Bankruptcy: Preparing for COVID’s Economic Consequences

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted our economy and many sectors, such as hospitality have been severely impacted. Unemployment is at record levels. Most economic commentators believe these factors are foretelling of a substantial increase in bankruptcies, in the coming months. What will this mean to your institutions? Are there pro-active things your institutions can be doing to improving outcomes? We will explore these topics and many others in preparing your organization for the potential difficult road ahead.

This seminar is recommended for attorneys, members of the special asset department, credit department, and lenders.

Please mark your calendar for a virtual interactive panel discussion:

Date: September 16, 2020
Time: 9:00 am

MODERATOR

Patricia M. Hernandez, Partner
Avila Rodriguez Hernandez Mena & Ferri LLP

A founding partner of Avila Rodriguez Hernandez Mena & Ferri LLP, Patricia M. Hernandez focuses on corporate and financial services, particularly in counseling businesses, including banks and financial services companies, in varied legal issues. Ms. Hernandez has extensive experience in representing domestic and international financial institutions and other financial businesses in all aspects of regulatory, compliance, lending, mergers and acquisitions, and other transactional matters. Ms. Hernandez has particular knowledge in the areas of AML-BSA and OFAC Compliance. She has successfully represented numerous banks and other financial institutions in enforcement matters with Federal and state regulators, as well as in remediation efforts to comply with enforcement actions.

For three years, Ms. Hernandez served as General Counsel to the Florida International Bankers Association, as well as on FIBA’s Board of Directors. She has also served on the Banking Law Advisory Panel for the ALI-CLE of the American Law Institute and is a Board Member of the South Florida Banking Institute. From 2018 through 2020, Ms. Hernandez served on the Board of Directors of a local community bank.

Ms. Hernandez has exceptional experience in other general corporate matters, including acquisitions, formation of entities and review and preparation of contracts for all types of transactions. She regularly counsels foreign businesses who wish to launch their products and services in the U.S. She has also been recognized by Best Lawyers Business Edition Women in Law for Banking & Finance Law and was a Finalist for Regulatory Lawyer of the Year by the Women in Law publication of Chambers USA.

PANELISTS

Jose A. Casal, Esq.
Holland & Knight

Jose A. Casal is an attorney in Holland & Knight’s Miami office. Mr. Casal practices in the areas of business and real estate litigation, international litigation and arbitration, and bankruptcy and creditors’ rights. He handles civil trials in Florida state and federal courts and has conducted international arbitrations in Miami and New York. His representative matters include corporate and partnership disputes, real estate and title insurance claims, commercial mortgage foreclosures and commercial landlord/tenant disputes, receiverships, workout transactions, bankruptcy litigation, international litigation, banking litigation, aircraft lease and financing disputes, prejudgment and post judgment remedies, defense of foreign bank account reporting (FBAR) violations, and legal malpractice and ethics claims.

Mr. Casal is a member of Holland & Knight’s Directors Committee and serves as the Professional Responsibility Partner for the firm’s Miami office.

While at the University of Miami School of Law, Mr. Casal was associate editor of the InterAmerican Law Review and was elected to the Order of the Coif.

Maritza Jaime,
Executive Vice President & Asset Recovery Manager City National Bank

Maritza Jaime is Executive Vice President and Asset Recovery Manager for City National Bank of Florida. She joined City National Bank at the time of their acquisition of TotalBank, June 2018. In this role, Jaime is responsible for the overall management of the bank’s problem assets, their impact to performance ratios, their disposition as well as the disposal of other real estate owned properties (OREO).

Jaime is a 25-year veteran of South Florida’s banking industry and serves on the Executive Board of the Center for Financial Training (CFT). Prior to her integration with City National Bank, she served as TotalBank’ s Chief Credit Officer and Executive Vice President, with direct oversight of credit underwriting, construction administration, debt restructuring and asset-based lending. Her oversight included all credit-based functions and analysis that strategically support the bank’s lending portfolio and its risk objectives. She joined TotalBank in 2001 as Senior Vice President establishing a credit administration department. She was later appointed director of Director of Debt Restructuring & Special Assets in 2009, Director of Credit Administration in 2014, and Chief Credit Officer in 2015.

Marta Alfonso CPA*/ABV/CFF, CGMA, CIRA, JD
Morrison, Broawn, Argiz + Ferro

Marta is a principal in the Management Advisory Services Department and the principal-in-charge of the Litigation Support Division at MBAF. In additions, Maria leads MBAF’s Distressed Business Advisory Team. With a strong background in litigation consulting, forensic accounting, insolvency and bankruptcy, turnarounds, and financial management. Marta offers extensive financial experience and a deep understanding of critical financial litigation issues. Trained as both an accountant and an attorney, she has worked in a range of consulting and in-house corporate roles since 1983.

Her experience with bankruptcy, receivership and restructuring issues includes years of service in accounting and consulting positions. She has served as the chief restructuring officer of a healthcare service organization, a federal court receiver for multimillion-dollar companies, and as a consultant on federal bankruptcy cases. With expertise in both management and technology she has served as the interim chief information officer for a large consumer transportation company, and has provided financial and operational support, technology consulting, and regulatory compliance consulting to both for-profit and non-profit organizations.