TMA Northeast Chapter Event:
The New US Trustee Speaks

Location:

Program/
Speaker:

TMA invites you to meet William Harrington, the new US Trustee for Region 1.  Join us for a fascinating glimpse into the role and responsibilities of this critical component of the US Bankruptcy system. This will be a panel discussion that will focus on committee formation - solicitation of votes, proxies and the role of the US Trustee.  

The US Trustee Program (USTP) is the component of the Justice Department that protects the integrity of the bankruptcy system by overseeing case administration and litigating to enforce the bankruptcy laws. The USTP was established in 1979 as part of the Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1978.  It consists of 21 trustee regions covering the United States, with the exception of North Carolina and Alabama. Region 1 is headquartered in Boston, with additional offices in Worcester MA; Manchester NH; Portland ME; and Providence RI. All Trustees are appointed by the US Attorney General for five-year terms which are renewable.   

The speaking program will be held at the offices of Nixon Peabody, 100 Summer Street, 25th Floor, Boston, MA.  Cocktails and light refreshments will be served, following the presentation, at the offices of Pierce Atwood, on the 22nd floor of the same building.  

Please note that all registrants’ names must be submitted to building security 24 hours in advance so registration will close at noontime on April 5.  We regret that walk in attendees cannot be accommodated.

About our Panel:  

William Harrington was appointed by Attorney General Eric Holder as US Trustee for Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine and Rhode Island (Region 1) on November 8, 2010.  Mr. Harrington replaces John P. Fitzgerald, who has served as Acting U.S. Trustee for Region 1 since March 2010.   Mr. Harrington has served since October 2008 as the Assistant US Trustee in Wilmington DE, after joining the US Trustee Program (USTP) as a trial attorney in March 2004. He has signification experience e in the oversight of complex chapter 11 cases. Prior to joining the USTP, Mr. Harrington practiced law in a large regional law firm concentrating on bankruptcy, corporate and commercial litigation matters.  Before attending law school he worked as a senior accountant for an investment management firm in Boston.  Mr. Harrington received a law degree from Villanove University School of Law in Villanova PA, and a Bachelor of Science (Economics) degree from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia.  

John P. Fitzgerald was appointed Acting US Trustee for Region 1 on March 4, 2010, replacing Phoebe Morse, who resigned after serving in the role since April 2004.  Mr. Fitzgerald joined the USTP in 1990, serving first as a trial attorney and then as the Assistant US Trustee in the Portland ME office.  Prior to joining the USTP, Mr. Fitzgerald was a trial attorney in the Department of Justice’s Tax Division, Criminal Section, for ten years.  Mr. Fitzgerald served at the chair of the USTP’s Creditor Abuse Working Group, which assists USTP field offices in the investigation and litigation of cases involving abusive conduct by creditors.  

William Baldiga is the Managing Director of Brown Rudnick’s 100-professional Capital Markets Department, which includes its worldwide bankruptcy and finance practice. He often represents official and ad hoc equity and creditor committees, public and private debtors, strategic investors and businesses in complex reorganization proceedings. He has particular experience in bankruptcy litigation, especially as trial counsel in valuation and plan confirmation contests. He is recognized by Woodward/White’s The Best Lawyers in America in the area of Bankruptcy and Creditor-Debtor Rights Law, and by Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business as a leading bankruptcy lawyer.  

Bruce Smith, a partner at Jager Smith P.C., chairs the firm’s Bankruptcy and Restructuring Group and Litigation Group.  Bruce is a former Assistant US Attorney in the Civil and Criminal Divisions in the Office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.  He has years of experience representing creditors' committees in cases venued in New England, New York, Delaware and throughout the United States.  Bruce is licensed in New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts.  Jager Smith has offices in Boston and New York City.   

About our Moderator:  

Sheila Smith is a principal with Deloitte Financial Advisory Services LLP (Deloitte FAS), and the national service line leader for its Reorganization Services area. In addition, Sheila leads Financial Advisory Services in New England, overseeing corporate finance, forensic & dispute, valuation, economic consulting and business intelligence services. She possesses hands-on experience in the areas of turnaround, bankruptcy and restructuring advisory for diverse parties-in-interest, including debtors, secured creditors and unsecured creditor committees.  Sheila has more than 17 years of industry experience in manufacturing, retail, distribution and high technology. She has worked on behalf of several private equity firms and publicly traded clients to help them in their efforts to assess portfolio companies with respect to risk and formulating exit strategies that maximize recovery. She also has extensive experience working in the consumer products industry to deliver cost containment and performance improvement services to help companies in their efforts to return to profitability.