Bankruptcy. The B word. Clearly the last consideration any small business owner wants to make. It is never an easy choice. But is also an important tool that is often misunderstood as the viable, ethical choice that it can be. We wanted to demystify the process for you.
We partnered with the Vermont Law School and a team of experts to create a webinar that is as comprehensive as it is enlightening.
Your presenters for this program are:
- The Honorable Judge Colleen Brown, Chief United States Bankruptcy Judge for the District of Vermont.
- Alexandra Edelman, Attorney at Law at Primmer Piper Eggleston & Cramer PC and Co-chair of the Bar Association Bankruptcy Section.
- Don Hayes, Attorney and Professor at Vermont Law School and Co-chair of the Vermont Bar Association Bankruptcy Section
- Moderator: Professor Jeannette Eicks, Director of the Center for Legal Innovation, Vermont Law School.
As you access the webinar and the support material keep in mind, as context, these wise words from the Honorable Judge Brown:
“As a bankruptcy judge, I start with the premise that most businesses that come before me are there because of factors that were beyond their control. There is a common misperception that businesses who are pursuing bankruptcy relief have failed. That is not how I view it. Bankruptcy is a process of taking control and trying to be proactive in restructuring a business’s financial situation. Bankruptcy is actually the responsible path forward: It benefits not only the business, but the business’s creditors, employees, customers and community, as well. When a business is struggling financially, the response is to pretend everything is fine.”
There are two ways to access this important material:
Together they encompass:
- What bankruptcy is intended to do.
- The process.
- The types.
- The important questions regarding what a business is trying to accomplish with the bankruptcy process.
To enhance the learning experience The Vermont Law School has created three supporting documents:
- A Bankruptcy Comparison Chart.
- A Hypothetical Company Example.
- A Checklist of materials to prepare for your first appointment with a Bankruptcy Attorney.
These three documents are referred to throughout the webinar and we suggest downloading them prior to viewing/listening so that you can access them as you follow along.
Our goal was to offer a basic education of the process. This material is intended to assist you in considering all of the options available to you. As VtSBDC Advisors we can help you review the material as you prep for your first consultation with a bankruptcy attorney if that is a path that needs to be explored.