HON. FRANK J. BAILEY Frank J. Bailey was appointed on January 30, 2009 and served as Chief Judge from December 2010 until December 2014. His chambers are in Boston and he is assigned to the eastern Division. He was born in kingston, new york, received his undergraduate degree from Georgetown University, School of Foreign Service (BSFS) in 1977 and his JD from Suffolk University School of law (Boston) in 1980. Judge Bailey taught legal writing and research at Boston University School of law from 1981 to 1993. in addition, he currently teaches the course in Business Bankruptcy at new england law Boston. He has also taught courses on litigation and bankruptcy in russia, and lectured in argentina, Bulgaria, Uzbekistan and Turkey. Judge Bailey served as judicial law clerk to the Honorable Herbert P. Wilkins of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court in 1980-81. He was an associate at the Boston office of Sullivan & Worcester llp until 1987 where he practiced in the litigation and corporate restructuring departments. He spent the next twenty-two years as a partner at the firm of Sherin and lodgen llp where he served as the Chairman of the litigation Department and as a member of the firm s management committee. at the firm his practice focused on complex business litigation and business bankruptcy. He often represented clients in the medical device, pharmaceutical and high technology businesses. United States Bankruptcy Court District of Massachusetts Speaker Bios Page 1
TIMOTHY A. BARNES TiMoTHy a. BarneS is a U.S. Bankruptcy Judge for the n.d. of illinois in Chicago. Prior to taking the bench, he was a partner in Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle, where he practiced corporate restructuring, commercial and insolvency law. Judge Barnes began his career as a law clerk to Hon. William a. Clark (ret.), and later as an associate at Skadden, arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. He is licensed attorney in the U.S. and a licensed solicitor in england and Wales. Judge Barnes is a Fellow of insol international (with honors) and is a member of the international insolvency institute. He received his master s degree and law degrees from ohio State University. Speaker Bios Page 2
HON. SHERI BLUEBOND on February 1, 2001, SHeri BlUeBonD was appointed by the ninth Circuit as a bankruptcy judge for the Central District of California, sitting in downtown los angeles. Prior to taking the bench, she was a partner in the law firm of irell & Manella llp, where she co-chaired the Creditors rights and insolvency Group, specializing in bankruptcy, debtor/creditor relations and business litigation, representing debtors in possession and trustees as well as secured and unsecured creditors. She is a graduate of UCla law School, where she served on the UCla law review, earned numerous american Jurisprudence awards and graduated order of the Coif, first in her class. Judge Bluebond is a Fellow of the american Bankruptcy College and a member of the los angeles County Bar association, the american Bar association and the american Bankruptcy institute. She currently serves on the executive Committee and the Bankruptcy Committee of the Commercial law and Bankruptcy Section of the los angeles County Bar association and the Board of Governors of the los angeles Bankruptcy Forum. She has written and lectured extensively on issues of bankruptcy and insolvency law. United States Bankruptcy Court Central District of California 255 e. Temple Street, Suite 1482 los angeles, California 90012-3334 Speaker Bios Page 3
HON. MARY GRACE DIEHL Mary GraCe DieHl is a bankruptcy judge in atlanta, appointed in 2004. She was previously head of the restructuring practice at Troutman Sanders llp. She is president-elect of ncbj and active in the abi, TMa and american College of Bankruptcy. Speaker Bios Page 4
HON. RICHARD E. FEHLING JUDGe FeHlinG was appointed as United States Bankruptcy Judge for the eastern District of Pennsylvania on Valentine s Day, February 14, 2006. Prior to his appointment, Judge Fehling had been an associate, shareholder, director, and general counsel at Stevens & lee, based in its reading, Pennsylvania, office, for nearly 25 years. He had been Co-Chair of the Stevens & lee Bankruptcy Group for 17 of those years. He received his B.a. from yale and his J.D., magna cum laude, from The Dickinson School of law, from which he graduated first in his class. He has served as the Chair of the Pennsylvania Bar association Bankruptcy Committee (1992-95), the Berks County Bar association Bankruptcy Committee (1993), and the eastern District of Pennsylvania Bankruptcy Conference (1996-97). Judge Fehling has been a frequent lecturer in bankruptcy, financial distress, litigation, and ethics programs. He is a member of the ethics Committee of the Pennsylvania Bar association and the William Strong inns of Court in Berks County, Pa. Speaker Bios Page 5
HON. LAUREL MYERSON ISICOFF laurel MyerSon isicoff took the oath of office on February 13, 2006. Judge isicoff is the secretary of the national Conference of Bankruptcy Judges, a director of the american Bankruptcy institute, and a member of the Pro Bono Committee of the american College of Bankruptcy. Judge isicoff is immediate past chair of the Public outreach Committee of the national Conference of Bankruptcy Judges, and continues to be active in outreach efforts to state court judges, district court judges, and in pro se and pro bono matters. Judge isicoff also currently serves as judicial chair of the Pro Bono Committee of the Business law Section of the Florida Bar. Prior to becoming a judge, Judge isicoff specialized in commercial bankruptcy, foreclosure and workout matters both as a transactional attorney and litigator for 14 years with the law firm of kozyak Tropin & Throckmorton, after practicing for 8 years with Squire, Sanders & Dempsey, now known as Squire Patton Boggs. Judge isicoff also developed a specialty in bankruptcy and SeC receiverships involving Ponzi schemes. after graduating from University of Miami School of law in 1982, Judge isicoff clerked for the Honorable Daniel S. Pearson at the Florida Third District Court of appeal before entering private practice. Judge isicoff is a past President of the Bankruptcy Bar association (BBa) of the Southern District of Florida, and, until she took the bench, served as the Chair of the Pro Bono Task Force for the BBa. Judge isicoff speaks extensively on bankruptcy and pro bono service around the country, and to high school and college students in the South Florida area about financial literacy. Speaker Bios Page 6
CATHERINE PEEK MCEWEN CaTHerine Peek MCeWen is a United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Middle District of Florida. She was appointed to the bench in august 2005 and sits in Tampa, Florida. She is also an adjunct professor at the Western Michigan University Cooley law School. after graduating from Stetson University College of law in 1982, she entered private practice, representing parties in bankruptcy cases. Prior to attending law school, she was a sportswriter from 1975-1979 for the Tampa Tribune and the Tampa Times. Speaker Bios Page 7
HON. ROBERT E. NUGENT JUDGe robert e. nugent was appointed to the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of kansas on June 14, 2000, and was appointed Chief Bankruptcy Judge in 2002. He is a member of the United States Bankruptcy appellate Panel for the Tenth Circuit and has served on that court since 2002. Judge nugent is President of the national Conference of Bankruptcy Judges and has previously served that organization as Secretary (2010-2012) and as a member of the ncbj s Board of Governors (2006-2009). He is a Fellow of the american College of Bankruptcy (Class 23). Speaker Bios Page 8
HON. MICHAEL E. ROMERO Hon. MiCHael e. romero was appointed to the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Colorado in 2003, and was appointed as Chief Judge of that Court in 2014. He also has served on the Tenth Circuit Bankruptcy appellate Panel since 2010. Judge romero received an undergraduate degree in economics and political science from Denver University in 1977 and his juris doctor degree from the University of Michigan in 1980. Since becoming a judge, he has served on numerous committees and advisory groups for the administrative office of the United States Courts, is the past chair of the Bankruptcy Judges advisory Group, and recently concluded his term as the sole Bankruptcy Court representative/observer to the Judicial Conference of the United States. He recently served on the Board of Governors of the national Conference of Bankruptcy Judges and actively participates in several committees of that body. Judge romero also serves on the executive Board of Our Courts, a joint activity between the Colorado Judicial institute and the Colorado Bar association which provides programs to further public understanding of the federal and state court systems. He is a member of the Colorado Bar association, the american Bankruptcy institute, the Historical Society of the Tenth Circuit and the Colorado Hispanic Bar association. in what little spare time he has, Judge romero can be been seen participating in musical theater productions throughout Colorado. While he admits he can sing a bit, his dancing skills leave much to be desired. Speaker Bios Page 9