Blank Rome senior counsel Ira L. Herman will serve as a panelist for three sessions at the Association of Insolvency & Restructuring Advisors’ (“AIRA”) 2026 Bankruptcy & Restructuring Conference (BRC26), being held June 3 through 5, 2026, in Nashville, Tennessee. Blank Rome is pleased to be a Silver Sponsor of the Conference.

Ira’s first two sessions will take place on Wednesday, June 3, as part of The Financial Advisors’ Toolbox pre-conference program:

Preserving Vendor Confidence—Trade Credit Management in Stress & Distress

For many businesses in distress, liquidity depends not just on cash and credit facilities but on whether vendors continue extending ordinary-course trade credit. This panel examines vendor management as a core liquidity discipline: why conventional cash flow forecasts fail to capture vendor-driven risk; how vendor pressure actually builds and migrates through the supply chain; frameworks for segmenting vendors and prioritizing payments across forward-flow, legacy, and strategic exception categories; communication as a liquidity tool; governance over vendor messaging and management behavior; ethical considerations in distressed vendor communications; and preserving enterprise value when the operating system depends on counterparty confidence.

Panelists:

  • Moderator: John Halloran, CIRA, J. Halloran Partners LLC
  • Robert J. Frezza, CIRA, CohnReznick Advisory LLC
  • Ira L. Herman, Blank Rome LLP
  • David E. Sklar, Porzio, Bromberg & Newman, P.C.

Liability Management & Distressed Capital Structures—From CRE to Creditor-on-Creditor Conflicts

The commercial real estate debt maturity wall, rising distress in Class B/C office and multifamily properties, and tightening credit conditions are forcing lenders and sponsors into increasingly complex restructuring transactions. At the same time, liability management exercises—uptier exchanges, dropdown transactions, and double-dip financing structures—have reshaped how creditors compete for recoveries in mid-to-large market restructurings. This panel bridges both worlds, examining how distressed capital structures are being addressed across asset classes. Topics include: the CRE distress cycle and how lenders are responding to maturing loans in a declining market; common LME structures and the “creditor-on-creditor violence” phenomenon; how these transactions affect the Chapter 11 process and intercreditor dynamics; valuation challenges when collateral values are uncertain or declining; recent landmark cases and rulings; and ethical considerations for advisors navigating competing creditor interests.

Panelists:

  • Kyle F. Arendsen, Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP
  • Ira L. Herman, Blank Rome LLP
  • Vincent J. Roldan, Mandelbaum Barrett PC
  • Michael Sutter, Rothschild & Co.

Ira’s final session will be on Thursday, June 4:

Two Sides to Every Story: The Holistic View of ABC

Companies are increasingly turning to Assignments for the Benefit of Creditors (“ABCs”) as an effective, streamlined alternative to federal bankruptcy. Especially in the lower middle-market space (and, increasingly in large, complex, and even publicly traded situations), ABCs provide a nimble, cost-effective path toward maximizing value and preserving continuity. What are the mechanics of ABCs? And how do asset buyers figure in to the wind down strategy?

Panelists:

  • Moderator: Ira L. Herman, Blank Rome LLP
  • Ron Bender, Levene, Neale, Bender, Yoo & Golubchik L.L.P.
  • Molly Froschauer, Resolution Financial Advisors LLC
  • Vincent J. Roldan, Mandelbaum Barrett PC
  • Matthew M. Thompson, Skyview Equity

For more information, please visit the event webpage.