ELFA - Equipment Leasing and Finance Association - Equipping Business for Success

Legal Forum

April 28 - April 30, 2019
Omni San Diego Hotel, San Diego, CA

Legal Forum

April 28 - April 30, 2019
Omni San Diego Hotel, San Diego, CA

Legal Forum

April 28 - April 30, 2019

Omni San Diego Hotel, San Diego, CA



Providing Legal Direction and Valuable Counsel for over 50 Years

The PREMIER EVENT for attorneys serving the equipment leasing and finance industry. The best place to OBTAIN UPDATES ON LEGAL ISSUES that impact your company   UNMATCHED NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES with your peers in the industry.

Highlights from the 2019 Legal Forum

 

Roundtable discussions on the following key issues: air, rail, marine; motor vehicle; fiscal agency; inside and outside counsel; enforcement war stories; syndication; hot topics; fraud; UCC basics; UCC advanced; novel contract structures and managed services; leasing for litigators; tax Issues; and cybersecurity.

Concurrent sessions on such topics as: intro to leasing; diversity; warehouse lending; intro to state usury licensing; emerging asset classes; legal update transactional; legal update litigation; legal update bankruptcy; blockchain; privacy; and cross-border finances.

General Sessions on the always popular Legal Update and Ethics.  

Conference Qualifies CLE Credits


Registration Fees

Price Description Amount
*First Time Attendee (ELFA Member First Timer) $1050.00
*Spouse/Companion of Member $275.00
*Spouse/Companion of Non Member $275.00
Attendee (ELFA Member) $1225.00
Attendee Additional (ELFA Member) $1105.00
Committee Member $610.00
Non Member Attendee (All) $2450.00
Speaker - Member (Attending Entire Conference) $610.00
Speaker - Non Member (Attending Entire Conference) $610.00

View cancellation and other policies

Available Functions

Sunday - April 28
  Special Dietary Requests
7:00 am - 1:00 pm
  2018 Legal Forum Golf Event
 $150.00
9:00 am - 12:30 pm
  U.S.S Midway Tour
 $55.00
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
  Air, Rail, Marine Roundtable
  Enforcement War Stories
2:15 pm - 3:15 pm
  Internal/External Roundtable
  Motor Vehicle Roundtable - Rules of the Road
  Syndications Roundtable
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
  Fraud Roundtable
  UCC Advanced Roundtable
4:30 pm - 5:30 pm
  Newcomer Reception
Monday - April 29
1:30 pm - 2:30 pm
  Novel Contract Structures and Managed/Bundled Services Roundtable
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
  Tax Issues Roundtable
  Internal/External Roundtable(Repeat)
  Leasing for Litigators Roundtable
  Syndications Roundtable(Repeat)
  Tax Issues Roundtable
 $0.00
5:00 pm - 5:45 pm
  Women In Leasing Reception
Tuesday - April 30
8:00 am - 9:00 am
  eLeasing & Cybersecurity Roundtable
  Hot Topics Roundtable
Monday - December 30
8:00 am - 9:00 am
  UCC Advanced Roundtable (Repeat)

Speakers

Martin Abadi

Counsel
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP


Martin Abadi is Counsel in the Toronto office of Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, where he advises clients on transport, insurance, product liability, emerging technologies, and commercial disputes. Martin is also the National Leader of the Latin America focus group and routinely assists companies with international contractual disputes and commercial aspects of trade, particularly in the technology sector. Martin’s multimodal transport law practice includes litigation, regulatory compliance, risk management, and corporate commercial advice specific to transportation services contracts, transportation mergers, acquisitions, and joint ventures. Martin’s practice specifically comprises compliance and risk management (including product liability and vehicle recall) facets of motor vehicle safety and emerging technologies in transportation such as automation, driverless vehicles and autonomous vessels, interconnectivity, Big Data, platooning, and the application of Blockchain to transport and supply chain logistics.

R. Scott Adams

Vice President Legal & Compliance, North America
Volvo Financial Services


Scott Adams serves as VP, Legal & Compliance North America for Volvo Financial Services in Greensboro, North Carolina. He has experience structuring, negotiating and documenting a variety of commercial transactions, as well as managing bankruptcy and insolvency matters. A native of Charleston, W.Va., he attended Colgate University and WVU College of Law.

Andrew Alper

VP and Shareholder
Frandzel Robins Bloom & Csato, L.C.


Andrew K. Alper is a Vice President and shareholder with the law firm of Frandzel Robins Bloom & Csato, L.C. in Los Angeles, California. Andrew has the A.V. Rating with Martindale Hubbell and has been representing equipment lessors, funding sources and other financial institutions since 1978. Andrew obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, Magna Cum Laude, from the University of California at Santa Barbara and received his Juris Doctor from Loyola Law School of Los Angeles in 1979. Andrew was on the Board of Directors for the United Association Equipment Lessors (now known as National Equipment and Finance Association ("NEFA") and has been a speaker for the United Association of Equipment Lessors and NEFA, the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association of America ("ELFA") at its Credit and Collections Conference and Legal Forum, the Eastern Association of Equipment Lessors (now part of NEFA), and the National Association of Equipment Leasing Brokers. Andrew has been on the ELFA Legal Committee twice and the Credit and Collections Committee and continues to serve on the subcommittees for Amicus Briefs, Legislation, and Renewal Legislation. Andrew was awarded the prestigious Edward R, Groobert Award for Legal Excellence by the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association in 2019. Andrew was named one of the 25 most influential persons in equipment leasing and finance by the Leasing News in 2015. Andrew wrote the Chapter on Equipment Leasing for the California Continuing Education of the Bar in its periodical entitled Financing and Organizing California Businesses released in April, 2007, and updated the California Continuing Education of the Bar manual of California UCC Sales and Leases published in December, 2014. Andrew has written many articles for The Monitor and also has written for the Journal of Equipment Lease Financing on the California Financial Law. Andrew has spoken on various topics at the ELFA Legal Forum, ELFA Credit and Collections Conference, National Equipment Finance Association, Small Business Lending Conference, and National Association of Equipment Leasing Brokers on various transactional, litigation, operational, and bankruptcy topics. Andrew has also taught the legal and collections sections in the ELFA Principles of Leasing classes. Andrew has also presented a seminar on Equipment Leasing for the Los Angeles County Bar Association. Andrew's practice emphasizes the representation of all aspects of equipment leasing, equipment finance, real property finance, bankruptcy, business and commercial litigation in State and Federal Courts, factoring, and transactional and operational matters for various types of financial institutions and commercial creditors.

Glenn Archer

Founder - Jonah Group
Ferrum Enterprises Inc.


Peter Beardsley Esq

Senior Counsel
Loeb & Loeb LLP


Peter Beardsley represents lenders, finance companies, lessors and borrowers in all types of finance transactions including asset-based and real estate supported facilities, leveraged financing transactions, lender finance, aircraft financings, ship financings, secured and unsecured lending transactions, leasing, revolving and term loan facilities, loan restructurings, and workouts and bankruptcy proceedings, including DIP loans. Peter's clients have included banks, finance companies, private equity firms and their portfolio companies, and hedge funds. Peter has also represented buyers and sellers of loan portfolios of residential and commercial mortgages and automobile loans, distressed assets and distressed debt, and has wide-ranging experience representing debtors and creditors in commercial loan workout negotiations, pre-bankruptcy restructurings and foreclosure proceedings, including asset sales under Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code, and Chapter 7 and 11 bankruptcies.

Michael Beattie

Shareholder
Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz PC


Michael Beattie is a shareholder at Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC. Mike represents banks, financial institutions, equipment finance companies and other lenders and lessors in a wide range of commercial financing transactions that include tax-motivated leases, leases intended as security, revolving credit facilities, term loans, real estate financings, construction and permanent loan financings and restructurings. He has a particular focus on transportation assets, including corporate aircraft and commercial vessels of all types. He is a frequent lecturer on various lending and leasing topics. Mike obtained his Master of Business Administration degree from Frostburg State University (2000) and his J.D. (2004) from the University of Maryland School of Law.

Merrick Benn

Partner
Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP


Merrick's practice focuses on personal property commercial financing with an emphasis on negotiating and documenting middle market and big ticket transactions involving all equipment types and classes including manufacturing lines, aircraft (corporate and commercial), vessels (barges and tankers), railroad rolling stock, software, and technologies.
 
Merrick has extensive experience in tax motivated "true leases," leases intended for security, off-balance sheet loans (synthetic leases), term and demand loans, commercial paper conduit transactions, and securitizations. In addition to originating deals, Merrick's practice includes the syndication of, and participation in existing transactions. He works regularly with special forms of credit enhancements such as letters of credit, guaranties, and insurance policies. Merrick also counsels clients on the acquisition and disposition of loan and lease portfolios.
 
Merrick is a frequent lecturer on the negotiation and documentation of equipment lease transactions.
 
Prior to joining Womble Carlyle, Merrick was a member of the Corporate/Finance practice group at DLA Piper LLP (US), where he worked on both domestic and

Steven Brady

Assistant General Counsel
GreatAmerica Financial Services


Rachel Brescoll

Associate
Kutak Rock LLP


Rachel Brescoll is an Associate in Kutak Rock LLP’s Chicago office, practicing in the firm’s Finance Group. Rachel’s practice focuses on equipment leasing and finance transactions. Before joining Kutak Rock, Rachel worked as an in-house attorney at Citizens Asset Finance for six years. At Citizens Rachel handled a variety of asset finance transactions and syndications. Rachel holds a J.D. from DePaul University College of Law and a B.A. from Hanover College.

Mirna Cardona

Corporate Counsel - Transactions
Frost Equipment Leasing and Finance


Mirna Cardona is Vice President and Corporate Counsel for Frost Bank, headquartered in San Antonio, TX. She provides legal advice to Frost Bank’s equipment leasing, commercial lending, and depository teams. In prior roles, Mirna was actively involved in diversity, equity, and inclusion committees, and was a member of the hiring committee for Clifford Chance US LLP. She also continues to participate in pro bono work and to coordinate pro bono clinics for her colleagues.

Law Clerk for Chambers of Hon. Juan R. Torruella, First Circuit Court of Appeals (2010-2011); Cornell Law School, J.D. 2009; admitted to practice in New York and Texas.

William Carey

SVP and Associate General Counsel
EverBank


Bill Carey is the Executive Vice President and General Counsel of TIAA Bank Commercial Finance, headquartered in Parsippany, New Jersey and a Senior Vice President of its parent, TIAA Bank, in Jacksonville, Florida. His primary clients within the Bank are its Lender and Vendor Finance groups, on which credit committees he is a voting member. He also is a voting member of the Bank's criticized assets committee.
 
TIAA Bank is owned by the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association that was formed 100 years ago by Andrew Carnegie and now has more than $1.1 trillion in assets under management as a provider of pensions for millions of professionals in higher education and health sciences.
 
Mr. Carey is a former chairman of the ELFA's Legal Committee and has been an occasional speaker at its annual Forum over the past 25 years. His involvement in commercial equipment finance stretches back to AT&T Capital Corporation in 1993.
 
Mr. Carey is a graduate of Albright College and Georgetown Law School.

Kent Carter

Partner
Gordon & Rees, LLP


Kent is a partner in the Chicago office of Gordon & Rees and co-chair of the firm’s Banking & Finance group. Mr. Carter's practice focuses primarily on commercial litigation, with a concentration on the Uniform Commercial Code, including secured transactions, equipment leases, commercial sales and negotiable instruments. He represents clients in complex contract disputes and business torts in state, federal, bankruptcy and appellate courts. Kent’s practice also includes representation of secured lenders and other parties in all aspects of business workouts and insolvency law, including asset sales, restructuring, refinancing, bankruptcy, out-of-court workouts and successor liability. He frequently advises financial institutions and lenders in connection with all facets of their businesses and operations, including dealership and franchise terminations, consumer credit compliance, loan documentation and administration, credit restructurings, work outs, creditors’ rights, lender liability avoidance and defense, vendor programs, broker-dealer agreements, and sale and purchase of lease portfolios.  Kent has been a member of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association for twenty years and he has also served as a faculty member on the Uniform Commercial Code for the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education.

Richard Chapman

Of Counsel


Rich Chapman is the Member of Mindy Chapman & Associates LLC (MCA) and of counsel at Clark Hill PLC in Chicago. Through MCA, he delivers the acclaimed Workplace Training That Clicks & Sticks®. This unique methodology takes complex legal concepts and distills them down into practical compliance tools for all levels of the workforce.  The Clicks & Sticks® proprietary approach helps organizations to avoid liability, minimize risks, create a culture of respect, and retaintalent.
 
He regularly designs, customizes, and conducts interactive legal compliance training presented to executives, managers, and non-managerial employees in a wide variety of industries. He also uses the Clicks & Sticks® methodology to provide diversity and inclusion training to attorneys to satisfy continuing legal education requirements. He regularly speaks to professional and trade organizations and authors articles published in industry magazines on employment compliance and other legal topics.
 
In his practice with Clark Hill, he has had substantial experience as a trial and appellate attorney in contested employment matters, employment practices and compliance, and workplace investigations, as well as business, shareholder, and estate litigation.
 
Rich has been recognized by his peers being selected for prestigious ratings:
-Illinois Super Lawyer® (Top 5%) in Business Litigation for 14 consecutive years -"Super Lawyers"- Thompson Reuters Business
-Illinois Super Lawyers Top 100 List®
-Illinois Leading Lawyer® (Top 5%) in Commercial Litigation and Bankruptcy and Workout Law (Commercial) for 14 consecutive years and in Employment Law-Management since 2017. "Leading Lawyers"-Law Bulletin Publishing Company
-AV Preeminent®-Martindale-Hubbell
 
Rich is the president of Lookingglass Theatre Company.

Matthew Cleaves

Managing Counsel, Equipment Finance and Vendor Financial Services
Wells Fargo Equipment Finance


Robert Cohen

Partner
Moritt Hock & Hamroff LLP


Robert S. Cohen is a Partner at Moritt Hock & Hamroff LLP, with offices located on Long Island and in New York City. With over 26 years of experience in all facets of the equipment leasing and asset based lending industries, Bob's practice is devoted to commercial litigation, creditors' rights, corporate transactions and bankruptcy matters. Bob has particular experience in the documentation of financial transactions, enforcement of equipment leases and secured loans, as well as the negotiation of workouts and resolutions. He frequently serves as a speaker and author on various topics relating to the leasing industry.

Bob devotes a significant portion of his time as an active member of ELFA, serving on its Credit and Collections Management Committee, as well as participating as a presenter at its various conferences, including its 2013 Legal Forum Conference, and 2012 and 2011 Credit and Collections Conferences where he served as a speaker at sessions on litigation strategy, electronic discovery, forbearance agreements, lease/secured transaction documentation and legal updates in the finance industry. He is also an active member of NEFA, serving on both its Legal and Education Committees and participating as a presenter at its annual conferences.

In 2012, Bob also presented at the Association of Commercial Finance Attorneys' CLEW Conference. In addition to his professional endeavors, Bob is an active supporter of the Special Olympics of New York-Long Island Region, where he has served as a Chairman of its Annual Gold Coast Tour for Champions Golf Outing for the past eleven years.

Amanda Cook

Assistant General Counsel


Benjamin Court

Partner
Stinson LLP


Benjamin delivers legal solutions to equipment leasing and finance organizations. He is well-versed in Articles 2A and 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code. He has documented lease and loan transactions for captive, bank-affiliated and independent equipment finance companies. Ben also has extensive experience in the enforcement of rights afforded to lessors and secured creditors. His experience includes lawsuits, mediations, arbitrations, workouts and bankruptcy and restructuring proceedings.

Jeanette Dannenfelser

Senior Vice President, General Counsel
Summit Funding Group, A First Financial Bank Company


Jeanette has served as VP, General Counsel and Secretary of Summit Funding Group, Inc. since 2016. 

Prior to joining Summit, Jeanette was the General Counsel of Global Heating Technologies, a start-up company specializing in flameless heating technologies, for which she negotiated license and other agreements with prominent consumer products and tobacco companies. Jeanette also led a successful international arbitration based in Zurich, Switzerland on behalf of GHT.

Jeanette also has extensive experience leading and managing litigation, both in-house as Litigation Counsel for a Fortune 500 medical products company and as outside trial counsel representing the interests of many international corporations in contract, banking and tort matters.

Alexander Darcy

Shareholder
Darcy & Devassy PC (formerly Askounis & Darcy)


Alex Darcy is a shareholder at Askounis & Darcy PC in Chicago. Alex specializes in representing banks, finance companies, and vendors in equipment lease litigation, appellate, bankruptcy and transactional matters. He has litigated equipment leasing related matters in all fifty states and Puerto Rico. Since graduating in 1993 from The Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, he has practiced exclusively in the equipment finance area with Tom Askounis.

Alex cut his teeth on the $180 million Recomm equipment leasing fraud, a mid-1990s Ponzi scheme in which the vendor rebated a portion of the lease payments back to the lessees through separate, undisclosed "royalty" contracts. More recently, Alex worked to uncover fraud in the Wildwood Industries and Equipment Acquisition Resources matters. He also defended an equipment finance company from the Federal Trade Commission's challenge to floating forum selection clauses in equipment lease contracts, winning dismissal of that part of the Federal Trade Commission's Complaint.

Alex is licensed to practice law in Illinois, California, and Maryland, as well as numerous federal courts throughout the country. He is a 1987 graduate of Hamilton College.

Debra Devassy Babu

Shareholder
Darcy & Devassy PC (formerly Askounis & Darcy)


Debbie Devassy Babu is a shareholder at Darcy & Devassy PC, a Chicago law firm. After graduating from the University of Illinois College of Law, Debbie assisted in prosecuting and defending numerous cases stemming from the NorVergence equipment leasing fraud.  Debbie has handled a number of cases involving complex fraud schemes and appeals that have affected the equipment finance industry. Currently a Co-Chairperson for the ELFA’s Amicus Curiae Subcommittee, Debbie also served as the past Chair of the ELFA’s Service Providers Business Council Steering Committee.  Debbie also is currently a mentor in the ELFA Women’s Council pilot mentoring program.  She has been actively involved in the equipment finance industry since 2004.  
 
Debbie concentrates her practice in complex commercial litigation, collections, bankruptcy litigation and appeals, representing clients nationwide.  She resides in Chicago with her husband and two children.

Steve Dinkelaker

President


Steve Dinkelaker is founder, owner and president of American Lease Insurance Agency Corporation (ALI), a managing insurance agency established in 2000. ALI provides customized lease insurance programs to more than 20 major equipment leasing and financing companies throughout the United States.

Dinkelaker is credited with the "invention" of lease insurance, having founded and directed Lease Insurance Agency Services Corporation (LIAS) of Bellevue, Washington, the first agency to offer lease insurance programs to equipment lessors in the early 1980s. Under his direction, LIAS introduced most major small-ticket office equipment lessors to customized lease insurance programs.

Known in the industry as a resourceful and innovative insurance professional, Dinkelaker continues to improve upon existing models for lease insurance. ALI now covers almost all types of leased and financed equipment with both property and liability insurance coverage to satisfy the insurance requirements of lease and finance agreements. His ability to partner with top-rated insurance carriers, software providers and financial services organizations to deliver enhanced services to ALI customers is a testament to his reputation for successful innovation.

Dinkelaker is a licensed insurance producer with extensive background in the office equipment industry. He was an award-winning sales executive in the 1970s at Xerox, where he initiated major leasing programs for municipal and state governments. As an international sales manager at Ricoh Corporation in the early 1980s, he was known as the "Johnny Appleseed" of the digital facsimile revolution in Latin America and the Middle East.

A graduate of the Harvard University Graduate School of Business's "Owner-President Management" Program, Dinkelaker completed graduate business studies at the University of California. He also received a master's degree in political philosophy and a bachelor's degree in social sciences from the University of California, Berkeley.

Robert Downey

General Counsel
Macquarie Specialized and Asset Finance


Bob Downey is Macquarie Group's General Counsel-Corporate and Asset Finance Group for North America, and is located in Nashville, Tennessee. Macquarie Group is an international bank, headquartered in Sydney, Australia, with over 320 billion dollars in assets under management. Bob has primary responsibility for Macquarie Equipment Capital Inc., which offers world-wide equipment financing solutions to the mining sector, Advantage Funding Commercial Capital Corp., a speciality vehicle finance company and Macquarie Electronics, a reseller of IT equipment. Bob also has supervisory responsibility for Macquarie's Canadian equipment financing group and Macquarie's trade receivables financing group.

Bob joined Macquarie from Caterpillar Financial Services Corporation, where he spent over 14 years supporting various Caterpillar enterprises including managing its domestic litigation and transaction teams. Before Caterpillar Bob spent 9 years with The CIT Group/Equipment Financing, Inc., in Livingston, New Jersey. Bob started his career with Mudge Rose Guthrie Alexander & Ferdon, a New York City law firm.

Bob is a past Chair of ELFA's Legal Committee and remains involved in Legal Committee's activities. He is a winner of ELFA's Ed Groobert Award for his various activities and is a frequent speaker at the Legal Forum.

Raymond Dusch Esq

Senior Corporate Counsel
Cisco Systems Capital Corporation


Mr. Dusch is Senior Corporate Counsel for Cisco Systems, Inc. ("Cisco"), supporting Cisco Systems Capital Corporation (commonly known as "Cisco Capital"), the global financing captive of Cisco, the worldwide leader in networking and IT, including all aspects of leasing and financing the sale of Cisco's technologies, products and services.

Mr. Dusch is an experienced attorney who has represented domestic and international financial institutions in all aspects of equipment leasing and asset-based financing, including lease financing, secured loan and syndication transactions, portfolio acquisitions and sales, vendor programs and securitizations. For more than 35 years, he has represented lessors, lenders, vendors, lessees, as well as purchasers and sellers of leases, in leasing and financing many types equipment, in domestic and international transactions.

Mr. Dusch received his B.S. degree (magna cum laude) in Accounting from New York University Stern School of Business, and his J.D. from New York University School of Law, where he was an Editor on the New York University Law Review. Prolific as an author, Mr. Dusch's articles have been published in various national legal and business publications such as American Banker, The New York Law Journal, The Secured Lender, The Journal of Equipment Lease Financing, Equipment Leasing Today, and Monitor: Leasing & Financial Services. He is co-author of three chapters in the COMMERCIAL LOAN DOCUMENTATION GUIDE and two chapters in EQUIPMENT LEASING, Matthew Bender's comprehensive treatise on equipment leasing.

Currently on the Board of Editors of LJN's Equipment Leasing Newsletter, Mr. Dusch is a former a member of ELFA's Legal Committee and NVLA's Legal and Legislative Committee.

Elizabeth Fella

Partner
Quarles & Brady LLP


Elizabeth Fella is a partner in internationally-known law firm, Quarles & Brady LLP, officing out of the Firm's Tucson, Arizona location.  Elizabeth practices in the Restructuring, Bankruptcy & Creditors' Rights Group. Honored five times among Thomson Reuters' Southwest Rising Stars, recognizing the top young lawyers in the region, she has represented lenders, borrowers, and trustees in Chapter 7, 11 and 13 bankruptcy litigation, chapter 11 plan confirmation litigation, lien avoidance actions, and non-dischargeability actions.  In addition, she has represented lending institutions and banks in bankruptcy and state court litigation against guarantors, as well as representing clients in bankruptcy appeals.

Scott Finlinson Esq

General Counsel
Onset Financial, Inc.


As the General Counsel for Onset Financial and Mazuma Capital, Scott brings his unique skill set to bear in protecting the enterprise while at the same time helping it grow. Since joining Onset in 2014, Scott oversees and manages all of the company’s legal issues while also scaffolding the company’s internal policies, procedures and documentation. Prior to joining Onset, Scott was a partner in the Salt Lake City, Utah based law firm, Ray Quinney & Nebeker where he worked in the firm’s corporate, tax and real property sections and was voted one of Utah’s Legal Elite. Scott is a member of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA) and has recently been appointed to serve on its Legal Committee.

Scott has represented clients locally and nation-wide in multi-million dollar mergers and acquisitions and has represented equipment leasing companies in transactions across the country. Scott is an active member of the Utah State Bar where he is a frequent presenter and lecturer on business matters and served as the past president of the Bar’s Business Section. He graduated from the University of Utah College of Law where he served on the Utah Law Review. He is an avid road biker and skier and enjoys spending time with his wife and four daughters.

Ilese Flamm

General Counsel
Donlen Corporation


Jonathan Fleisher

Partner
Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP


Jonathan is a partner in the Financial Services Group and chair to the firm’s Asset & Equipment Finance Group and Automotive Group. His financial services practice focuses on the commercial finance industry with a particular emphasis on innovative cross-border transactions and equipment finance. He has particular expertise assisting US commercial finance companies, both public and private, with establishing operations in Canada providing both legal and practical business advice. His experience also extends to all forms of debt finance including subdebt, venture financings, convertible debt, tranche b debt and asset-based lending. He is noted in both Lexpert and Best Lawyer as one of Canada’s leading lawyers in Equipment and Asset Finance and hold Martindale Hubbell AV Preeminent Rating.   
He was named Lawyer of the Year - Equipment Finance by Best Lawyer in 2023

Marc Frohman

Owner
Frohman & Associates LLC


Marc Frohman is a sole practitioner and seasoned equipment finance attorney. Prior to opening his own practice in 2012, Marc was an associate general counsel with De Lage Landen Financial Services, Inc. and GE Capital Transport International Pool/GE Capital Modular Space, and General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Vishay Intertechnology (VSH), an electronic components manufacturer.
 
Marc's clients include a variety of lenders, equipment finance companies and operating leasing companies, in which capacity he assists with complex transactions, vendor program negotiation, syndication, contract process management and general legal matters. Among his areas of expertise are IT, healthcare, lighting, office and motor vehicle leasing. In recent years, Marc has increasingly focused on managed equipment service agreement financing on a transaction and programmatic basis. Marc is a graduate of The University of Pennsylvania Law School (1991) and Yale College (1982) and is based in Philadelphia.

Robert Geis

Assistant Chief Counsel
First Citizens Bank Equipment Finance


Bob provides legal support to CIT’s small and mid-ticket lease and loan vendor business segments with an emphasis in the technology, industrial and healthcare markets through negotiation of vendor and end user agreements, and portfolio acquisitions and sales. Bob also provides legal and regulatory compliance support to CIT Bank subsidiaries.

Prior to CIT, Bob was in-house counsel with Barnett Banks in Florida for five years litigating consumer collection and bankruptcy matters followed by 10 years with Xerox Corporation as region counsel responsible for enforcing commercial leases, managing bankruptcy matters, and supporting its Public Sector Leasing division. Immediately prior to joining CIT, Bob worked for Metavante Regulatory Services as Compliance Manager and provided regulatory compliance advice, training, and consulting services to financial institutions.

Bob received his law degree from the University of Florida and a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from University of South Florida. Bob lives in Jacksonville Florida with his wife and two daughters.

Arlene Gelman

Shareholder
Vedder Price P.C.


Arlene N. Gelman is a Shareholder at Vedder Price in the firm’s Commercial Litigation and Corporate Reorganization, Bankruptcy and Insolvency groups and currently serves as Co-Chair of the firm's Creditors' Rights and Collections group.

Ms. Gelman concentrates her practice in the representation of lenders, equipment lessors and other creditors in U.S. state, federal district, appellate and bankruptcy courts, including prosecuting numerous breach-of-contract and replevin actions, and representing the interests of secured and unsecured creditors in various state courts and in bankruptcy matters.

Ms. Gelman is a frequent and sought after speaker on equipment finance and bankruptcy related topics. She is a member of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA), Chicago Bar
Association, The Illinois State Bar
Association, the American Bankruptcy Institute, and the International Women’s Insolvency and Restructuring Confederation.

In 2020 and 2022, Ms. Gelman was included on Lawdragon’s list of the 500 Leading U.S. Bankruptcy and Restructuring Lawyers. Since 2013, she has been selected by her peers as a Leading Lawyer in Bankruptcy & Workout: Commercial
and Creditor’s Rights/Commercial Collections. She has also received an "AV Preeminent" Peer Rating in Martindale-Hubbell. Ms. Gelman was recognized by The Best Lawyers in America in the 2023 edition for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency Law and Reorganization Law.

Ms. Gelman is a graduate of the University of Illinois (B.A., with distinction, 1989) and Boston University School of Law (J.D., 1994), where she was an Edward F. Hennessey Scholar. Ms. Gelman also served as a staff attorney to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Illinois; Law Clerk to the Honorable Ronald Barliant, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge for the Northern District of Illinois; Law Clerk to the Honorable Eugene Wedoff, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge for the Northern District of Illinois; and Law Clerk to the Honorable Joan H. Lefkow, U.S. District Court Judge for the Northern District of Illinois.

Ms. Gelman is currently a member of ELFA’s Legal Committee and is a past member of ELFA's Credit and Collections Committee.

Ms. Gelman's past ELFA speaking events include:

Speaking as a moderator at the Legal Update panel at ELFA's 2022 Legal Forum

Speaking as a panelist at the Legal Update panel at ELFA's 2021 Credit & Collections Management Conference

Speaking as a panelist at the Legal Update panel at ELFA's 2021 Legal Forum

Speaking as a panelist at ELFA's 2020 Webinar: Covid-19's Hidden Costs: Bankruptcy, Repossessions & Challenging Legislation

Speaking as a panelist on the Legal Update panel at ELFA's 2019 Legal Forum

Speaking as a panelist on the Legal Update panel at ELFA's 2019 Credit & Collections Conference

Speaking as a panelist on the Legal Update panel at ELFA's 2018 Credit & Collections Conference

Speaking as a panelist at ELFA's 2017 Equipment Management Conference and Exhibition on the topic of forbearance agreements

Sean Gillen


Kutak Rock LLP


Sean Gillen is a member of the Kutak Rock's Corporate Department, working primarily in the Asset Finance and Restructuring Group. Sean represents borrowers, lessees, lenders, lessors and credit enhancers in asset acquisitions, dispositions and financings throughout the United States, including loan and lease financings, syndications, securitizations, restructurings, workouts and bankruptcies.

Sean is involved in transactions covering a wide variety of structures, including tax leases, tax exempt loans, municipal leases, credit facilities, leveraged leases and structured financings as well as syndications of all of the foregoing. In addition to traditional real and personal property, Sean handles transactions involving specialized assets, including aircraft, vessels and rail cars.

Outside of work, Sean enjoys spending time with his wife, Erin, and their children, Griffin and Haper, as well as tending to the family cat, Marc Twinkles, and the numerous deer, turkey, squirrels, raccoons, possum, birds and other critters frequenting the yard. In his sparse free time, Sean listening to music, reading and watching television. In addition, Sean is actively involved with Church of the Holy Spirit in Plattsmouth, Nebraska.

For more information, please direct your browser to http://www.kutakrock.com/Sean-Gillen.

Melanie Gnazzo

Partner
Chapman and Cutler LLP


Melanie Gnazzo is a partner at Chapman and Cutler, LLP and is a member of their Structured Finance, Equipment Finance and Renewable Energy practice groups. She represents a wide range of finance companies and funding sources in connection with equipment finance transactions, portfolio finance transactions and portfolio acquisitions, dispositions, and joint ventures. She also provides advice with respect to tax advantaged financial and renewable energy products and investment vehicles. Melanie has considerable experience providing both tax and commercial law advice in such transactions. She is also a long standing member of ELFA, regularly works with subcommittees of ELFA's legal committee and also served as co-chair of the legal committee for SAPC (Solar Access to Public Capital). She holds an LLM in tax law from NYU and a JD and BA in Economics from the University of Pittsburgh.

Daniel Goldberg

Attorney and Counsel
Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz


Daniel Goldberg is counsel to the Privacy & Data Security Group at Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz. He is co-chair of the Los Angeles chapter of the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP), and certified CIPP/US.

Mr. Goldberg represents clients in a broad spectrum of privacy and data security matters. He structures and negotiates complex agreements involving the protection, processing, and monetization of data. He helps clients develop privacy and data security programs and policies, conduct privacy due diligence in connection with fundraising and acquisitions, and respond to data breaches and regulatory inquiries. He also works with organizations to address cross-border data transfers, the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the Vermont Data Broker law, and the new California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) effective January 2020.

Mr. Goldberg’s clients include financial companies and lenders. He often works on privacy concerns relating to emerging technologies, such as algorithms, machine learning, and big data. He also advises companies and technology providers on legal concerns relating to mobile apps, smart home devices, and geo-location data. 

Mr. Goldberg is a writer and frequent speaker on privacy and emerging technologies. He has spoken at programs sponsored by IAPP, South by Southwest (March 2019), Practicing Law Institute, American Bar Association, and many others. He is a graduate of University of California Los Angeles and University of Southern California School of Law.

Marshall Goldberg

Partner
Glass & Goldberg, A Law Corporation


Marshall F. Goldberg is the Managing Partner and a founder of Glass & Goldberg. He graduated magna cum laude from the University of California at Los Angeles in 1976 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History and Political Science, and was a member of the Dean's Honor List throughout his university tenure. He graduated from Loyola University School of Law, Los Angeles in 1979 with Honors.

Marshall's expertise includes both litigation and transactional matters in the areas of commercial finance law, regulatory compliance with lender licensing, corporate restructuring, equipment leasing, secured and unsecured transactions, creditor rights, real estate, commercial mortgage back securities and insolvency law. He specializes in the representation of creditors, servicers and real estate owners, including major banks, equipment lessors, credit and capital corporations, factors, merchant cash advance companies, finance companies, thrifts and other funding sources and lenders. Mr. Goldberg has served as lead counsel in well over one hundred major trials. He has been an active member and leader for many years in financial institution associations, including the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association ("ELFA"), the National Vehicle Leasing Association ("NVLA") and the National Equipment Finance Association (“NEFA”), and its predecessors.

Marshall was listed in the February 2013-2021 issues of Los Angeles Magazine as one of the top lawyers is Southern California.

Marshall was showcased in the December 2011 issue of Forbes Magazine, as the Magazine’s exclusive Southern California choice for outstanding lawyer in Bankruptcy, Property, Commercial and Creditor/Debtor Rights law.

Marshall has been selected for the past twelve (12) consecutive years for inclusion in “Super Lawyers Magazine,” which represents only 5 percent of the lawyers in the State of California. Super Lawyers is a listing of outstanding lawyers, chosen from a rigorous, multiphase process, who have attained high peer recognition and professional achievement.

Marshall is the recipient of the annual “Edward A. Groobert Award for Legal Excellence” presented on behalf of the ELFA Lawyers. This is the highest award given to an attorney by a peer group of hundreds of both in house and outside counsel.

For ELFA, Marshall serves on the Legal Committee and has served on the Credit and Collections Management Committee, and as a member of the Editorial Review Board of the Journal of Equipment Lease Financing. He has been the Chairman of the Professional Development, Education and Information Sub-Committee for the ELFA Legal Committee. He is responsible for developing, organizing, managing and editing the Legal Website, which includes an online compendium of legal issues pertaining to the 50 States, "What's New in the Law", and the "Catalogue of Legal Information". With the assistance of the ELFA staff, he developed, chaired and monitored the Legal Listserve, an online forum for attorneys to discuss pertinent legal issues on a daily basis. Marshall is co-author and co-editor of the Executive Guide to Remedies, and the Executive Guide to Lease Documentation.

Marshall also extensively speaks and instructs within the legal and business communities. He has given numerous educational and strategic seminars throughout the United States on subjects including Loan and Lease Enforcement, Mixed Collateral, Fraud Prevention, Creditors’ Rights in Bankruptcy, the Seller Assisted Marketing Plan Act (SAMP), Revised Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code, the Uniform Personal Property Leasing Act, Commercial Mortgage Back Securities and their Servicing and the Revised Uniform Limited Liability Company Act. He is a regular panel speaker at a multitude of legal education seminars for the commercial financial services industry on such topics as the Uniform Commercial Code and real property secured transactions. He provides annual legal update presentations for financial association lawyers, including written summaries of current case and statutory law. Also, Marshall frequently speaks to bar associations on the topics of pre-judgment and post-judgment remedies and bankruptcy. Marshall’s legal writings include publications on topics relating to commonly litigated contractual provisions, on the Uniform Commercial Code and on collateral preservation and disposition. His weekly blog can be found at www.glassgoldbergblog.com and his monthly update Newsletter is available upon request.

Marshall sits on the Executive Committee of the Los Angeles County Bar Provisional and Post Judgment Remedies Section, and is a member of the Commercial and Bankruptcy Sections of the Los Angeles County Bar Association, the Financial Lawyers' Conference and the State Bar of California.

Marshall has earned the highest rating from Martindale-Hubbell.

Robert Goldberg

Senior Company Counsel
Wells Fargo Equipment Finance


Bob is a Senior Company Counsel with Wells Fargo & Co.  Bob provides legal support to Wells Fargo’s equipment finance businesses throughout North America; he also supports Wells Fargo’s restaurant finance business, First Union Rail, and Wells Fargo Bank’s renewable energy finance business. Prior to joining Wells Fargo, Bob was General Counsel of CitiCapital, Citigroup’s equipment leasing and secured lending business, a Managing Director of Citibank, N.A., and a member of CitiCapital’s Operating Committee.  Bob was responsible for providing legal support to Citi’s equipment finance businesses throughout North America and in Western Europe, and was the internal Citi lawyer responsible for Citi’s global aviation and railcar finance businesses. Bob was recently inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Commercial Finance Lawyers.  He is a frequent lecturer at trade association conferences, and has written a number of articles and book chapters on topics relevant to equipment leasing/secured lending.  Bob received his JD from the University of Miami School of Law, and an LL.M in Trade Regulation from the New York University School of Law.  

Barbara Goodstein

Partner
Mayer Brown LLP


Barbara M. Goodstein is a partner in the Banking & Finance practice of the New York office of Mayer Brown LLP. Barbara's experience consists of commercial and structured financing as well as restructuring of transactions for a wide range of asset types including auto, trade, health care, timeshare and lease receivables, sports franchises, intellectual property, transportation equipment (including aircraft, aircraft engines, railcars and vessels), technology equipment, medical equipment, communications and office equipment, construction equipment, and marine and inter-modal containers. She also has extensive debt workout and restructuring experience primarily representing senior creditors and syndicate groups, bondholders, and secured creditors both in and out of bankruptcy; foreclosures, DIP and exit financing; contested and consensual bankruptcy matters; and other financial and legal restructurings.

Barbara is a featured columnist for The New York Law Journal's Secured Transactions section and a former Regent, and current Fellow of the American College of Commercial Finance Lawyers. She previously served as a member of the Board of Editors of Equipment Leasing Newsletter and the Uniform Commercial Code Law Journal. She also previously served on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the ELFA, and is currently a member of the Legal Committee Subcommittee on Air, Rail and Marine.

Barbara has been recognized as an outstanding lawyer by ELFA, having received ELFA's Legal Committee Edward A. Groobert Excellence in Leasing Award in 2015. She is a Life Fellow of the American Bar Foundation and recently chaired a Task Force for the ABA Committee on Structured Finance and Securitization. She is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Port Chester-Rye Brook Public Library.

Jennifer Gould

Shareholder


Jennifer D. Gould is a Shareholder at Stark & Stark, PC, a regional law firm with offices in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York, where she is a member of the Bankruptcy & Creditor's Rights, Litigation, and Business & Corporate Groups. Jennifer represents financial institutions, equipment lessors, private equity firms, and other businesses in state, federal and bankruptcy courts nationwide. She also counsels clients in connection with commercial loan and lease documentation as well as general corporate legal issues. Jennifer is a long time member of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA) and serves on ELFA's Legal Committee following six years on the Credit & Collection Management Conference Committee. Jennifer has published articles and lectured on a wide range of issues pertaining to the turnaround and equipment leasing industries. She resides in Bucks County, Pennsylvania with her husband and son.

Gary Green

Member
Clark Hill PLC


Gary E. Green practices in the Banking & Finance, Litigation and Creditors' Rights and Bankruptcy Departments. He has more than 28 years of experience representing financial institutions in foreclosures, receiverships, lender liability, bankruptcy and restructuring.

Gary’s experience includes loan documentation, portfolio sales and U.S. Small Business Administration loan programs. He has extensive experience in the equipment lease finance industry, including litigation, bankruptcy, collection policies and procedures, vendor programs, broker-dealer agreements, and sale and purchase of lease portfolios.

Gary has years of trial experience in state, federal and bankruptcy courts throughout the country in all facets of litigation, fraudulent conveyance, preferences and receiverships. He has prosecuted TROs and Preliminary Injunctions by the successful use of electronic discovery. Gary's experience encompasses the defense of Class Actions involving Consumer Fraud, Fair Debt Collection Act, Fair Credit Reporting Act and Securities Fraud.

Gary has lectured and written on bankruptcy, trial techniques, evidence, settlement negotiations, collection practices, and counseled his clients on the pitfalls of the electronic era in the uses of electronic discovery. He has been awarded the “Illinois Leading Lawyer” in Banking and Financial Institutions Law and Bankruptcy in 2004 - 2014 and Illinois Super Lawyers 2010 - 2016. Gary served on the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association's Executive Legal Committee from 2009 - 2011. In addition, he serves on the State Legislative and Uniform Commercial Code Subcommittees and was the Chair of the Equipment Leasing Times legal section.

Benjamin Gross Esq

Partner
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP


Benjamin is a long time member of ELFA and is a part of the committee that organizes this Legal Forum. He is a partner in the Montreal office of Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, Canada’s largest law firm. His practice is centered around three fields of law: Debt Financing (including traditional bank loans, speciality loans (air, rail, marine, consumer) and others), Leasing and Inventory Financing, (securitization and alternative financing), Real Estate (traditional and non-traditional, such as infrastructure projects and mines) and Mergers and Acquisitions. He acts in local, cross-border and international deals and projects from inception (including structuring) to close. Benjamin is recognized by (i) Lexpert for his expertise in Asset Equipment Finance/Leasing (since 2015), Mining (since 2018) and Infrastructure (since 2018); and (ii) The Best Lawyers in Canada in Project Finance Law. Benjamin is an active member of multiple industry organizations, non-profit endeavours, community organisations, and is a proud husband and father.

Edward Gross

Shareholder
Vedder Price P.C.


Edward K. Gross is a Shareholder at Vedder Price and a member of the Global Transportation Finance team.

He established the firm’s Washington, DC office and has over 30 years of experience representing bank-affiliated and large, independent equipment financing companies in all aspects of equipment finance transactions, including documenting, structuring, negotiating, syndicating and enforcing these transactions. Mr. Gross handles all types of equipment finance matters and structures, including single-investor, leveraged financings, true/ tax motivated leases, synthetic leases, TRAC leases, “bundled” and other vendor-originated financings, and domestic and cross-border financings, primarily for transportation equipment, but also for other types of equipment, including: manufacturing and assembly line, construction and drilling, energy-related and other facilities, medical and health-related facilities, high-tech equipment (including “bundled” financings), trucks and trailers, modular units and vessel repair equipment.

Mr. Gross is considered an industry leader in business aircraft and helicopter finance. These transactions vary in structure and include tax and non-tax lease, operating lease and secured loan financing of managed and/or chartered aircraft, fleet aircraft and helicopters operated in various service capacities (e.g., air ambulances, oil and gas service, flight schools, etc.) and engine pools, aircraft operated under fractional and “pay card” arrangements and progress payment, completion and other multi-funding structures. Clients include market-leading aircraft and helicopter financing providers, investors or operating lessors, as well as large publicly or privately held businesses, governmental entities or high-net-worth individual users. Many of these transactions involve foreign registered aircraft.

Many clients rely on Mr. Gross in syndication transactions, including large portfolio purchases, “one-off” sales and assignments, discounting, back-leveraging and participation transactions. He has worked with Vedder Price’s Capital Markets team on securitizations of diverse asset classes. Mr. Gross has prepared lease, loan and syndication forms for many of the most active financing providers in the industry. Working with Vedder Price’s well-regarded bankruptcy and creditors’ rights practice, Mr. Gross has assisted financing providers, including various creditor groups, with workout, restructuring, bankruptcy and enforcement matters.

Mr. Gross has been selected for inclusion in numerous editions of Who's Who Legal’s The International Who's Who of Aviation Lawyers, including the 2014 edition in which Mr. Gross participated in a roundtable discussion. In the 2013 edition of that publication, Mr. Gross is named one of the top 500 aviation lawyers in the world, and is cited as “a go-to lawyer for finance, insolvency and restructuring…well-respected by commercial clients.” In 2016 through 2020, Mr. Gross was ranked Band 1 in Private Aircraft (Global-wide) in Chambers High Net Worth, which recognizes the world’s leading high net worth advisers. In addition, in 2013 Mr. Gross was ranked in Chambers USA in the Nationwide Banking & Finance: Equipment Finance & Leasing category. He was selected by his peers for inclusion in Washington DC Super Lawyers (2007–2020) and The Best Lawyers in America (2007–2021) in the field of Equipment Finance Law. Mr. Gross was elected as Fellow to the American College of Commercial Finance Lawyers in 2011, and elected as Regent to the College in 2012. He has been recognized by the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA), receiving the Distinguished Service Award in 2008 and ELFA’s Legal Committee Edward A. Groobert Excellence in Leasing Award in 2011.

A client respondent in Airfinance Journal’s 2011 Guide to Aviation Lawyers mentions, “Vedder Price can turn a deal in a day or two if necessary. Ed Gross is our go to person for time-sensitive matters.” He also recognized among the world’s leading aviation attorneys by in Euromoney’s Expert Guides “Aviation Guide” from 2013 to 2020.

Mr. Gross obtained his B.A. from the University of Maryland and his J.D. from the University of Baltimore School of Law.

Catherine Hagerty

Counsel
Arnold & Porter, LLP


Ruthanne Hammett

Partner
Thompson Coburn LLP


Ruthanne C. Hammett is a partner at Thompson Coburn LLP where she practices in the firm's Banking and Commercial Finance department. Her practice includes representing banks, leasing companies, captive finance subsidiaries, borrowers and lessees in loans, structured financing and leases. She has thirty years of experience in a wide variety of commercial finance transactions, including secured, unsecured, syndicated, asset-based, acquisition and lease financing transactions. She is familiar with both large corporate and middle-market lending as well as with sales of loan and lease portfolios and asset acquisitions and dispositions.

Ms. Hammett holds a Bachelor's Degree (cum laude) from Illinois State University and a Juris Doctorate (cum laude) from the University of Illinois. She is member of the American Bar Association, the Illinois Bar Association, the Missouri Bar Association and the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis and is also on her firm's diversity and women's steering committees.

With roots tracing back to 1929, Thompson Coburn LLP has represented clients from every industrial and corporate sector, including energy, banking, transportation, manufacturing and communications. The firm has earned the trust and loyalty of its clients by consistently meeting their expectations for premier legal representation without the high-maintenance character of a typical big firm. Now, with more than 400 lawyers and 40 practice areas operating in offices in Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Washington, D.C., and Southern Illinois, the firm continues to serve clients throughout the United States and beyond.

Marc Hamroff

Partner
Moritt Hock & Hamroff LLP


Marc L. Hamroff serves as the Managing Partner of Moritt Hock & Hamroff LLP with offices in Garden City and Manhattan. He also Chairs the firm's Financial Services Practice which includes the Bankruptcy, Equipment Leasing, Secured Lending and Creditors' Rights Groups. He provides special concentration in litigation, workout and bankruptcy matters nationwide. In his capacity as head of the Financial Services Group, he has spearheaded the representation of secured lenders, banks and lessors in a wide range of transactions. Mr. Hamroff also works closely with the firm's Litigation Group and actively handles a wide variety of commercial litigation cases including injunction and attachment proceedings, business divorce/separation cases and restrictive covenant disputes. In addition, he regularly provides educational and strategic seminars on a multitude of issues affecting the leasing and secured lending community.

Mr. Hamroff earned his Juris Doctor from Hofstra University School of Law where he currently serves as an adjunct professor of law teaching Secured Transactions. He is a member of the Dean's Advisory Board and Business Law Advisory Committee. His firm also established The Moritt Hock & Hamroff fellowship in support of Hofstra Law's Access to Justice Incubator.

In addition to his legal career, Mr. Hamroff is a long standing member of the Board of Directors of the American Heart Association-Long Island Division where he currently serves as its Chairman. Under his leadership as Chairman, his Board was one of only two regional boards recognized as a Gold Standard Board for excellence in promoting the AHA's mission of helping Americans live a life free of heart disease and stroke.

Elizabeth Henderson

General Counsel
Altec Capital Services, LLC


John Heninger

Chief Counsel
U.S. Bank


John Heninger is Chief Counsel of U.S. Bank Equipment Finance, a division of U.S. Bank National Association, and of its indirect subsidiary, U.S. Bancorp Government Leasing and Finance, Inc. U.S. Bank Equipment Finance, one of the largest equipment finance providers in the nation, has been providing quality equipment finance solutions for more than 40 years and is a major funding source for companies in virtually every industry sector nationwide. U.S. Bancorp Government Leasing and Finance, Inc. is a major provider of tax exempt equipment leasing and other financing solutions for state and local governments throughout the United States. John has served as in house counsel to U.S Bank Equipment Finance since 1998. He manages the law division of Equipment Finance, which includes six attorneys and two paralegals, and also supports lease and loan originations, with primary focus on compliance, syndications, aircraft finance, and government finance. Before joining the U.S. Bank Law Division, John was Assistant General Counsel to the Port of Portland (Portland, Oregon) and an associate with the law firms of Miller Nash, Morrison & Foerster and Latham & Watkins. He previously served on the Legal Committee of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association. 

John holds a B.A. from Colorado College, an M.B.A. from Thunderbird School of Global Management, and a J.D. from the University of Iowa College of Law.

Andrew Hodhod

Partner
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP


Andrew Hodhod is a partner in the Financial Services Group of Borden Ladner Gervais LLP. His practice focuses on all aspects of lending, leveraged finance, secured transactions, restructuring and the regulation of financial institutions.

Andrew is licensed to practise in the provinces of Ontario and Québec. He regularly represents financial institutions, private lenders, lessors, inventory financiers and borrowers in connection with private and public financings, syndicated and cross-border loans, alternative financings, leasing, inventory and equipment finance transactions and vendor programs.

About Borden Ladner Gervais LLP

As the largest, truly full-service Canadian law firm, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG) delivers practical legal advice for domestic and international clients across more practices and industries than any Canadian firm. With over 725 lawyers, intellectual property agents and other professionals, BLG serves the legal needs of businesses and institutions across Canada and beyond – from M&A and capital markets, to disputes, financing, and trademark & patent registration.

Jason Huff

Partner
Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP


Jason Huff is a partner in King & Spalding's Finance practice and resident in our Charlotte office. Jason is active in the leveraged finance, transportation finance and structured project finance practices.

Jason represents banks, financial institutions, equipment finance companies, lenders, lessors and other parties in leveraged finance and other financial transactions. He has wide-ranging experience representing lenders and lessors in all aspects of domestic and cross-border equipment and structured finance transactions with specific focus on transactions involving aircraft and rail equipment.

Jason represents clients in all aspects of equipment finance and in all types of equipment financing structures, including single-investor and syndicated lease and loan transactions, leveraged financings, true / tax motivated leases, synthetic leases, TRAC leases and other domestic and cross-border financings. He also advises clients in lease and loan portfolio purchases and sales.

Jason speaks regularly at aviation and rail conferences and conducts workshops for clients on a wide range of topics in equipment finance.

Robert Ihne



Robert W. Ihne is an attorney with over twenty-five years of experience in commercial financing, primarily in the areas of secured transactions and equipment leasing. Such experience has included drafting, negotiating and providing advice related to direct transactions, syndications, vendor financing, and forms of credit enhancements such as guaranties and letters of credit.
 
Mr. Ihne was employed by CIT, which engages in many types of asset-based financing, for over twenty years. In addition to the usual transactional work there, he bore primary responsibility for educating CIT’s attorneys and businesspeople concerning the implications of the revisions to Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code that took effect in 2001. He was previously associated with the New York law firm of Cravath, Swaine & Moore and the New Jersey law firm of Pitney, Hardin, Kipp & Szuch, and clerked for Hon. John J. Gibbons of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. He has recently consulted for DLL.
 
Mr. Ihne is a Member of The American Law Institute and a Member of the Board of Regents of the American College of Commercial Finance Lawyers. He has been a member of the Legal Committee of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association and various subcommittees thereof, and was a recipient of the ELFA Excellence in Leasing Award for 2006. He is a member of the Board of Editors of, and contributor to, LJN’s Equipment Leasing Newsletter. He is also a member of the Business Law Section of the American Bar Association.  
 
Mr. Ihne was a member of the faculty for the ALI-ABA course of study called  The Emerged and Emerging New Uniform Commercial Code” and The New Uniform Commercial Code held in New York City, Washington, D.C. and Boston from 2000 through 2007 and was a member of a panel sponsored by the New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education entitled “UCC Article 9 – Secured Transactions: A Year Later” in June of 2002.     

Horace Jordan

EVP & General Counsel
Kingsbridge Holdings, LLC


Mr. Jordan is Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Kingsbridge Holdings, LLC and its operating subsidiaries Trilogy Leasing Co., LLC, Capital Technology & Leasing, L.L.C. and Western States Equipment Holdings, LLC.  He also is one of Kingsbridge's founding members.  Mr. Jordan is responsible for the legal and administrative operations of Kingsbridge and its subsidiaries.
 
Prior to joining Kingsbridge, Mr. Jordan was with Relational, LLC as Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary from 2001 through 2005 where he managed the legal and human resources departments and was a member of Relational's Executive Committee.  From 1991 through 2000, Mr. Jordan was with the law firm of Jenner & Block where he was a partner for five years specializing in litigation and business disputes.  From 1998 to 1990, Mr. Jordan was an associate with the law firm of Baker & McKenzie in Chicago and in Hong Kong specializing in corporate law and international transactions.
 
Mr. Jordan has served as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Chicago Law School teaching courses on Privacy Rights in Employment.  He has published multiple articles on tax and commercial law issues as well as the role of in-house counsel and is a frequent speaker at continuing legal education conferences.  He has been a member of leadership for many years with the American Bar Association and is a board officer for several not-for-profit organizations.
 
Mr. Jordan received his Juris Doctor degree cum laude from Northwestern University School of Law and received his Bachelors of Science degree magna cum laude from Tufts University.
 
Mr. Jordan resides in Lake Forest, Illinois with his very understanding wife Diana and his four “nearly perfect” daughters Calla, Gwen, Taryn and Charlotte.  When not otherwise engaged in family activities, Mr. Jordan's interests include travel, athletics, performing arts, politics, reveling in the success of the Beelzebubs acappella singing group and rooting for the Northwestern Wildcats, Chicago Blackhawks, Chicago Cubs, and Chicago Bears.

Michael Karpen

Partner
Holland & Knight, LLP


Michael Karpen is a partner with the Finance Section of Troutman Sanders LLP. Mr. Karpen represents financial institutions, equipment lessors, hedge funds, lessees and borrowers in a wide range of secured and unsecured financing transactions and large, middle and small ticket equipment and software leasing transactions. Mr. Karpen specializes in representing funding sources, banks, equipment lessors and lessees in all aspects of equipment financing, including structuring, preparing and negotiating documentation in connection with credit facilities, sale and purchase of leases, lease receivables and lease portfolios, vendor program agreements, securitization transactions, syndicated loans, participations, project finance, merger and acquisition financings, and preparation and advice regarding lease forms. Transactions in which Mr. Karpen has participated involve the financing of all asset classes, including aircraft (where he completed financing the acquisition of a portfolio of 48 aircraft assets), vessel, rail, motor vehicles, containers, solar and other renewal energy and clean tech equipment and systems, software, managed equipment, computers and various other types of small, middle and large ticket equipment. Mr. Karpen is one of the leading experts on "managed solution financing," the financing of a combination of equipment leases, software and services. Mr. Karpen also represents clients in connection with the purchase and sale, and establishment of, independent, subsidiary and captive leasing companies.
 
Mr. Karpen is a long time member of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association, is a former member the ELFA Legal Committee, and is also an active member of other equipment trade associations. Mr. Karpen has authored several articles, which have been published in major leasing publications. He also serves as co-editor of the Commercial Finance Guide and the Commercial Loan Documentation Guide (Lexis/Nexis Publishers), and also assists in updating several chapters in those treatises. He is also a frequent lecturer on various topics relating to lease and loan transactions and documentation.
 
Troutman Sanders LLP, founded in 1897, is an international law firm with more than 650 lawyers in offices located in New York (where Mr. Karpen is located), Atlanta, Beijing, Charlotte, Chicago, Hong Kong, Orange County, Portland, Raleigh, Richmond, San Diego, San Francisco, Shanghai, Tysons Corner, Virginia Beach, and Washington, D.C. The firm's clients range from individual entrepreneurs to large multinational corporations and reflect virtually every sector and industry. The firm's heritage of extensive experience, exceptional responsiveness and an unwavering commitment to service has resulted in strong, long-standing relationships with clients across the globe. In recognition of the firm's strong service culture, Troutman Sanders has been on the BTI Client Service A-Team for 13 consecutive years.

Scott Kearns

Senior Legal Director
Dell Financial Services


Scott is a 20+ year veteran of the leasing and financing industry having worked for small, medium and large ticket organizations. For the past 11+ years, he has supported Dell Techonologies' captive finance organization, Dell Financial Services.

Troy Kepler

Corporate Counsel
Channel


Troy C. Kepler is General Counsel for Channel Partners Capital, LLC in Minnetonka, Minnesota. Mr. Kepler advises CPC on a variety of legal and regulatory issues and is actively involved in the resolution of disputes between CPC and its customers. In addition, Mr. Kepler conducts litigation on behalf of CPC and manages its litigation portfolio.

Brian Kestenbaum

Senior Vice President and General Counsel
LEAF Commercial Capital Inc.


Brian Kestenbaum is the Senior Vice President and General Counsel for LEAF Commercial Capital, Inc. LEAF, headquartered in Philadelphia, PA, is one of the leading equipment leasing and finance companies in the U.S. Through its highly automated origination platform, it facilitates the equipment needs of small, mid-sized and enterprise businesses. LEAF serves these needs both directly and through referral relationships with manufacturers, distributors and dealers of essential-use equipment and software in a variety of business sectors, including office products, telephony, technology, medical and light industrial.

Prior to joining LEAF, Mr. Kestenbaum was counsel in the corporate department of Ledgewood, P.C. Previously, Mr. Kestenbaum was an associate at the law firms, Ballard Spahr and Piper & Rudnick LLP. Mr. Kestenbaum is a past chairman of the ELFA Legal Committee.

Mr. Kestenbaum graduated from the Villanova University School of Law, cum laude. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

Mark Kohler

Shareholder
Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz PC


Mark D. Kohler is the General Counsel Capital Markets/Syndications of GE Capital US Holdings, Inc. GE Capital provides financial solutions and services to a broad range of industries throughout the United States and the World. As General Counsel Capital Markets/Syndications, Mr. Kohler manages GE Capital's Capital Markets/Syndication Legal Department and provides legal advice, strategy and expertise to GE Capital's Capital Markets Group and all the GE business units whose transactions are syndicated through GE Capital's Capital Markets Group.

Mr. Kohler was previously Senior Syndication Counsel, Syndication Counsel and General Counsel where he provided legal support for the syndication activities of the GE Capital Americas, Capital Solutions and Commercial Equipment Financing units of GE Capital and Region Counsel where he provided legal support for the Syndication and Third Party Origination business units of the Commercial Equipment Financing unit of GE Capital. Prior to joining GE in 1997, Mr. Kohler was an associate with the law firm of Ober, Kaler, Grimes & Shriver in Baltimore, Maryland.

He holds a Bachelor's Degree (Summa Cum Laude) from the University of Maryland and a Juris Doctor (with Honors) from The George Washington University National Law Center.

Mr. Kohler is the Chairman of the Legislative & Regulatory Subcommittee of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association's ("ELFA") Legal Committee, is a Fellow with the American College of Commercial Lawyers, received the Edward A. Groobert Excellence in Leasing Award in 2013, served on ELFA's Legal Committee from 2006-2008 and is a frequent speaker at ELFA and GE events.

Melissa Kopit



Melissa Kopit is a transportation finance attorney in Washington, D.C. She concentrates her practice in corporate and financial transactions, with a focus on secured lending and asset finance, involving commercial and business aircraft, helicopters and general equipment assets. Ms. Kopit counsels and represents lenders, borrowers, lessors, lessees, equity participants and other financiers in a wide range of cross-border and domestic transactions. These matters include secured debt transactions, asset-backed structured financings, back-leveraged and operating lease facilities, portfolio acquisitions, asset purchases and dispositions, securitizations and capital markets offerings. Ms. Kopit has also advised clients on aviation regulatory compliance and enforcement matters. While in law school, Ms. Kopit served on the Article Selection Committee for The George Washington International Law Review and chaired the Estrella Trial Advocacy Competition for the Mock Trial Board. Prior to joining Vedder Price, Ms. Kopit interned for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia and the U.S. Department of Justice, and she represented clients in contract and employment matters as a student attorney through the Public Justice Advocacy Clinic.
Publications Co-author, “Differences Across the Pond: When Choice of Law Matters” Vedder Price Global Transportation Finance Newsletter, December 2020 Co-author, “Air, Rail and Marine Legal Update” Equipment Leasing and Finance Magazine, November 2020 Co-author, “USA: Aviation Finance & Leasing 2020” International Comparative Legal Guide: Aviation Finance & Leasing, April 2020 Co-author, “Recent Developments in the Transportation Leasing and Finance Industry in the US” World Leasing Yearbook 2020, January 2020 Co-author, “New or Not-So-New Things to Know” Equipment Leasing and Finance, August 2019
Speaking Engagements “Uniform Commercial Code Leasing Subcommittee Meeting” American Bar Association Business Law Section Virtual Annual Meeting, September 2020 “Legal Considerations for Aircraft Debt and Lease Finance” Corporate Jet Investor’s Aircraft Transaction Masterclass, November 2019 Panelist, “Cross-Border Lease Transactions Breakout” Equipment Leasing and Finance Association’s Legal Forum, April 2019

Marjorie Krumholz

Partner
Thompson Coburn LLP


Margie's practice spans more than 30 years representing borrowers, lenders, lessors, and lessees in structuring, negotiating, and closing financing transactions, including leases, leveraged leases, and cross-border transactions. Nationally recognized for her equipment finance experience, particularly in the maritime industry, Margie handles equipment sales and purchases, and portfolio sales. She has worked on many complex financing structures, including transactions that have multiple tiers of debt secured by thousands of vessels.  
 
In addition to financing transactions, Margie counsels private equity and hedge fund clients in their investments in maritime businesses. She also counsels clients on maritime regulatory matters, including qualification as a United States citizen for purposes of the Jones Act and registration of vessels in flags of convenience. She practices in the area of trade finance through representation of banks that support the export of goods and services from the U.S. by providing loans that are guaranteed by the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank).
 
Margie is a member of the ELFA Board of Directors, co-chair of the ELFA Air, Rail and Marine Subcommittee and former member of the Legal Committee. She is Managing Partner of Thompson Coburn’s DC office and co-chair of the firm's Federal Practice Group.

Sophia Kwon

Associate


Sophia Kwon is an associate with the Finance Section of Troutman Sanders LLP. She represents financial institutions, banks, captive finance companies, equipment lessors, lessees and borrowers in a wide range of financing transactions, including the preparation and review of documentation in connection with loans, leases, and the purchase, sale and financing of leases, loan receivables and portfolios. Sophia has participated in transactions involving the financing of many asset classes, including aircraft, vehicles, containers, software, computers and various other types of small, middle and large ticket equipment.
 
She also assists in updating several chapters in the Commercial Finance Guide and the Commercial Loan Documentation Guide (LexisNexis).  
 
Sophia Kwon obtained her bachelor's degree from Cornell University and her law degree from Fordham University School of Law.
 
Troutman Sanders LLP, founded in 1897, is an international law firm with more than 650 attorneys in offices located in New York (where Sophia is located), Atlanta, Beijing, Charlotte, Chicago, Hong Kong, Orange County, Portland, Raleigh, Richmond, San Diego, San Francisco, Shanghai, Tysons Corner, Virginia Beach, and Washington, D.C. The firm's clients range from individual entrepreneurs to large multinational corporations and reflect virtually every sector and industry. The firm's heritage of extensive experience, exceptional responsiveness and an unwavering commitment to service has resulted in strong, long-standing relationships with clients across the globe. In recognition of the firm's strong service culture, Troutman Sanders has been on the BTI Client Service A-Team for 13 consecutive years.

Dustin Lee

General Counsel
Wingspire Capital


Dominic Liberatore

Deputy General Counsel
DLL


Dominic A. Liberatore is the Deputy General Counsel for DLL, a global provider of leasing and business finance solutions, including vendor finance.

Mr. Liberatore has been practicing law for 35 years focusing on leasing and asset based lending, and has served in a variety of senior in-house legal positions with DLL, IOS Capital, Inc. (the captive finance subsidiary of IKON Office Solutions, Inc.), Copelco Financial Services Group, Inc. and the FDIC. Prior to going in-house, Mr. Liberatore was an associate at Cravath, Swaine & Moore in New York City and Wolf Block in Philadelphia. Mr. Liberatore is a past chairman of the ELFA Legal Committee, current ELFA Subcommittee Coordinator and a past chairman of the Subcommittee on Leasing of the Uniform Commercial Code Committee of the ABA Business Law Section. Mr. Liberatore is also a member of the Editorial Review Board for the Journal of Equipment Lease Financing.

Mr. Liberatore holds a J.D. from Vanderbilt University and a B.A. from the University of Buffalo.

Sherry Lowe Johnson

Director, Senior Counsel
Volvo Financial Services


Sherry Lowe Johnson has over 20 years of experience representing financial institutions, equipment leasing companies and special purpose entities on a myriad of legal issues and concerns, including litigation, regulatory and compliance, and transactional matters.  She is a highly requested speaker on issues concerning representation of lenders and bankruptcy-related issues.  

John Lyon

Principal, Sales and Use Tax
Ryan, LLC


John is a Principal with Ryan LLC in the Los Angeles office.  He specializes in providing multi-jurisdictional transaction tax services, including audit defense representation, tax recovery, and education to clients in a variety of industries.  His practice focus includes common carrier, oil & gas, power generation, utility, refining, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, hi-tech, entertainment, mining, and retail.
 
Prior to joining Ryan, John was Senior Vice President of a national consulting firm, serving as co-founder and national practice leader for sales and use tax services.  He began his tax career in The Boeing Company's Corporate Tax Department in Seattle.
 
John lectures on various tax topics, appearing as a speaker for the California Manufacturers Association, Council on State Taxation, Institute for Professionals in Taxation, and Tax Executives Institute.  He has a Finance degree from the University of Northern Colorado and is a CPA licensed in the State of Washington.

Bruce Masterson

General Counsel
First American Equipment Finance, an RBC / City National Company


Bruce has served as General Counsel for First American Commercial Bancorp, Inc. for the last thirteen years and has worked as both in-house and outside counsel to several leasing companies over the last twenty-eight years. Bruce received his undergraduate degree from the College of William and Mary and his law degree from the University of Pittsburgh, where he was a member of the Law Review. Bruce is a member of the Massachusetts and Pennsylvania Bars and was Chairman of the EFLA Legal Committee for 2012.

Matthew McKeon

Assistant Chief Counsel
Huntington Technology Finance


Matthew McKeon
Senior Vice President, Assistant General Counsel
Matthew McKeon is Assistant General Counsel for KeyBank National Association and in that role manages the Key Equipment Finance Law Group.   As a member of the KEF leadership team, McKeon is actively involved in strategic planning and setting policy at the company. In his role as counsel, McKeon is a transactional and managing attorney for the direct sales, vendor and government groups. Prior to joining Key, he was in-house counsel at the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York and an associate in private practice with Whitman Breed Abbott & Morgan.

Curtis Miles


Ferrum Enterprises Inc.


Curtis Miles is a recognized technical leader in the application of blockchain technologies to business problems, having worked with numerous organizations seeking to capitalize on the potential of this transformational technology. As the CTO for Ferrum Inc., and the former lead for the Canadian Blockchain Garage consultancy within IBM, he has helped to implement blockchain projects related to building a green energy marketplace, implementing multinational insurance contracts, facilitating cross-border payments, tracking multi-national auto parts procurement, and establishing a digital identity ecosystem. With over 16 years of additional experience in software development, business process management, business rules, and mobile technology, Curtis brings depth, context, and a passion for innovation to the blockchain space. When he's not engaged with customers worldwide, he enjoys spending time with his family and friends at his home just outside Toronto, Canada.

Lisa Moore

Sr. Counsel
PNC Equipment Finance


Lisa Moore serves as Senior Counsel at PNC Equipment Finance, LLC, (“PNCEF”), headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, a wholly owned subsidiary of PNC Bank, N.A., where she is embedded in the business. Lisa has supported PNCEF and its predecessors for over eighteen years with a focus on front end support for rail and structured finance as well as operations and back end matters.
Lisa regularly conducts internal training on both front and back end topics. She is a member of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association's (ELFA) Amicus Brief Committee and currently serves on the ELFA Legal Committee. For 2020, Lisa is Chair of the Legal Committee. Lisa has previously presented at the ELFA Legal Forum on the topics of NorVergence, Chapter 11, Hot Topics and Inside and Outside Counsel.

Mitchell Neider

Managing Director -Associate General Counsel
Bank of America Global Leasing


Mitchell (Mitch) Neider is the General Counsel for Bank of America Global Leasing, one of the leading bank-owned asset finance and leasing companies in the world, with offices throughout the US and internationally.  He is a member of the senior management team and leads a group of attorneys responsible for supporting all aspects of the business.
Prior to joining Bank of America Merrill Lynch in 2010, Neider served in various legal and leadership roles at The CIT Group, De Lage Landen Financial Services and Soc Gen Equipment Finance.
 
Neider received his undergraduate degree from Cornell University and his J.D. from Rutgers School of Law – Camden.

Jennifer Ng

General Counsel
Eastern Funding LLC


Andrea Nicotera

Assistant General Counsel
U.S. Bank


Andrea Nicotera is Vice President and Assistant General Counsel to U.S. Bank National Association in Portland, Oregon. Prior to joining U.S. Bank, Andrea worked for K&L Gates LLP in Portland and Ballard Spahr LLP in Philadelphia where she represented clients in asset-based lending, renewable energy project finance, acquisition finance and real estate transactions. Before becoming a lawyer, Andrea was a project manager for software development projects, first for a small software company and later for a global consulting firm. She served on the ELFA Legal Committee from 2019-2021 and holds a JD from Temple University and a BA from Swarthmore College.

Brittany Ogden

Attorney, Partner
Quarles & Brady LLP


Brittany S. Ogden is a partner at Quarles & Brady LLP located at its Madison, Wisconsin office and serves as the national co-chair of the firm’s Bankruptcy, Restructuring & Creditor’s Rights Practice Group. Brittany is an experienced litigator and trial lawyer representing clients in state and federal courts across the country. She regularly represents financial institutions, equipment finance companies, trade creditors, manufacturers and other businesses in complex commercial litigation as well as bankruptcy and insolvency proceedings. Brittany develops innovative legal strategies that allow her clients to achive practical, cost-effective business objectives in even the most financially distressed situations. Brittany obtained her undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and graduated from the Syracuse University College of Law. She is admitted to practice law in the state of New York, the state of Wisconsin, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York, and the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Wisconsin. She is a member of the American Bar Association, the American Bankruptcy Institute, Turnaround Management Association, IWIRC, and the James E. Doyle American Inns of Court. She is an active member of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association, serving as a co-chair for its Amicus Brief Committee and serves on the Board of Trustees for the Equipment Leasing and Finance Foundation. In 2022, The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association honored her with its Michael J. Fleming Distinguished Service Award, acknowledging her substantial contributions to the association and the equipment finance industry.

Stephen Patterson

Attorney
Nutter McClennen & Fish LLP


Simon Payne

Founder & CEO
Ferrum Enterprises Inc.


Hello, my name is Simon Payne, and I am the Founder & CEO of Ferrum.

My background within the commercial leasing industry started with my mother, who came to Canada from the UK in 1976.

In her first job, my mother worked with computer rental company lead by Bob Young. Bob Young might be most well know as one of the founders of Red Hat -- a company that IBM recently purchased for $34B. From there my mother worked with a gentleman by the name of Don Tapscott, who is well regarded as the one of the early promoters of blockchain technology.

During the past several years, I have lead our family commercial leasing company, each day becoming passionate for change within an industry that has experienced very little innovation over the past 40 years.

I think we can all agree that the line between technology and humanity is fading, and we can also agree that humans have been losing to technology at every stage of our evolution.

But with that, we need to learn about how we can make technology work for us. Let’s replace ourselves in smart ways. Ways that enable us to do more with our time, and let technology automate processes to allow industries to grow exponentially.

My question: why not let technology solve the pain points within our businesses, so that we can focus on new opportunities?

That is the problem we are trying to solve with our new commercial leasing platform — Ferrum.

Rene Peinado

COO and Co-Founder
OSL Concrete, Inc.


Rene Peinado is COO and co-founder of OSL Concrete, Inc, a leading, cutting-edge business at the vanguard of emerging transportation and ready-mix concrete delivery solutions for innovative global infrastructure projects. Mr. Peinado is responsible for Marine Operations, Ship Design, and Logistics. He is the lead inventor for a global portfolio of OSL patents for marine based production/supply of ready-mix concrete. Mr. Peinado has broad experience with advanced marine technologies as well as land-based construction and deals routinely with equipment leasing and financing aspects connected to various assets. He designed, developed and project-managed numerous complex concrete projects. Mr. Peinado has worked extensively in the Oil and Gas Industry as a Tanker Captain and OIM/Captain of latest generation ships operating in the deep-water drilling industry. His maritime career spans the range of inland tug and barge operations through piloting large VLCC class tankers. Mr. Peinado attended San Diego State University Business School and is licensed as USCG Master Unlimited Tonnage, Any Oceans.

Frank Peretore

Member of the Firm
Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi PC


Frank Peretore has served as a trusted legal advisor and counselor to national and regional banks and finance companies ranging from closely held companies to Fortune 100 companies. Frank has over 30 years of experience in commercial lending and leasing with a concentration in equipment finance and leasing and other asset based lending. Frank's representation includes drafting master documentation for equipment leasing and asset based lending for direct and private label programs, TRAC, FMV and other true lease structures, leases intended as security, equipment finance agreements and vendor programs, as well as purchase/sale of one-off deals and full portfolios. Frank's representation has also included the enforcement of lessors' and secured creditors' rights in thousands of matters in the state, federal and bankruptcy courts.

As a long-standing leader in his field Frank has published highly-acclaimed books titled "Workouts and Enforcement for the Secured Creditor and Equipment Lessor," (Lexis/Nexis 2015 edition) and "Secured Transactions for the Practitioner, How to Properly Perfect Your Personal Property Lien and Assure Priority." In 2015, Frank was nominated by Leasing News as one of the 25 most influential attorneys in the U.S. in the Equipment Leasing and Finance Industry.

Prior to joining the firm, Frank was a founding member of the law firm of Peretore & Peretore, P.C.

Frank received his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center where he was a member of the Dean's List. Frank received his B.S. in Economics from State University of New York College at Oneonta where he graduated with high honors.

Kenneth Peters

Partner
Dressler & Peters, LLC


Ken Peters is a national counsel for several equipment finance companies, and has handled transactions, commercial litigation or bankruptcy matters in at least 48 states. He also acts as a national bankruptcy counsel for large industrial companies. Ken and Dennis Dressler founded Dressler | Peters LLC in 2007.
His past legal matters include: recovery of $7,000,000.00 in cash in a highly contentious lien dispute in US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois; defending a title company against a suit by a national bank seeking over $100,000,000.00 in damages; documenting large purchases of rail cars; providing advice on a $300,000,000.00 letter of credit; and drafting documents for truck financings including TRAC leases. Ken represented the senior lender in the Turnaround Management Association's 2013 Small Company Turnaround of the Year, arising out of the client's financing of five aircraft for an air ambulance company.
Ken has litigated cases that help to clarify the law in several areas of concern to funders. See, for example, Center Capital Corp. v. Marlin Air, Inc., No. 07-15128, 2008 WL 937491, at *3-5 (E.D. Mich. Apr.7, 2008) (finding plaintiff lender entitled under Michigan enactment of UCC to money judgment for full amount due under loan while simultaneously repossessing aircraft securing loan). In Alabama he litigated the rights of an equipment funder to file a UCC1 under the name of a representative party (to protect the identity of the funder in public records). In Mississippi and other states he litigated against equipment lessees seeking to include financed equipment in Chapter 13 bankruptcy estates. Like the many attorneys at ELFA, just when Ken thinks he has seen it all, something new arises.
He is also an Invited Observer to the Uniform Law Commission & American Law Institute Joint Committee on the Uniform Commercial Code and Emerging Technologies (1999-2022), which drafted amendments to Articles 2A and 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code, and wrote new Article 12.
Ken lives in Highland Park, Illinois, with three cats and his wife who is a public school orchestra director. Ken and his wife have three adult children.

Lisa Peters

Attorney
Kutak Rock LLP


Lisa Peters is a partner in Kutak Rock LLP’s Omaha, Nebraska office. Ms. Peters concentrates her practice in the representation of creditors in connection with front-end structuring and documentation, insolvency, bankruptcy, restructuring, workout, and enforcement matters. She represents asset-based commercial lenders, equipment lessors, and commercial landlords in bankruptcy, district, and state courts across the United States in all stages of the remedy enforcement and bankruptcy process including pre-bankruptcy negotiations, financing, litigation, distressed asset sales, plan confirmation, replevin, foreclosure, and resolution of executory contract and lease issues and has handled all stages of collateral foreclosure proceedings. She also has significant involvement in the structuring and documentation of commercial lending, leasing and purchase transactions, including transactions using bankruptcy-remote vehicles. Her experience includes lending, financing, leasing, and bankruptcy matters spanning a wide array of industries including health care, franchise, manufacturing, real estate, municipalities. and tax credits.

Ralph Petta



Ralph Petta is the President and CEO of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA), the premier trade association representing 550+ member organizations in the $1 trillion equipment finance sector. Mr. Petta leads the organization in executing its mission to foster business development, deliver industry information and analysis, provide educational opportunities and advocate for the industry. He is also President of the Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation, which is dedicated to inspiring thoughtful innovation and contributing to the betterment of the equipment leasing and finance industry.

Mr. Petta, an authority in the business of equipment finance, has been with the association since 1987. Before assuming the role of President and CEO in January 2016, he served as Chief Operating Officer for six years, providing coordination, direction and oversight of ELFA programs and services designed to add value to the association's member organizations. Prior to that, he served as Interim President. From 1987 to 2010 he was Vice President-Research & Industry Services, managing ELFA's information, benchmarking and market research initiatives. Throughout his career at ELFA, Mr. Petta has assumed leadership roles in virtually all functional areas within the organization, including governance, membership marketing, communications, business and professional development, state advocacy and the association's affiliated Foundation.

He is often quoted in industry trade publications and is a frequent speaker about the role of equipment finance in the U.S. economy and trends and developments in the equipment finance sector.

Mr. Petta is a member of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), as well as ASAE's Key Industry Association Committee (KIAC). He completed the ASAE/University of Maryland College of Business and Management executive development certificate program in association management. He also was selected for and participated in the ASAE Future Leaders Conference. Mr. Petta is a member of the Exchequer Club of Washington, DC.

Before joining ELFA, Mr. Petta worked for nine years in the office of United States Senator Sam Nunn, serving in a variety of professional capacities. He was Senator Nunn's legislative assistant when he left to join the association. Mr. Petta graduated from Syracuse University, earning a B.A. degree in political science.

Ann Pille

Partner
Reed Smith LLP


Ann is a partner in the Chicago office of Reed Smith's Financial Industry Group. Ann maintains a national practice through which she represents equipment lessors and lenders in connection with transaction originations, including analysis and structuring around risk issues, and restructurings, workouts, distressed debt litigation, foreclosures and insolvency proceedings. Her clients regularly include commercial finance and leasing companies, major banks and hedge funds. Ann’s practice includes a particular focus on the restructuring and workout of distressed fleet finance and franchise finance deals.

Greg Poole

Senior Counsel
BMO Bank N.A.


J. Gregory Poole is the Senior Counsel of BMO Harris Bank N.A. BMO Harris Bank provides a broad range of personal banking products and solutions for everyday banking, financing, and investing, as well as a full suite of integrated commercial and financial advisory services. As Senior Counsel, Mr. Poole oversees and provides legal, operational, market and documentation advice, strategy and expertise in support of the Capital Markets function of BMO Harris Bank's Transportation Finance business unit, including structuring, drafting, negotiating and closing syndication transactions, as well as advising and counseling the business on titling, UCC and insurance issues and matters.

Prior to joining BMO Harris Bank in 2016, Mr. Poole served as Senior Counsel Syndications at GE Capital for almost 10 years. Prior to that, Mr. Poole served as the General Counsel and Secretary of Volvo Aero Leasing, LLC and as the Associate General Counsel and Director of Volvo Financial Services North America. He began his legal career at Jefferson-Pilot Life Insurance Company in Greensboro, North Carolina, where his practice focused on equipment leasing and financing, private placements, commercial mortgage lending and real estate, general corporate law, and commercial transactions.

Mr. Poole holds Bachelor of Arts degrees (with distinction) in Economics and Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He received a Juris Doctor degree from Wake Forest University School of Law.

Mr. Poole currently serves as a member of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association ("ELFA") Legal Committee and is a frequent speaker at ELFA's Legal Forum.

Carla Potter

Lawyer
Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP


Carla Potter is a partner in our Financial Services Group. Her practice focuses on corporate financing and equipment finance matters, representing both lenders and borrowers involved in domestic and cross-border lending and leasing transactions and corporate reorganizations. Carla regularly acts for equipment lessors, including U.S. companies looking to establish themselves in Canada. Carla co-authored the authoritative book in Canada on the equipment finance and leasing market in Canada.

Scott Riehl

VP, State Government Relations
Equipment Leasing and Finance Association


Scott Riehl serves as Vice President of State Government Relations for the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA), the premier trade association representing 575+ member organizations in the $1 trillion equipment finance sector.

Mr. Riehl joined ELFA in June 2016. He directs and executes all aspects of the association’s state government relations strategy, monitoring and engaging legislation and regulation impacting the industry in all 50 states.

Mr. Riehl brings 24 years of direct issue advocacy, legal and legislative staff experience to ELFA. For 13 years he represented the consumer products industry, including serving as Vice President of State Government Affairs and Associate Counsel at the Grocery Manufacturers Association. Prior to GMA, Mr. Riehl served as a Vice President at Stateside Associates, a full-service state legislative tracking company, where he provided direct political consultation for numerous Fortune 500 companies and D.C.-based trade associations. Previously, Mr. Riehl was a state affairs specialist for the National Rifle Association of America. Immediately prior to joining ELFA, he led the Riehl Group LLC, a political and strategic issue management and consulting firm based in Virginia.

In the legal and state legislative arenas, Mr. Riehl worked in the Washington, D.C., office of Seyfarth, Shaw, Fairweather and Geraldson, where he specialized in the firm’s government and defense contracts practice. Previously, he was on the staff of the Michigan Attorney General. Mr. Riehl began his government relations career in the Michigan Senate, where he served as Counsel and Chief Legislative Aide for two Michigan state senators.

Mr. Riehl has a B.S. in Political Science from the University of Vermont and a J.D. from Thomas Cooley School of Law.

Sidney Scheinberg

Shareholder
Godwin Bowman


Sidney H. Scheinberg sits on the Executive Committee, and is Chair of the Bankruptcy and Creditors' Right Section with Dallas-based Godwin Bowman & Martinez, representing clients in complex and critical cases. The primary focus of Mr. Scheinberg's practice is on bankruptcy and business litigation matters, with an emphasis on the representation of secured creditors, such as automobile finance companies and national banking associations. His clients have included such luminaries as Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Hyundai, Honda, Nissan and GM Financial.
 
A former radio broadcaster, he has spoken at National Creditors Bar Association (NARCA) conferences, is a frequent speaker at National Association of Chapter Thirteen Trustees' meetings, and has taught a variety of Continuing Legal Education (CLE) courses on Bankruptcy.

Moorari Shah

Partner
Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLC


Moorari K. Shah is Partner in the Orange County and San Francisco offices of Sheppard Mullin. He represents banks, equipment finance companies, fintechs, mortgage companies, auto lenders, and other non-bank financial institutions in transactional, licensing, regulatory compliance, and government enforcement matters covering mergers and acquisitions, consumer and commercial lending and leasing, and supervisory examinations and enforcement actions involving state and federal agencies.

Mr. Shah received his J.D. from Boston University School of Law (cum laude) and his B.A. from Duke University. He is a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP) and a certified Six Sigma Black Belt.

Mike Shaikh

Counsel


 
Mike practices exclusively in state and local tax and has a strong focus on California tax controversy. He handles matters at administrative audit and appeal levels and judicial proceedings on matters involving corporate and personal income tax, tax on trusts, sales and use tax, property tax, payroll tax, local business license taxes, and other taxes administered by state and local governments.  Mike also provides general tax advice on return positions, reorganizations, mergers and acquisitions, and other transactions.
Mike has successfully represented clients in various matters before the California Franchise Tax Board (FTB), the California State Board of Equalization (BOE), and the California Employment Development Department (EDD). Mike understands the policies and practices of the FTB, BOE, and EDD, and has leveraged this understanding for fruitful representations before each agency. Mike is also very familiar with the California Public Records Act (the state version of the Freedom of Information Act), and has helped Reed Smith collect an entire library of unpublished documents helpful in any state tax representation.
In his practice, Mike has successfully resolved hundreds of millions of dollars worth of clients' California tax matters using his ability to effectively navigate the California administrative process. Mike has also successfully represented clients in California courts. Thus no matter the stage in a tax controversy, Mike has proven able to assist clients.
In addition to representing clients, Mike is a leader in the state tax community. Mike is a co-author of the Sales and Use Tax chapter of the well-respected national treatise, State Business Taxes. He has spoken and written on numerous state tax topics throughout the United States. Mike is currently an Executive Committee Member of the California Lawyers Association Taxation Section.  He previously served as the Chair of  the Los Angeles County Bar Association's State and Local Tax Committee and the Chair of the State Bar's State and Local Tax Committee.

Molly Simon CLFP

Senior Legal Counsel
DLL


Molly Simon is Senior Legal Counsel for De Lage Landen Financial Services, Inc ("DLL"). Ms. Simon provides legal support to DLL, including providing advice on legal issues related to lease and loan transactions, maintaining and updating standard documentation, developing documentation for new products, reviewing third party documentation and drafting language for customized and negotiated transactions.

Jud Snyder

President
BMO Harris Bank


Jud Snyder is the President of BMO Harris Equipment Finance Company and BMO's Senior Executive for Southeast Wisconsin.
 
Jud joined the Bank in 1994 and is responsible for leading the growth and development of BMO Harris Equipment Finance Company. This includes strategic and managerial responsibility for sales, operations, underwriting and equipment management capabilities within the Equipment Finance Company.
 
Prior to taking on his current role, he had roles in credit, sales and sales management in Equipment Finance prior to taking on the President's role in 2008. In 2010, he moved into the bank as M&I's Head of Specialized Industries. In this role he was responsible for Equipment Finance, Global Trade, Health Care, Dealer Finance, Agribusiness and Sponsor Finance. Following the BMO acquisition in 2011, he moved back into the head role at Equipment Finance with the mandate to leverage the business across BMO and grow the business to scale.
 
Jud obtained his BA in Russian and Economics from UW Madison ('94). He is currently the Chairman and an Officer of ELFA (Equipment Leasing and Finance Association). He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Milwaukee Ballet (Immediate Past Chair & President and Executive Committee Member), The Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee (Trustee), United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County, Teach for America and Froedtert Health Systems.
 
Jud lives in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin with his five children.

Mark Stout

Partner
Padfield & Stout, LLP


Mark Stout has conducted an active civil litigation practice in state and bankruptcy courts since 1998. Mr. Stout’s practice concentration includes commercial finance, asset based lending, equipment leasing and the Uniform Commercial Code. Mr. Stout represents a wide range of equipment lessors and asset based lenders in all aspects of business finance. He routinely advises clients in complex loan transactions and litigation matters. Mr. Stout has a successful track record representing lenders in loan enforcement actions, bankruptcy proceedings and out of court workouts.. He divides his practice equally between commercial litigation and bankruptcy litigation. Mr. Stout represents in excess of thirty financial institutions and leasing companies.
 
Mr. Stout has experience in Chapter 7, 9, 11, 12 & 13 proceedings and protecting secured creditors’ rights by utilizing various motions and adversary proceedings. In addition, Mr. Stout has represented Chapter 7 bankruptcy trustees which recovered significant sums for the bankruptcy estates. Mr. Stout has been counsel on several bankruptcy appeals, all of which were decided in his clients’ favor.  Mr. Stout has experience in representing creditors in bankruptcies involving hospitals, oil and gas companies, construction companies, farms, restaurant groups, and numerous other businesses.
 
Mr. Stout has also within the last four years represented energy companies in oil and gas disputes, general and subcontractors in construction disputes, employment disputes concerning the enforceability of non-compete agreements, debt buyers in FDCPA matters, corporate directors in corporate governance disputes, probate disputes, medical software companies in contractual enforce-ability disputes, and defended law firms in alleged wrongful acts. In addition to litigation, Mr. Stout also assists commercial lenders in drafting financial instruments, forbearance agreements, and restructuring loans that comply with the UCC and Texas statutes.

Jennifer Sucher

Partner
Fox Swibel Levin & Carroll LLP


Jennifer Sucher is an experienced commercial business lawyer providing strategic legal advice to clients for over 25 years. Jennifer is currently Associate General Counsel at Donlen, a customer-centric and technically integrated provider of financing and fleet management solutions for corporate fleets. Prior to joining Donlen, Jennifer was a partner at Quarles & Brady LLP where she focused on secured lending and leasing transactions, restructuring, bankruptcy and creditor’s rights. She has advised clients on a wide variety of issues involving vendor management, fleet financing, healthcare finance, cash flow and asset based lending, franchise finance and commercial real estate. Jennifer spent 19 years working in-house as Executive Counsel at GE Capital and as Legal Operational Risk Manager at Heller Financial. Jennifer helps clients identify legal, compliance, regulatory and business risks while at the same time providing practical, creative and workable solutions. She also actively works with clients to reduce losses by successfully resolving or avoiding litigation and maximizing recoveries. Jennifer is highly skilled in explaining legal issues to non-lawyers, identifying common goals and building consensus in diverse groups. In 2017, Jennifer received her mediation certificate from Northwestern University.

Jonathan Todd

Partner
Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff LLP


Jonathan Todd is a Partner with Benesch’s nationwide Transportation and Logistics Practice Group. He represents all participants in the transportation sector in strategic planning, transactional, and regulatory matters. His representation of industry interests includes appointment by the U.S. Transportation Secretary to a DOT/FMCSA Federal Advisory Committee. He is also a voting member of the American Trucking Association's Supply Chain Security Policy Committee. Prior to joining Benesch, he was Senior Corporate Counsel with a Transport Topics Top-20 motor carrier where he also served as an officer of its international transportation subsidiaries.

William Tokash

Senior Research Analyst
Navigant Consulting, Inc.


James Ugalde

Member
Clark Hill PLC


James L. Ugalde is a partner in the Phoenix office of Clark Hill. Mr. Ugalde provides a variety of legal services to banks, other lenders, lessors, secured creditors and investors with respect to the perfection and enforcement of their rights under security documents and the Uniform Commercial Code, including asset-based financing and leasing. He represents creditors involving collection and the foreclosure of security interests under state law and provides representation in Chapters 7, 11 and 13 bankruptcy cases. Representative cases include the following:
• Assisted lender with enforcement of lien and security interests in real property and FF&E with multiple franchise operations of national restaurant/hotel chain.
• Assisted equipment leasing & finance company with enforcement and recovery of car washing equipment at multiple locations of national gas station operation.
• Represented equipment leasing company’s interest in bankruptcy regarding assumption/rejection issues and lease recharacterization.
• Assisted landlord with trial to evict operating fitness gym from multiple locations.
• Representation of licensee holder of F.C.C. licenses in contested bankruptcy proceedings to protect licensee holder's interests and the purchase of assets through Section 363 of the Bankruptcy Code.
Professional and Civic Activities
• State Bar of Arizona (Member)
• City of Chandler, Arizona (Chairman of Board of Adjustment)
• Habitat for Humanity – Central Arizona (Member of Public Relations & Marketing Committee)
• Turnaround Management Association (Member)
Professional Recognition
• Selected for inclusion in Southwest Super Lawyers® – Rising Stars (2012–2014: Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights)

Roburt Waldow Esq

Partner
Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLC


Roburt Waldow is a partner in the Tax and Estate Planning Practice Group in the firm's Orange County office.
 
Areas of Practice
 
Roburt focuses his practice on state and local tax, regularly representing clients in controversy matters, from audit through litigation, and advising clients on transactional and planning matters.
 
Roburt was a member of the Executive Committee of the California State Bar, Taxation Section and a former chair of the Banking and Savings Institutions Committee of the American Bar Association Tax Section. He has participated in the invitation-only State Bar of California, Taxation Section, Eagle Lodge West conference in 2010 (Franchise Tax Board Sessions), 2012 (State Board of Equalization Sessions), 2013 (State Board of Equalization Sessions), 2014 (Franchise Tax Board Sessions) and 2017 (Board of Equalization Sessions). He is a frequent speaker on state tax matters at conferences throughout the country, including those sponsored by the American Bar Association; the State Bar of California, Taxation Section; the San Francisco Bar Association; Tax Executives Institute (TEI); Council on State Taxation (COST); and BNA/Cite. He is a contributing author to the CCH California Tax Analysis: Corporation Tax (2d ed.) and has coauthored articles published in BNA's Tax Management series, the Journal of Taxation and Regulation of Financial Institutions, and Tax Analysts' State Tax Notes.

Edward Wang

Partner
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP


Edward Wang is a partner in the Financial Services Group of BLG as well as a member of its China Focus Group. He has acted for lenders (various financial institutions and private lenders) and borrowers in a variety of debt-financing and lending transactions, including leveraged buy-out financings, aircraft acquisition and financing, multi-jurisdictional lending transactions, syndicated loans transactions, asset-based lending, and within the context of business combinations, corporate mergers, acquisitions and reorganizations. Edward also regularly acts for creditors, insolvency professionals, and debtors in various insolvency and restructuring proceedings including those under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act and the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act.

Edward also has experience in China-related financing and insolvency matters that are based in Canada. Edward speaks both Mandarin Chinese and English. He was born in Beijing, China, where he lived for a number of years.

Kenneth Weinberg

Partner
Rimon, P.C.


Ken Weinberg is a partner at Rimon P.C. and practices in the area of commercial finance, focusing on equipment leasing, equipment finance and energy finance. He represents bank-affiliated, captive, and independent finance companies in many transactional aspects of equipment leasing and finance, has experience with many types of equipment and facilities, and has been heavily involved in the creation of forms, policies and procedures for multiple bank-affiliated equipment leasing and finance companies. Ken has additional experience in the niche of energy financing, representing lenders, investors and developers in recourse and non-recourse financing transactions (debt and tax-driven sale-leasebacks) for energy facilities across the country and internationally, including biomass facilities, landfill-gas-to-energy projects, solar facilities, and natural-gas-fired plants. Ken contributes regularly to the equipment leasing and finance industry and, since 2002, has published approximately 100 editions of his regularly scheduled column, Dispatches from the Trenches, in the Monitor.

Stephen Whelan

Partner
Blank Rome LLP


As a partner in three different law firms for 44 years, Steve Whelan practices law in the New York office of Blank Rome LLP, where he concentrates his practice on lease financings, securitization, energy finance and secured lending. He is a graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School, has been a member of the ELFA Board of Directors and Legal Committee, Chair of the American Bar Association Subcommittee on Leasing, and a Visiting Lecturer on constitutional law at Princeton University.

Steve is co-author of the ABA Annual Survey on Developments in the Law of Leases. He has authored four books on U.C.C. Article 2A and the “Securitization” chapters in the Matthew Bender & Co. treatises on Commercial Finance and Equipment Leasing. From 2019 to 2022, he was an appointed observer to the ALI-ULC Subcommittee on Bundled Transactions.

Allan Wong

VP of Sales - Jonah Group
Ferrum Enterprises Inc.


Sponsors

Hotel Reservations

A block of rooms has been reserved for this conference at the Omni San Diego, 675 L Street San Diego, California, 92101. A special group rate of $244 single/double (Standard Room) is available for attendees. You can make your hotel reservation directly at https://www.omnihotels.com/hotels/san-diego/meetings/elfa-2019-legal.

Phone-In Reservations

You can make reservations by calling 1-800-843-6664. Be sure to tell the reservations clerk you will be attending the ELFA 2019 Legal Forum. Reservations should be guaranteed with a credit card and made before the cut-off date of Friday, April 5, 2019. After the cut-off date, rooms are on a first-come, first-served basis and possibly at a higher rate.

Getting There

FROM SAN DIEGO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT - 14 MINUTES/4 MILES Follow the airport exit signs toward Harbor Drive/Downtown San Diego. Merge onto Harbor Drive going south along the San Diego Bay. Follow Harbor Drive as it turns to the left at Seaport Village. Turn left onto 5th Avenue. Make an immediate right onto L Street. Proceed 1 block on L Street. The hotel is located on the right on the corner of 6th Avenue and L Street.

Omni San Diego Hotel
675 L St
San Diego, CA 92101

Get directions

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