Fernando Merino

Partner at Steptoe & Johnson LLP

Partner at Steptoe & Johnson LLP. Board member of Brazilian listed companies. Skilled in Banking, Securities, Mergers & Acquisitions, Corporate Governance, Compliance and Litigation. Law degree from UERJ and LL.M. from Columbia University School of Law.

Andres F. Martinez

Senior Financial Sector Specialist with the World Bank Group’s Finance, Competitiveness and Innovation Global Practice

Fernanda Wolf

CLO of Grupo Abril

Fernanda Wolf is CLO of Grupo Abril (Brazilian Media Conglomerate) and since 2018 she is responsible for coordinating the legal aspect involved in the acquisition and turnaround of the group. She holds a bachelor’s degree in law from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) and a LLM degree in international Law from American University (AU). Before joining Grupo Abril, Fernanda has specialized in merger and acquisitions, structured finance transactions and corporate and debt restructuring with extensive experience in special case situations, participating in mergers and acquisitions of distressed assets and restructuring transactions involving corporate and debt restructuring, extrajudicial and judicial recoveries (recuperação extrajudicial / recuperação judicial) and distressed assets fundraising.

Isabel Picot

Partner at Galdino & Coelho, Pimenta, Takemi, Ayoub Advogados

Isabel Picot is a partner at Galdino & Coelho, Pimenta, Takemi, Ayoub Advogados. She has specialised in corporate and civil litigation, judicial reorganisation and restructuring proceedings, both in Brazil and abroad. She has also participated in several successful out-of-court restructuring operations as well as court-supervised reorganisation proceedings and has been appointed as Brazilian expert in Chapter 15 cases before US Bankruptcy Courts. Isabel holds a Master of Laws degree in International Dispute Resolution from Queen Mary University of London, as well as a Fellowship degree from the International Association of Restructuring, Insolvency & Bankruptcy Professionals – INSOL. Isabel is also a board member of the Turnaround Management Association (TMA) Brazil, member of the International Women's Insolvency & Restructuring Confederation – IWIRC and member of International Association of Restructuring, Insolvency & Bankruptcy Professionals – INSOL and has actively participated in several committees in these organizations. She is also professor, member of the academic committee and the coordinator of the Corporate Restructuring Course of the LL.M in Corporate Law of Fundação Getulio Vargas in Rio de Janeiro – FGV-RJ. Isabel also lectured in international programs at Berkeley University, Columbia University, Universidad de Sevilla e Universidad Javeriana in Bogota.

This panel focuses on recent reforms to the Brazilian Bankruptcy Act, inspired by the US Bankruptcy Code. These changes address key deficiencies in debtor-in-possession financing and international insolvency, aiming to enhance the credibility of Brazil's insolvency system. The panel will explore the implications of these amendments, including their potential to stimulate a new finance market and improve cross-border restructuring regulations. Additionally, it will analyze the impact on labor creditors' rights and mechanisms for enforcing these rights in foreign bankruptcy proceedings, providing valuable insights into the evolving landscape of Brazilian Insolvency Law.

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An event filled with networking, enriching seminars, and engaging conversations with the industry's leading experts.

Georgetown university law center

APRIL 8-9, 2024