| 1st Quarter Newsletter, 2026 | Vol 13, Num 1
|
|
|
ABI Endowment Night at Tampa Bay Lightning Game Brings Paskay Attendees Together
|
|
During the 50th Annual Alexander L. Paskay Memorial Bankruptcy Seminar, held Feb. 25-26 in Tampa, Fla., conference attendees gathered at Benchmark International Arena for a Tampa Bay Lightning matchup against the Toronto Maple Leafs in support of the ABI Endowment Fund. Guests watched the game from a private suite generously donated by Steve Berman and Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP. The event also featured a silent auction for a hockey stick signed by Lightning Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, helping raise additional funds for the ABI Endowment.
The evening provided a great opportunity for members of the restructuring community to connect outside the conference while enjoying an exciting night of hockey. ABI thanks everyone who attended and helped support the Endowment’s mission to fund educational programs, research and scholarships for the insolvency community.
|
|
|
Endowment Baseball Outing to Be Held at Annual Spring Meeting
|
|
During this month’s Annual Spring Meeting (ASM), being held April 23-25 at the Marriott Marquis Washington DC, conference attendees will have the opportunity to meet before the sessions start to enjoy a relaxed night of baseball, networking and camaraderie at the ballpark while supporting the ABI Endowment Fund. Watch the Washington Nationals take on the Atlanta Braves in a private suite donated by BakerHostetler at Nationals Park in downtown DC.
You can add this event to your conference registration when signing up for ASM. Proceeds from the event support the ABI Endowment’s mission to advance insolvency education, research and professional development.
|
|
|
Watch for These Future Events
|
|
|
Every year at the Winter Leadership Conference, the ABI Endowment acknowledges those who reach new levels of donation. There is still time to reach your new donation level. If you want to know where you are in your donations and would like to level up, please reach out to Erin Green at egreen@abi.org.
|
|
|
Meet the 2026 ASM Sheila Smith Scholarship Honoree
|
|
Jenna Riedel, a Sioux Falls, S.D., attorney focused on bankruptcy and debtor and creditor law, was selected to be the 2026 Annual Spring Meeting Sheila Smith Emerging Women in Restructuring Scholarship winner. Jenna works with individuals and small businesses navigating financial distress and restructuring matters. She received her J.D. from the University of South Dakota Knudson School of Law in 2024. During law school, she became actively involved in the bankruptcy community and helped found the school’s Debtor-Creditor Club, creating opportunities for students to learn about bankruptcy practice and connect with
professionals in the field.
|
|
|
Before entering the legal profession, Jenna had a diverse background that included earning a Bachelor’s degree in integrated studio arts from Iowa State University, working as an interior design consultant, and later working in real estate. Her creative background informs her problem-solving approach to legal issues and client advocacy.
After graduating law school, she began a one-year clerkship with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of South Dakota, working with Hon. Laura L. Kulm Ask. After her clerkship, she started working at Gerry Law Firm, where she represents primarily consumer debtors and small businesses in bankruptcy proceedings.
|
|
|
Established in honor of the late Sheila Smith — a respected leader, mentor and friend to so many in the bankruptcy and restructuring community — the Sheila Smith Scholarship supports the next generation of insolvency professionals by providing financial assistance to attend ABI’s two national conferences. Recipients have the opportunity to expand their knowledge, grow their networks, and engage with leaders in the field.
To apply for the scholarship, click here. To donate to the scholarship, click here. For more information, contact ABI Endowment Manager Erin Green.
|
|
|
U. of Ill. Wins 2026 Duberstein Moot Court Competition
|
|
The University of Illinois College of Law won the 34th Annual Conrad B. Duberstein National Bankruptcy Moot Court Competition, held Feb. 28-March 2 in New York City. The competition is co-sponsored by the American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI) and St. John’s University School of Law. Wake Forest University School of Law took second place in the competition, and teams from Baylor University School of Law and Wayne State University Law School shared third-place honors. The University of Oklahoma College of Law won for Best Brief, and Katelyn Stevens of Baylor University School of Law won the Best Advocate award.
The Duberstein Competition, named for the late Judge Conrad B. Duberstein, a St. John’s alumnus and former ABI director, has grown into the largest appellate moot court competition in the nation. ABI’s Endowment Fund awarded $13,000 in cash prizes for the winners during a gala reception held at the New York Marriott Downtown on March 2.
|
|
|
The team from the University of Illinois College of Law clinched first place honors at the 34th Annual Conrad B. Duberstein National Bankruptcy Moot Court Competition.
|
|
The team from Wake Forest University School of Law won second place in the competition.
|
|
Diamond Level
Contributions of $80,000 and above
Platinum Level
Contributions of $65,000 – $79,999
Millennium Level
Contributions of $50,000 – $64,999
30th Anniversary Circle
Contributions of $30,000 – $49,999
Century Council Member
Contributions of $25,000 – $29,999
Visionary
Contributions of $20,000 – $24,999
Legacy
Contributions of $15,000 – $19,999
Lifetime
Member
Contributions of $10,000 – $14,999
Benefactor
Contributions of $5,000 – $9,999
Sustaining Member
Contributions of $2,000 – $4,999
Leadership Club
Contributions of $1,000 – $1,999
Donor
Contributions of $100 – $999
|
|
|
Endowment Fund Development Committee
|
|
Vice President—Development:
Bradley D. Sharp
Development Specialists, Inc.
|
|
|
Committee Members:
Steven M. Berman
Emeritus Member
Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP
Marchand Boyd
Axos Bank
Dawn M. Cica
Carlyon Cica Chtd.
|
|
|
Erika F. Johnson
Bayard, P.A.
Kristina M. Johnson
Jones Walker LLP
Rebecca Redwine Grow
Hendren, Redwine & Malone, PLLC
|
|
|
|
|
