By Jeremy VanEtten, Director

Hello everyone, and welcome to 2023. From making resolutions to setting goals for the year ahead, here’s hoping the first few weeks of January have been productive ones for you, your family, and your colleagues.

It was good to enjoy a brief break from casework in December and connect with colleagues at the 2022 ABI Winter Leadership Conference in beautiful Palm Springs, California. My, how the landscape has changed since I last attended that ABI conference in 2018. This year, the hot topics during cocktail hours were FTX, crypto, and Twitter. The idea of crypto, and digital assets in general, would have been foreign to many— if not most — attendees four years ago. Now, the cryptocurrency arena has become the standard order for restructuring professionals.

As always, ABI put forth a comprehensive slate of panels and speakers at the conference. I was particularly impressed with the panel discussion on mass torts including non-monetary issues that occur in high-profile, devastating abuse cases. I took away the importance of considering all aspects of these matters, such as claims, bar date deadlines, and in-person mediations that practitioners often regard as routine in day-to-day practice. These, among other issues, have an impact in mass-tort cases that we must consider when dealing with the dynamics of victims versus creditors or lenders. The panel offered a unique, but essential, perspective, which I found incredibly beneficial.

Most of all, I was moved by the presentation of the ABI Lifetime Achievement Award to William (Bill) A. Brandt, Jr. and, this year, permanently renamed as the Bill Brandt Lifetime Achievement Award. Mr. Brandt has a remarkable resume befitting one of the architects of the restructuring profession and has served the ABI in countless capacities. Among his significant contributions to the restructuring industry is his work as a Commissioner on ABI’s Commission to Study the Reform of Chapter 11. This Commission’s work product has led to changes in the bankruptcy code, proposed numerous other changes not yet made, and will reverberate within our industry for decades.

Let’s start this new year with a renewed focus on our day-to-day mission and appreciating those with whom we have the pleasure of working and from whom we have the pleasure of learning, such as Bill. We can, at the very least, honor Mr. Brandt’s battle with ALS by remembering the human aspect of our work, and taking time to include in our focus supporting and honoring our colleagues.

Happy 2023!