NAFER 2026 Annual Conference: Full Schedule

12:00pm MDT

Young Professionals Luncheon

Monday October 19, 2026 12:00pm - 1:30pm MDT

TBA

Monday October 19, 2026 12:00pm - 1:30pm MDT
TBA

Networking

1:00pm MDT

Registration Desk Open

Monday October 19, 2026 1:00pm - 6:00pm MDT

TBA

Monday October 19, 2026 1:00pm - 6:00pm MDT
TBA

General

2:00pm MDT

Mentorship in Motion: Building the Next Generation of Receivership Professionals While Honoring Fiduciary Duties

Monday October 19, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm MDT

TBA

Receivership practice demands a unique blend of legal acumen, financial sophistication, and operational agility—skills that can only be developed through hands-on experience and intentional mentorship. Yet receivers and their teams face a fundamental tension: the obligation to minimize administrative costs for the benefit of creditors while simultaneously investing in the professional...
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Speakers

Chantal Eikey

Consulting Senior Manager, Rehmann

Chantal is a consulting senior manager in the firm’s turnaround and restructuring practice, working with team members to develop creative solutions for troubled businesses, both domestic and international.

Service Areas
⦁ Receivership
⦁ Chief Restructuring Officer
⦁ Bankruptc... Read More →

London England

Trial Lawyer, Reed Smith

London England is a trial lawyer specializing in restructuring and white-collar defense. At Gray Reed in Dallas, Texas, London represents clients in high-stakes litigation across federal, bankruptcy, and state courts. Her practice encompasses bankruptcy adversary proceedings, securities... Read More →

Barnaby Davies

Senior Manager, R&H Restructuring

Barnaby is a Senior Manager of R&H Restructuring (Cayman) Ltd. and has over eight years of experience in insolvency and restructuring including four years in offshore insolvency. His skill set encompasses various complex procedures, asset tracing, and recovery efforts, spanning both... Read More →

Elizabeth Mclntosh

Associate, Venable LLP

Dennis Roosien

COO, Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr

Robin Weiss

Attorney, Clark Hill

Robin’s practice primarily involves commercial and toxic tort litigation, professional liability matters, and representation of court-appointed receivers and monitors in fiduciary litigation and federal enforcement actions. She has significant experience in all stages of litigation... Read More →

Monday October 19, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm MDT
TBA

Session

3:00pm MDT

Break with Our Sponsors

Monday October 19, 2026 3:00pm - 3:30pm MDT

TBA

Monday October 19, 2026 3:00pm - 3:30pm MDT
TBA

Break

3:30pm MDT

Receivers without Federal Regulators: Issues with non-regulatory and state court receiverships

Monday October 19, 2026 3:30pm - 4:30pm MDT

TBA

Speakers

Oren Bitan

Partner, Buchalter

Oren Bitan has an extensive legal background that includes business, real estate, banking, receivership, consumer product, and commercial litigation. Mr. Bitan is known for his ability to solve complex business disputes for his clients in a strong but practical manner. He is a trusted... Read More →

David Castleman

Partner, Otterbourg, P.C.

David Castleman is a partner at Otterbourg P.C. in New York, focusing on federal equity receiverships, bankruptcy, and complex litigation. Since 2022, Dave has served as Receiver over a $250 million alleged Ponzi scheme in the Southern District of New York, where he recently oversaw... Read More →

Rick Rein

Counsel, Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton

Rick Rein is counsel in Kilpatrick's complex litigation group in Chicago, concentrating on fraud, asset recovery, loan enforcement, and creditor’s rights. Since joining the firm in 2024, Rick has represented financial institutions, bankruptcy trustees, receivers, private lenders... Read More →

Daniel J. Stermer

Partner, Yip Associates

Daniel J. Stermer is a Partner at Yip Associates with more than 35 years of private and public sector experience. Mr. Stermer has extensive experience serving as a fiduciary in a variety of settings, including as Chapter 11 Trustee, Receiver, Assignee for the Benefit of Creditor... Read More →

Monday October 19, 2026 3:30pm - 4:30pm MDT
TBA

Session

4:30pm MDT

Committee Fair

Monday October 19, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm MDT

TBA

Monday October 19, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm MDT
TBA

Networking

5:30pm MDT

Welcome Reception

Monday October 19, 2026 5:30pm - 7:00pm MDT

TBA

Monday October 19, 2026 5:30pm - 7:00pm MDT
TBA

Networking

7:00pm MDT

Sponsor Dinners

Monday October 19, 2026 7:00pm - 8:00pm MDT

TBA

Monday October 19, 2026 7:00pm - 8:00pm MDT
TBA

Networking

7:00am MDT

Breakfast

Tuesday October 20, 2026 7:00am - 7:45am MDT

TBA

Tuesday October 20, 2026 7:00am - 7:45am MDT
TBA

Networking

7:00am MDT

Registration Desk Open

Tuesday October 20, 2026 7:00am - 2:00pm MDT

TBA

Tuesday October 20, 2026 7:00am - 2:00pm MDT
TBA

General

8:00am MDT

Opening Comments

Tuesday October 20, 2026 8:00am - 8:30am MDT

TBA

Tuesday October 20, 2026 8:00am - 8:30am MDT
TBA

General

8:45am MDT

Receivership Without Frontiers: Protocols, Recognition and Reality

Tuesday October 20, 2026 8:45am - 9:45am MDT

TBA

The panel will bring together experts on cross-border restructuring and insolvency to present the various challenges of negotiating international protocols and recognition of receivers in foreign jurisdictions

Speakers

Julian Cahn

Partner, Stephenson Harwood LLP

Julian Cahn is a partner at Stephenson Harwood LLP, in London, United Kingdom.
He is a contentious insolvency lawyer with vast experience in domestic and international corporate and personal insolvency, and dispute resolution.
Julian's insolvency practice covers both corporate and personal domestic and cross-border insolvency. He acts for insolvency practitioners / officeholders, creditors, debtors and all other stakeholders in the insolvency process, with a focus on court driven and contentious insolvency... Read More →

Jennifer Colegate

Partner, Baker & Partners

Jennifer Colegate is a Partner based in Baker & Partners’ Cayman Islands office. In 2025, she was also admitted to the bar of the British Virgin Islands. She is a commercial litigator specialising in cross-border litigation with expertise in insolvency and restructuring, investigations... Read More →

Henrique Rodrigues Forssell

Partner, Duarte Forssell ADV.

Henrique is a founding partner of Duarte Forssell Advogados ("DFA"), a São Paulo boutique law firm specializing in cross-border litigation, international asset recovery, and transnational insolvency with extensive experience in advising trustees, foreign liquidators and financial... Read More →

Martin Trott

Partner, R&H Restructuring

Martin specialises in corporate restructuring and insolvency, as an insolvency practitioner in the Cayman Islands and qualified accountant with over 30 years’ experience. He is a director of the firm’s liquidation and restructuring companies, R&H Restructuring (Cayman) Ltd. and... Read More →

Tuesday October 20, 2026 8:45am - 9:45am MDT
TBA

Session

9:45am MDT

Break with Our Sponsors

Tuesday October 20, 2026 9:45am - 10:15am MDT

TBA

Tuesday October 20, 2026 9:45am - 10:15am MDT
TBA

Break

10:15am MDT

Moguls and Minefields: Navigating Unforeseen Risks in Federal Receiverships

Tuesday October 20, 2026 10:15am - 11:15am MDT

TBA

Receiverships rarely fail because of the risks we expect—they fail because of the ones we don’t see coming. This panel would confront the emerging and often hidden risks that can undermine even the most experienced receiver’s work: digital vulnerabilities and cyber incidents (including the complexities of cyber insurance), undisclosed operational liabilities, sudden financial deterioration,...
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Speakers

Hon. Rebecca R. Pallmeyer

District Court Judge, U.S District Court, Nothern District of Illinois

Rebecca R. Pallmeyer graduated from Valparaiso University and earned her law degree from the University of Chicago Law School. Following a one-year clerkship with Justice Rosalie Wahl of the Minnesota Supreme Court, Judge Pallmeyer practiced commercial litigation with a Chicago law... Read More →

Melanie Damian

Partner, Damian | Valori | Culmo

Ms. Damian represents public and private companies and individuals in
a variety of complex business and securities litigation. She regularly
serves as court-appointed Federal Equity Receiver, Special Monitor,
and Distribution Agent, and also serves as Receiver and Monitor in stat... Read More →

Joseph V. DeMarco

Partner, DeMarco Law, PLLC

Joseph V. DeMarco is a founding partner of DeMarco Law, PLLC, where he specializes in litigation and counseling in complex matters involving data privacy and security, crypto-currency crimes and frauds, identity theft, hacking, and other forms of computer intrusions, surreptitious... Read More →

Hal Levenberg

Partner, Yip Associates

Hal A. Levenberg, CIRA, CFE is a Partner at Yip Associates and has over seventeen (17) years of experience in forensic accounting within the context of bankruptcy, fraud investigations, and receiverships. Mr. Levenberg has provided forensic investigation services to debtors, creditors... Read More →

Michael Rachlis

Partner, Rachlis Duff & Peel, LLC

Michael Rachlis is a founding partner in the firm of Rachlis Duff & Peel, LLC. He has experience in complex commercial litigation in both state and federal courts, and alternate dispute resolution forums around the country. Mr. Rachlis experience is wide ranging, including the litigation... Read More →

Tuesday October 20, 2026 10:15am - 11:15am MDT
TBA

Session

11:30am MDT

Lunch

Tuesday October 20, 2026 11:30am - 12:45pm MDT

TBA

Sponsors

Verita

Tuesday October 20, 2026 11:30am - 12:45pm MDT
TBA

Networking

1:00pm MDT

NAFER Activity Day #1 sponsored by Verita

Tuesday October 20, 2026 1:00pm - 2:30pm MDT

TBA

Sponsors

Verita

Tuesday October 20, 2026 1:00pm - 2:30pm MDT
TBA

Networking

2:45pm MDT

Break with snacks sponsored by Verita

Tuesday October 20, 2026 2:45pm - 3:15pm MDT

TBA

Sponsors

Verita

Tuesday October 20, 2026 2:45pm - 3:15pm MDT
TBA

Networking

3:30pm MDT

NAFER Activity Day #2 sponsored by Verita

Tuesday October 20, 2026 3:30pm - 5:00pm MDT

TBA

Sponsors

Verita

Tuesday October 20, 2026 3:30pm - 5:00pm MDT
TBA

Networking

7:00pm MDT

NAFER Dinner sponsored by Stretto

Tuesday October 20, 2026 7:00pm - 8:00pm MDT

TBA

Sponsors

Stretto

Tuesday October 20, 2026 7:00pm - 8:00pm MDT
TBA

Networking

7:30am MDT

Breakfast

Wednesday October 21, 2026 7:30am - 8:00am MDT

TBA

Wednesday October 21, 2026 7:30am - 8:00am MDT
TBA

Networking

7:30am MDT

Registration Desk Open

Wednesday October 21, 2026 7:30am - 6:00pm MDT

TBA

Wednesday October 21, 2026 7:30am - 6:00pm MDT
TBA

General

8:15am MDT

Ski Lift to Success: Carving Out a Receiver Practice

Wednesday October 21, 2026 8:15am - 9:15am MDT

TBA

Building a successful receivership practice doesn’t happen by accident. It takes more than knowing how to administer an estate or plowing through numbers. This panel will explore the practical business side of being a receiver: how professionals enter the field, develop credibility, build relationships, and turn individual appointments into a sustainable practice. Panelists will discuss the...
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Speakers

Ryan C. Baker

Receiver, Verax Business Group

Mr. Baker has extensive receivership experience involving governmental agency and regulatoryrelated
receiverships in both State and Federal courts. For nearly 20 years, Mr. Baker has been
appointed on or served as lead agent on numerous receiverships originating from agencies
inc... Read More →

Steve Donell

Receiver, FedReceiver, Inc.

Steve Donell is President of Jalmar Properties. Inc. and FedReceiver, Inc., Mr. Donell has administered and/or been appointed by courts in over 950 cases. Mr. Donell has decades of experience in receivership matters involving residential and commercial real estate, asset and business... Read More →

Greg Hays

Managing Director, Hays Financial Consulting, LLC

Mr. Hays is a court appointed fiduciary and forensic accountant that specializes in recovering funds from insolvent companies and investment offerings. He is routinely appointed by federal and state courts as a receiver or bankruptcy trustee to manage businesses to maximize recovery... Read More →

Alysson Mills

Alysson Mills LLC

Alysson Mills has diverse practice primarily in the federal and state courts of Louisiana and Mississippi representing plaintiffs and defendants. She has substantial appellate experience and experience in professional fraud cases and cases implicating the First Amendment, including... Read More →

Wednesday October 21, 2026 8:15am - 9:15am MDT
TBA

Session

9:15am MDT

Break with Our Sponsors

Wednesday October 21, 2026 9:15am - 9:45am MDT

TBA

Wednesday October 21, 2026 9:15am - 9:45am MDT
TBA

Break

9:45am MDT

Proving the Ponzi Scheme: How Forensic Accountants and Experts Build the Case

Wednesday October 21, 2026 9:45am - 10:45am MDT

TBA

Identifying a Ponzi scheme is one thing—proving it in court is another. This presentation explores the investigative and evidentiary challenges that forensic accountants and expert witnesses face in the difficult but vital role in tracing money flows, analyzing investor data, and constructing evidence that meets legal scrutiny. It highlights practical strategies, pitfalls, and lessons learned...
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Speakers

Kathy Bazoian Phelps

Partner, Raines Feldman Littrell LLP

Kathy Bazoian Phelps has been a lawyer since 1991 and is currently a partner at Raines Feldman Littrell LLP in the Los Angeles office. In addition to serving as a fiduciary, Kathy focuses her law practice in the areas of insolvency law, fiduciary representation, and fraud litigation... Read More →

Hon. Melissa Damian

District Court Judge, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida

In November 2023, President Biden nominated Judge Damian to serve on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. She was confirmed by the United States Senate on March 4, 2024, and was sworn in the following day. She filled the vacancy left following the... Read More →

Alise Johnson

Senior Trial Counsel, Bressler, Amery & Ross, PC

Alise Johnson is a principal in the firm’s Financial Institutions Practice
Group. She represents financial services firms, financial advisors and
corporations in litigation, arbitration, investigations, and regulatory matters
before FINRA, the SEC, federal courts and other stat... Read More →

Bernice Lee

Partner, Kozyak Tropin & Throckmorton

Bernice Lee is a Partner at Kozyak Tropin & Throckmorton and focuses her practice on receiverships, restructuring, and insolvency and fraud-related litigation. She has broad experience representing creditors, business debtors, fiduciaries, and parties involved in insolvency-related... Read More →

Becky Omalley

Managing Director, Pivot > Group

Becky Yang O’Malley is a Managing Director at Pivot > where she advises clients and attorneys on complex financial disputes, fraud investigations, and forensic accounting matters. She brings more than 25 years of experience in providing litigation support, economic damages analysis... Read More →

Wednesday October 21, 2026 9:45am - 10:45am MDT
TBA

Session

10:45am MDT

Break with Our Sponsors

Wednesday October 21, 2026 10:45am - 11:15am MDT

TBA

Wednesday October 21, 2026 10:45am - 11:15am MDT
TBA

Break

11:15am MDT

Fireside Chat with SEC Director Paul Tzur

Wednesday October 21, 2026 11:15am - 12:15pm MDT

TBA

Speakers

Paul H. Tzur

Deputy Director, Central/South, U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission, Division of Enforcement

Wednesday October 21, 2026 11:15am - 12:15pm MDT
TBA

Session

12:15pm MDT

Members Meeting & Awards Luncheon

Wednesday October 21, 2026 12:15pm - 2:00pm MDT

TBA

Wednesday October 21, 2026 12:15pm - 2:00pm MDT
TBA

Networking

2:00pm MDT

Break with Our Sponsors

Wednesday October 21, 2026 2:00pm - 2:30pm MDT

TBA

Wednesday October 21, 2026 2:00pm - 2:30pm MDT
TBA

Break

2:30pm MDT

AI in Receiverships: Navigating Innovation and Oversight in Regulatory Enforcement Actions

Wednesday October 21, 2026 2:30pm - 3:30pm MDT

TBA

Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing how receivers administer complex estates arising out of regulatory enforcement actions. [1] AI-powered asset tracing, blockchain analytics, and generative AI tools that can review millions of documents in days rather than months are reshaping how practitioners identify, preserve, and recover assets. [2] Yet regulators are intensifying scrutiny of...
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Speakers

Hon. Jennifer Walker Elrod

Chief Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit

Jennifer Walker Elrod is the Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. She was nominated and confirmed to the Fifth Circuit in 2007. Prior to serving on the Fifth Circuit, Chief Judge Elrod was appointed and then twice elected Judge of the 190th Civil... Read More →

Jill Bindler

Partner, Gray Reed

Jill Bindler is the firm’s go-to advisor on all aspects of eDiscovery in litigation and investigations involving complex, high-volume data obligations. Leader of the firm’s eDiscovery Practice Group, she guides Gray Reed’s legal teams and clients’ legal and IT departments... Read More →

Michael Napoli

Partner, Akerman LLP

As a court-appointed receiver and counsel to receivers and trustees, Michael Napoli works to maximize the value of insolvent entities in order to make a fair and equitable distribution to creditors. His experience covers a variety of industries with an emphasis on life settlements... Read More →

Jonathan Ware

Attorney, Federal Trade Commisson

Wednesday October 21, 2026 2:30pm - 3:30pm MDT
TBA

Session

3:30pm MDT

Break with Our Sponsors

Wednesday October 21, 2026 3:30pm - 4:00pm MDT

TBA

Wednesday October 21, 2026 3:30pm - 4:00pm MDT
TBA

Break

4:00pm MDT

Working with the Defendants

Wednesday October 21, 2026 4:00pm - 5:00pm MDT

TBA

The purpose of the panel is to discuss best practices, complexities and insights regarding receiverships that occur simultaneously with federal criminal investigations involving grand juries. The panel will address issues including: 1. Secrecy obligations in grand jury proceedings; 2. Maintenance of attorney client privilege; 3. Voluntary and non-voluntary production of documents; 4. Use of...
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Wednesday October 21, 2026 4:00pm - 5:00pm MDT
TBA

Session

6:00pm MDT

Sponsor Dinners

Wednesday October 21, 2026 6:00pm - 7:00pm MDT

TBA

Wednesday October 21, 2026 6:00pm - 7:00pm MDT
TBA

Networking

8:00am MDT

Breakfast & Judges' Panel

Thursday October 22, 2026 8:00am - 9:00am MDT

TBA

Speakers

Hon. Jennifer Walker Elrod

Chief Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit

Hon. Rebecca R. Pallmeyer

District Court Judge, U.S District Court, Nothern District of Illinois

Hon. Mary Scriven

District Court Judge, U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida

Hon. Robert Shelby

District Court Judge, U.S. District Court, District of Utah

Thursday October 22, 2026 8:00am - 9:00am MDT
TBA

Session

8:00am MDT

Registration Desk Open

Thursday October 22, 2026 8:00am - 10:30am MDT

TBA

Thursday October 22, 2026 8:00am - 10:30am MDT
TBA

General

9:00am MDT

Break with Our Sponsors

Thursday October 22, 2026 9:00am - 9:15am MDT

TBA

Thursday October 22, 2026 9:00am - 9:15am MDT
TBA

Break

9:15am MDT

Stablecoins & Crypto: What to Expect and What to Know

Thursday October 22, 2026 9:15am - 10:15am MDT

TBA

Crypto is officially mainstream. With a host of new federal agency guidance and the GENIUS Act set to take effect in 2026, digital assets, and particularly stablecoins, are now part of the mainstream financial system. Receivers and their teams need to be ready for when they encounter these new assets. This panel will provide a foundational understanding of digital assets tailored specifically for...
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Speakers

Robert A. Musiala Jr., Esq.

Partner & Leader of Web3 and Digital Assets Team, Baker Law

Robert Musiala has been working in the blockchain and digital assets market since 2012 and has led multiple digital asset investigations, including as the court appointed receiver over cryptocurrency investment funds used in a major fraud. Robert also advises on a variety of regulatory... Read More →

Ellen Ostrow

Partner, Foley & Lander LLP

Ellen Ostrow is a partner and litigation attorney at Foley & Lardner LLP. She focuses her practice on
restructuring and bankruptcy, serving as a strategic advisor to clients to help them practically resolve their
insolvency and creditors’ rights disputes.
Ellen has extensive ex... Read More →

Jared J. Perez

Shareholder, Jared J. Perez P.A.

Jared Perez is an attorney, arbitrator, and court-appointed fiduciary who concentrates his practice on business and commercial litigation with a focus on financial services and securities matters, including securities fraud litigation, SEC and FINRA investigations, shareholder derivative... Read More →

W. Marc Schwartz

CEO, Schwartz Associates

Marc’s practice over the past fifty years has included providing business valuation, financial restructuring and expert witness services on a number of civil and criminal cases as well as serving, for the past thirty-five years, as a Chapter 11 bankruptcy trustee, a Chief Restructuring... Read More →

Andrew Sotak

Managing Director, Ankura Consulting

Andrew Sotak is a Senior Managing Director at Ankura with more than 13 years of experience in forensic accounting, litigation consulting, and tax and audit advisory. He is a CPA who leads complex financial investigations, provides securities litigation support, manages forensic accounting... Read More →

Thursday October 22, 2026 9:15am - 10:15am MDT
TBA

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8:45am MDT

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10:15am MDT

11:30am MDT

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3:30pm MDT

7:00pm MDT

7:30am MDT

7:30am MDT

8:15am MDT

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6:00pm MDT

8:00am MDT

8:00am MDT

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9:15am MDT

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