Mass-Tort bankruptcies Bench-Bar Leadership Summit
Co-Hosted by Wilmington University, Restructuring Institute — November 19, 2026
The Center will hold a Bench-Bar Leadership Summit on Mass-Tort Bankruptcies co-hosted by the Wilimington University Restructuring Institute on November 19, 2026. Five panels of more than ten federal judges and 30 practitioners will examine pressing issues within mass-tort bankruptcies.
Two of the panels will review preliminary best practices developed after the Center’s summit at Cleveland State University College of Law on November 13, 2025. The draft suggests guidance on dealing with unreasonable and excessive contingency fees of individually retained plaintiff attorneys who entered into retainer agreements after the bankruptcy petition was filed. A second best practice offers alternatives to the uniform $1 valuation for estimating tort claims.
Additional panels will examine three high-profile topics. The first will examine the potential feasibility of prepackaed mass-tort bankruptcies, other than asbestos claims. The second looks to the pivotal role played by insurance companies, exploring ways to facilitate successful negotiations with the debtor and creditors. A third panel will address a key successor-liability question from the Whittaker & Daniels case: do these tort claims belong to the bankruptcy estate, or do they stay with the individual plaintiffs?
We invite all attorneys to register for the upcoming summit. To ensure a productive dialogue, we strive for a balanced attendance of plaintiff and defendant attorneys. This balance is particularly important to the participating judges, who look forward to hearing from both sides. We encourage all participants to come prepared to join the conversation.
The Center will apply for CLE credit from the New Jersey state bar for attending the summit.
CHATHAM HOUSE RULE
The summit will be held under the Chatham House Rule: “[P]articipants are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), or that of any other participant, may be revealed.”
Registration
The registration fee for the summit is $950, which includes conference materials, a continental breakfast, coffee breaks, lunch, and grab-and-go snacks at adjournment. Two or more lawyers registering from the same law firm receive discounts (single registrant – $950; second registrant – $750; and third and each additional registrant – $600). In-house and company discounts are available.
CLE
The Center will apply for CLE credit from New Jersey state bar for attending the summit.
Summit Details
- Agenda
- Attendees
- Materials
- Registration
- Sponsors
- CLE
Mass-Tort Bankruptcies Bench-Bar Summit Wilmington University Restructuring Institute
AGENDA
Attendees
SUMMIT MATERIALS
Regular Registration — $950.
Multiple Registrations —Two or more lawyers registering from the same law firm receive discounts (single registrant – $950; second registrant – $750; and third and each additional registrant – $700).
In-House Counsel Discount —The registration fee for in-house counsel whose company does not provide a budget for continuing education and training is $250.
Please check the “Other Registration” box under “Registration Type” and insert the discounted fee amount.
Elite Sponsor — Rubris Inc.
The Center will apply fpr CLE credit from the New Jersey state bar for attending the summit.