Conference. His book on the history of the law of corporate reorganizations, The Unwritten Law of Corporate Reorganizations, appeared in 2022. His one-volume overview of U.S. bankruptcy law, Elements of Bankruptcy, is now in its seventh edition.
Prof. Erwin Chemerinsky
Dean and Jesse H. Choper Distinguished Professor of Law at University of California, Berkeley School of Law
Prof. Erwin Chemerinsky is Dean and Jesse H. Choper Distinguished Professor of Law, University of California, Berkeley School of Law. He frequently argues appellate cases, including in the United States Supreme Court.
Prof. Laura Coordes
Professor at Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law
Laura Coordes is a Professor at Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law.
Prof. Ralph Brubaker
James H.M. Sprayregen Professor of Law at University of Illinois
Prof. Ralph Brubaker is the James H.M. Sprayregen Professor of Law at the University of Illinois, where he teaches courses in bankruptcy, bankruptcy procedure, corporate reorganizations, federal courts, conflict of laws (private international law), contracts, and restitution.
Rob Saunders, Esq.
Attorney at Pachulski Stang Ziehl & Jones LLP
Rob Saunders is a distinguished restructuring and transactional attorney at Pachulski Stang Ziehl & Jones LLP, specializing in chapter 11 cases and assignments for the benefit of creditors (ABCs).
Robert J. Cleary
Of Counsel at Patterson Belknap
Bob Cleary is Of Counsel at Patterson Belknap in New York City, where he has a white-collar defense and trial practice. He is also the court-appointed Examiner in the FTX bankruptcy case.
Scott Horsley
Chief Economics Correspondent at NPR
Scott Horsley has spent a decade on the White House beat, covering the presidential campaigns of Kerry, McCain, Mitt Romney, as well as both the Obama and Trump administrations. Before that, he was a San Diego-based business reporter for NPR, covering fast food, gasoline prices, and the California electricity crunch of 2000. He also reported from the Pentagon during the early phases of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Sharon Cohen Levin
Co-Head of the Firm’s National Security Practice and Partner at Litigation Group and Criminal Defense and Investigations Group
Sharon Cohen Levin is Co-Head of the Firm’s National Security Practice and a partner in the Firm’s Litigation Group and Criminal Defense and Investigations Group.
Thomas J. Abernathy
Senior Vice President, Government Affairs and Sales at Asset Reality
Thomas (TJ) Abernathy III is the Senior Vice President, Government Affairs and Sales for Asset Reality, and a retired Assistant Chief Inspector, United States Marshals Service (USMS).
Thomas J. Abernathy III
Senior Vice President, Government Affairs and Sales at Asset Reality
Thomas (TJ) Abernathy III is the Senior Vice President, Government Affairs and Sales for Asset Reality, and a retired Assistant Chief Inspector, United States Marshals Service (USMS).
Todd Headden
Partner at Hayward, PLLC
Todd Headden is a partner in the Austin office of Hayward, PLLC, a boutique firm focusing on business bankruptcy and litigation. Todd is a Subchapter V Trustee in the Western District of Texas. If not doing any of the above, he is probably running (for himself or chasing a kid). Ideally, he would read and cook more (maybe one day). Notably, he did take second place in a margarita-making competition, losing to Judge Mott (aka Willie Nelson).
Event Details
- Date
- October 7-10, 2026
- 4 days
- Location
- 🇺🇸 San Diego, United States
- Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina
- Pricing
- $1,400 - $1,650
- Audience
- Bankruptcy judges, attorneys, financial advisors, and other professionals involved in bankruptcy law.
- CLE Credits
- CLE accreditation pending
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